The variety and versatility of hoses certainly seems to be inexhaustible. Rubber chemists can design hose properties to perfectly match the subsequent application requirements. Even a “simple” garden hose is quite complicated. It usually consists of three layers – the outer casing, reinforcement and core. The outer casing and core are usually made of PVC, while the reinforcement consists of a synthetic fabric. This is the most common design, but it is not necessarily the best. Ecological tests reveal a number of disadvantages associated with PVC hoses. They contain plasticizers to provide flexibility and to ensure that the PVC does not become tough and brittle in cold temperatures. They also include heavy metals and stabilizers.

When hoses are used for irrigation, these additives – some of which are poisonous – can Contaminate plants and enter the food chain, thus creating a potential risk to human health. They also release dioxins when they are burnt on disposal. Ecologically sound alternatives to PVC here are garden hoses made of rubber, preferably ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) such as Buna® EP or chloroprene rubber such as Baypren®. These materials do not harden in cold temperatures. They are also torsionally rigid, buckleproof and abrasion-resistant. Over and above this, they are immune to oxygen and ozone and boast a long service life.

Hoses with an outer casing made of the chloroprene rubber (CR) Baypren® number among the multi-purpose industrial hoses that function equally well in hydraulic systems as in earth-moving machinery, as they can withstand extremely high loads and are resistant to oil, ozone, cold and heat. Heavy-duty hoses are usually equipped with a fourth component for protection against high pressures and partial vacuum. In this case, a coil is inserted below the outer casing and reinforcement to stop the hoses buckling and to ensure that they do not contract when subject to partial vacuum.