Dosing high ph + using Santoprene Tubing

[trigon 350]

Hi,
I currently run a red sea reef dose 4 part doser.
I use reef zlements 2 part.
The alk part has a ph + option.
When i changed to this, it gradually over 6 weeks starts getting air in the tubing as the higher stregnth liquid wears tiny tiny holes in the dosing head tube ( the small piece the rollers compress ).
Ive been looking at changing the standard red sea tubing to a different material.
I tried looking for pharmed bpt in the uk but that size isn't readily available.
I have found a washing machine detergent pump tube made of Santoprene Tubing.
@Randy Holmes-Farley , do you think this will be suitable to use for high ph solution in a peristaltic pump?
Also, I currently use acrylic rod that my normal dosing tube goes onto and this rod then goes deep into my glass bottles.
Do you think the acrylic rod will also be safe to use?
Thanks

 

[KrisReef]

Looks good to me, but I am not the guy

Referencing

https://www.kelco.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/santoprene-compatibility-guide.pdf

 

[EnterName]

Santoprene seems to be TPE tubing, which is a mixture of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) and PP (polypropylene). There are various different mixtures of TPE with different properties, but apparently "Santoprene" is a name used for TPE/TPV (thermoplastic vulcanizate) tubing, which can withstand high alkalinity and pH quite well. If it is food-grade or pharma-grade it shouldn't release too much bad stuff like plasticizers and it's commonly used in peristaltic pumps like dosing pumps making it suitable for your purpose. I would assume it's fine if you find the correct size.

GHL (and other) dosing pumps use Novoprene which works just fine for weak and medium alkalis, but sooner or later every material will fail from the constant kneading in the dosing pump and the aggressive liquids.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Santoprene is fine with the pH, but whether it has the proper mechanical properties in the exact tubing you are getting will likely have to be determined by trial and error.

 

[trigon 350]

Santoprene is fine with the pH, but whether it has the proper mechanical properties in the exact tubing you are getting will likely have to be determined by trial and error.

Thanks, and what about the solid acrylic rod?

 

[Privateye]

My Kamoer dosing pumps use santoprene tubing and they've been fine dosing my alkalinity solution (just soda ash and water) for years. I'd guess the pH is around 10.

Acrylic should be fine IME. I use these: https://pentairaes.com/rigid-clear-tubing

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How would you be using the rod?

 

[trigon 350]

How would you be using the rod?

Like this image, the blue line
Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

For stirring? That should be fine. It may get cloudy on its surface, but that's OK.

 

[trigon 350]

For stirring? That should be fine. It may get cloudy on its surface, but that's OK.

No, the rod just goes to the bottom of the glass container and then i attach my redsea doser tube to the top.

 

[Privateye]

For stirring? That should be fine. It may get cloudy on its surface, but that's OK.

I think he's using it to draw the liquid up into the tubing. I do the same thing with mine. You attach the flexible tubing to one of these hollow, rigid, plastic tubes and stick the other end down into the liquid. It just allows you to keep the tip where you want it in terms of height and position.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok, that should be fine.

I thought it was a solid rod (to me, rods are solid, tubes are hollow).:)

 

[trigon 350]

Ok, that should be fine.

I thought it was a solid rod (to me, rods are solid, tubes are hollow).:)

Perfect!
And yes you are absolutely correct, rod is solid, this is hollow. My poor use of english!.

Thanks