Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Tubing question

nimbus8 - 30-6-2013 at 18:33

Will 8mm rubber tubing connect to a vacuum adapter that is said to be 10mm?

Funkerman23 - 30-6-2013 at 20:36

depends on the material used;Latex'll probably do it but it might be a bit tighter on the barb. Teflon tubing is much stiffer than many realize so that's a not ideal. Vinyl( it may be polyvinyl chloride I'm thinking about ) tubing hardens when anything cold passes through it and sometimes will work. and while not chemically inert, and sometimes a bugger to find, red rubber tubing usually will give enough to do so& be useful in the lab. Be prepared to cut the tubing off the barb if it is necessary. bottom line: try latex or red buna( non latex) rubber tubing first( Pellet Lab. com has good red tubing if you don't mind converting US to metric )and then go from their. Though this is only my opinion and may not suit your needs.

Hexavalent - 1-7-2013 at 07:44

Personally, I always select tubing that is 1-2 mm ID diameter smaller than the barb it is connecting to, as this ensures a good seal around the joint and prevents loss of water, vacuum, etc.. Sometimes, jiggling the tubing onto the barb will work, but other times I find that inserting the tip of the tubing into some hot water softens it sufficiently to allow it to slip more easily over the barb. For semi-permanent connections, like the vacuum hose coming from my vacuum pump, I usually add a few strong cable ties around the joint, which helps to further compress the tubing around the barb and prevents it from falling off over time.

sargent1015 - 1-7-2013 at 09:58

If you want a more permanent connection, you can spray the connection with a little acetone. Slides on and stays on, only way to get it off is to cut it. Good for vacuum manifolds and the like.

Otherwise, lube it up real good with some silicon grease and you should be good to go.

nimbus8 - 1-7-2013 at 18:15

Funkerman, does pellet labs tubing stand up to heavy vacuum?