As an important transmission medium in the industrial and agricultural fields, rubber hoses occupy an important position in foreign trade transactions. However, the quality of rubber hoses in the market varies greatly, and mastering scientific identification methods is crucial for procurement and trade.
Appearance is the first checkpoint. The surface of high-quality rubber hoses should be smooth and uniform, without bubbles, cracks or impurities. If the surface has corrugated bumps or granularity, it may be inferior materials or process defects. Color uniformity is also critical, and inferior products often have obvious color differences due to insufficient vulcanization.
Hardness test highlights quality differences. When using a hardness tester to measure the hardness of a rubber hose, the standard value deviation should be within ±5 Shore A. If the feel is obviously soft or hard, it may be due to improper formulation or insufficient vulcanization time, resulting in decreased elasticity. In particular, for rubber hoses that transport high-temperature media, attention should be paid to hardness changes under high temperature environments.
Combustion tests reveal material composition. After cutting a small section of the rubber tube and igniting it, the high-quality natural rubber tube burns slowly, extinguishes itself after leaving the fire, and leaves black flocculent ash; inferior tubes may burn violently and emit a pungent smell. Synthetic rubber products such as PVC or EPDM tubes have significantly different combustion characteristics from natural rubber, and materials need to be selected in combination with the use scenario.
Pressure test verifies durability. The pressure resistance is tested by water pressure test. The standard requires no leakage or deformation for 5 minutes at 1.5 times the working pressure. Some low-end products may have uneven wall thickness problems, which are prone to local expansion or rupture during pressure testing.
In international trade, it is also necessary to pay attention to product certification standards. The EU's CE certification and the US's UL certification are important bases for testing the safety of rubber tubes. When purchasing, suppliers should be required to provide corresponding test reports to avoid the risk of returns due to materials not meeting the standards of the importing country.
Mastering these identification skills can not only reduce trade risks, but also improve procurement efficiency, and win market competitive advantages for cross-border e-commerce and foreign trade companies.
