To determine if a peristaltic pump can transport a liquid medium, you can consider four aspects: viscosity, temperature, pressure, corrosiveness, and chemical state:
1) Liquid Viscosity: Viscosity affects the ease of transport by a peristaltic pump. We generally use absolute viscosity to indicate the viscosity of a liquid medium. Common liquid media viscosities are as follows; you can refer to similar media based on everyday experience to make a judgment:
Milk 2 cP
Cooking oil/orange juice 60 cP
Yogurt/egg 150 cP
Concentrated orange juice 630 cP
Tomato sauce 1000 cP
Detergent 1500 cP
Honey 3000 cP
2) Temperature: The temperature of the liquid transported by a peristaltic pump is mainly determined by the pump tubing’s tolerance. The general temperature range is 0-75℃. In special cases, temporary or intermittent transport of 100℃ liquids is possible, but this will affect the lifespan of the pump tubing. If the liquid temperature is high, it is recommended to use Norprene tubing or Pharmed tubing, which can withstand liquids up to 200℃. Note that the temperatures mentioned above refer only to the temperature of the liquid medium, not the ambient temperature at which the peristaltic pump operates. In actual use, if the ambient temperature exceeds 75℃, the peristaltic pump solution is not recommended.
3) Pressure: The pressure environment affects the delivery performance of the peristaltic pump. The pressure that a peristaltic pump can withstand is affected by the wall thickness of the tubing. Generally, a 1.6mm thick tubing can withstand a pressure of 0.1MPa, while a 2.4mm thick tubing can withstand a pressure below 0.2MPa. OEM peristaltic pumps are not recommended for operation in environments exceeding 0.2MPa.
4) Liquid Corrosivity (pH Value): The type of liquid medium being delivered will affect whether the peristaltic pump can deliver it. Generally, peristaltic pumps can be used to deliver neutral liquids or liquids with a pH between 3 and 10 (appropriate tubing must be selected). For strong acids and alkalis, special peristaltic pump tubing must be used, such as Viton tubing or Chemically coated tubing.
5) Liquid chemical state: The chemical state of the liquid medium will affect the delivery effect. The chemical state mainly refers to volatile liquids, especially corrosive volatile liquids. In this case, it is recommended to use 3603 hoses with high airtightness, or other pumps with high airtightness.