The difference between PU pipes and PVC pipes in the food and pharmaceutical fields

Food Industry

Material Safety

PU Tubing: Food-grade PU tubing is typically made of polyether polyurethane. It is non-toxic, odorless, and plasticizer-free, complying with food standards such as EU Directive 10/2011, EC 1935/2004, and US FDA 21 CFR 177.2600, making it highly environmentally friendly.

PVC Tubing: Ordinary PVC tubing contains chlorine atoms and may contain harmful substances such as plasticizers during the production process. This poses the risk of plasticizer migration and may contaminate food. However, food-grade PVC tubing, through special formulations and production processes, is free of plasticizers and halogens and complies with EU and US FDA food standards. Examples include Delu's RCRS - Food-Grade PVC Braided Tubing.

Performance Characteristics

PU tubing: Excellent wear resistance, 3-5 times that of PVC tubing, and a smooth inner wall, making it suitable for conveying foods containing particles or powders, such as rice, cereal, and sugar. It also offers a wide temperature resistance range, with a typical operating temperature range of -40°C to 80°C, and special models capable of operating up to 120°C, ensuring stable performance at both high and low temperatures.

PVC pipe: It has moderate wear resistance, but long-term transport of granular media can easily lead to internal wear. It also has a narrower temperature resistance range, with a typical operating temperature range of 0°C to 60°C. It is prone to brittle cracking at low temperatures and softening and deformation at high temperatures.

Application Scenarios

PU pipe: Suitable for transporting a variety of foods, including water-based foods, oil-based foods, and dry foods, such as beverages, juice, wine, cooking oil, milk powder, and grain. It can also be used as a connecting pipe for food processing equipment, such as vending machines, ice machines, and refrigerators.

PVC pipe: Primarily used for transporting water-based foods (non-fat-based), such as beverages, juice, wine, vinegar, and alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of less than 20%. Medical Field

Material Safety

PU tubing: It offers excellent biocompatibility, is less likely to cause allergic reactions and blood clots, and does not contain harmful substances such as latex and phthalates. It meets the strict standards of the pharmaceutical industry, ensuring patient safety.

PVC tubing: While also used in the medical field, its biocompatibility is inferior to PU tubing, making it more susceptible to allergic reactions and blood clots, limiting its use in safety-critical applications.

Performance Characteristics

PU tubing: It offers excellent flexibility and can be bent and folded freely with a small bend radius, allowing for flexible placement and use during medical procedures. It also offers strong impact resistance and is resistant to cracking and deformation after impact. It also has good chemical resistance and can withstand some common medications and disinfectants.

PVC tubing: It is relatively rigid but less flexible, prone to brittle cracking at low temperatures. Its application in the medical field is relatively limited, generally used in applications where flexibility and impact resistance are less critical. However, PVC tubing offers strong chemical resistance, making it particularly suitable for transporting corrosive liquid medications.

Application Scenarios

PU tubing: Widely used in medical fields such as intravenous infusion, enteral nutrition delivery, endoscopy, respiratory therapy, and urology. For example, precision infusion tubing, often made of PU, can be used for the infusion of chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, cardiovascular medications, and other medications that require high precision and speed.

PVC tubing: Can be used for the infusion of some common medications and arterial cannulation, but caution should be exercised regarding potential allergic reactions and the risk of thrombosis.