Peristaltic Pump Tubing Selection Guide

Peristaltic pumps are typically used to pump sterile or aggressive fluids without exposing those fluids to contamination from exposed pump components. They are self-priming, reversible and highly reliable.  Also, peristaltic pumps are suitable for applications where isolation of the product from environment is critical, such as pumping abrasives, corrosive or/and viscous fluids.  There are a wide variety of applications of peristaltic pumps listed but not limited:  

• Medicine:  Dialysis machine/medical infusion pumps, blood transfusion  
• Testing and research: Auto-analyzer , analytical chemistry experiments, media dispensers 
• Chemical handling: Pharmaceutical production, dosing systems 
• Food manufacturing: beverage dispensing 
• Aquarium water supply, sewage handling

Tubing Selection Consideration

The pump tubing isolates the fluid from the rest of the pump and environment and makes it ideal for handling aggressive, corrosive media and those shear-sensitive fluids (for example, particle-laden fluids etc.). Thus, it is important not to neglect the selection of the pump tubing.  There are several primary factors that should be considered in this selection process.

• Chemical compatibility 
• Maximum pressure 
• Operating temperature 
• Dimension
• Regulations 
• Life expectancy 
• Gas permeability 
• Sterilization methods 
• Cost 

Chemical compatibility – The delivered fluid of a peristaltic pump only comes into contact with the pump tubing. Thus, tubing should have good chemical characteristics, such as low absorption, good temperature resistance, no swelling and anti-corrosion etc. End users should test the tubing under actual conditions to determine its resistance to corrosion. 

Temperature – the working temperature range of a tubing is another important specification to be considered.  Before selecting a tubing, end users should identify both the min and max temperatures possible in the system.  As far as the tubing materials, silicone has a relatively broad temperature range, for example, the Bio-Silicone™  tubing can work from -35℃ to 200℃. In some applications, tubing material needs to be autoclaved for sanitation purposes. Thus, the maximum working temperature of tubing should be higher than autoclave temperature. 

Pressure - the tubing must be able to withstand the system pressure without leakage or failure. It must also be able to adequately handle abrasive media and suspended particulates. High pressure causes tubing swelling and thus results in improper fit through the pump head. Working temperature also may impact the maximum pressure of the tubing. For example, when the pump used in a process with increased temperatures, the working pressure for a given tubing ID will decrease. 

Size -Tubing is an essential part of the design of a good-quality peristaltic pump and must be correctly selected to fit within the pump head to ensure consistent and repeatable flow performance.  The inner diameter and wall thickness must be taken into account because the inner diameter of the tubing determines the amount of fluid dispensed and the wall thickness affects the fitment of the tubing side the pump head.  Small tubing cannot be well retained inside the pump head and leads to insufficient flow or complete failure. On the other hand, excess material of large tubing causes excessive wear and potential occlusion. 

Regulatory approval - for some applications, such in pharmaceutical industry, the peristaltic pump tubing used must meet and conform to certain standards and regulations, such as United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), European Pharmacopoeia (EP), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National Sanitation Foundation (NSF).

Tubing Life expectancy – Different tubing materials have different capability to withstand the repeated squeezing action of rollers. Tubing size and material, pump head type and rotor speed, working temperature and discharge pressure all impact the life expectancy of tubing. Due to the inherent characteristic of peristaltic pump, tubing needs to be replaced after certain operation period to ensure the desired flow rate. Pump tubing manufacturers should be able to provide test data on the tubing life expectancy. 

Gas permeability - for those applications where the media must be isolated from gases, the tubing material must have an acceptably low gas permeability rating 

Cost – End users must work with tubing manufacturers or pump suppliers to select the best tubing for their peristaltic pumps after identifying the product requirements.  Also, another important consideration is the tubing replacement cost and downtime. 

Common Tubing Specification

• Micro and small flow tubing

• Medium flow tubing

• Industrial/large flow tubing