Peristaltic Pump Tubing: The Complete Guide to Materials, Sizes and Selection

Tubing is the only part of a peristaltic pump that touches your fluid — which makes it the most important component in the system. It is also the component that wears out fastest, which is why pump tubing is a recurring purchase for every peristaltic pump owner. Choosing the right tube is not about picking the most expensive material; it is about matching elastic recovery, chemical compatibility, temperature range, hardness and tube size to your specific application.

In this guide we cover everything a buyer or engineer needs: how peristaltic pump tubing works, the four main material families, the standard size system (13# to 25#), hardness and how it affects life, the pressure and temperature limits, and a 6-step selection process you can apply to any fluid transfer job. We close with maintenance practices that extend tube life and the exact signals that tell you it is time to replace the tube.

How Peristaltic Pump Tubing Works

A peristaltic pump moves fluid by squeezing a tube with rollers or shoes. The tube sits inside a pump head between a rotating rotor and a fixed track. As the rotor turns, each roller compresses the tube against the track, trapping a pocket of fluid and pushing it forward. When the roller passes, the tube's elastic recovery creates a vacuum that pulls in the next pocket of fluid.

This mechanism has three consequences that define how you choose tubing:

• Elastic recovery is everything. The tube must snap back to its full round shape quickly after each roller pass. Slow recovery means weak suction, pulsating flow and reduced flow rate. This is why rigid materials like standard PTFE do not work in a normal pump head.
• The tube is a wear part. Every compression cycle flexes the tube material. Over time the tube fatigues, hardens, cracks or splits. Tube life is measured in hours of pumping, not months on the shelf.
• Only the tube touches the fluid. The pump head, rotor and housing never contact your liquid. This is the core hygiene advantage of peristaltic pumps — and it means your tubing choice IS your chemical compatibility decision.

The Four Tubing Material Families

Peristaltic pump tubing is made from four main families of materials. Each has a clear performance profile, and the right choice depends on your fluid chemistry and temperature.

1. Silicone Tubing (Platinum-Cured)

Platinum-cured silicone is the default choice for most peristaltic pump applications. It has outstanding elastic recovery — the tube springs back almost instantly after each roller pass, which keeps flow stable and extends mechanical life. It is transparent, so you can see bubbles, particles and colour changes in the fluid. It is affordable and widely available in every tube size.

Silicone handles water-based fluids, mild acids and bases, food products, pharmaceutical liquids and most biological media. Typical temperature range is −40°C to 200°C depending on formulation, though continuous high-temperature service shortens life. Silicone is not suitable for strong solvents, hydrocarbons, oils or aggressive chemicals — these cause swelling, hardening and premature failure.

Best for: water, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, biological, laboratory media, mild chemicals.

2. PTFE-Lined Composite Tubing

Standard rigid PTFE cannot be used in a peristaltic pump head because it does not recover elastically. The solution is PTFE-lined composite tubing: a flexible outer layer (usually rubber or a reinforced polymer) that provides elastic recovery, with a thin PTFE inner liner that provides chemical resistance. The liner protects the tube wall from aggressive chemicals while the outer layer does the mechanical work.

PTFE-lined tubing resists strong acids (including 98% sulfuric acid), strong bases (40% NaOH), aromatic solvents and halogenated chemicals that would destroy silicone in hours. The trade-off is higher cost and slightly lower flexibility than pure silicone.

Best for: chemical dosing, acid and alkali transfer, aggressive solvents, industrial water treatment.

3. Norprene / Thermoplastic Elastomer Tubing

Norprene is a family of thermoplastic elastomers engineered for good chemical resistance and long flex life. It handles a wider range of chemicals than silicone — including many oils and mild solvents — while keeping good elastic recovery. It is opaque (usually black or tan), so visual inspection is limited. Norprene is a strong choice for industrial applications that are too aggressive for silicone but do not require full PTFE-level resistance.

Best for: industrial fluids, mild solvents, oils, abrasives in suspension, general chemical transfer.

4. Specialty Tubing (Tygon, PharMed, Viton, EPDM)

Several specialty brands fill specific niches. Tygon offers a wide chemical range with moderate flex life. PharMed is a USP Class VI silicone alternative for biopharma use. Viton (FKM) handles high temperatures and aggressive chemicals but has shorter flex life. EPDM resists ozone, weather and many chemicals. These are worth considering when an application falls outside silicone/PTFE/Norprene territory, but they typically cost more per metre.

Best for: biopharma (PharMed), high temperature (Viton), specific chemical compatibility (Tygon, EPDM).

Tubing Size System: 13# to 25#

Peristaltic pump tubing uses a standard size numbering system based on the tubing's inner diameter (ID) and outer diameter (OD) in inches. The most common sizes are 13#, 14#, 16#, 19#, 25# and 17#, 18# for larger flows. Each pump head model specifies which tube sizes it accepts — the head's occlusion geometry and roller spacing are designed around specific tube diameters.

Critical rule: always match the tube size to your pump head's specification. Using a tube with the wrong outer diameter changes the occlusion setting — too much compression shortens tube life dramatically, too little compression reduces flow and pressure capability. If your head accepts multiple sizes (for example a YZ15 head accepts 13#, 14#, 19#, 16#, 25#), the tube size determines the maximum flow rate and the minimum dose volume.

Hardness (Shore A) and Tube Life

Tube hardness, measured in Shore A, is one of the least understood but most important specifications. Softer tubing (50–60 Shore A) recovers quickly and seals well at low pressure, but it wears out faster under repeated compression and cannot handle high system pressure. Harder tubing (65–80 Shore A) lasts longer mechanically and handles higher pressure, but it may not recover fully at low speeds or in cold conditions, which reduces flow consistency.

Manufacturers rate each tube material for a recommended hardness range. Silicone is typically 50–70 Shore A depending on the formulation; Norprene and specialty tubes are often 60–75 Shore A. When a pump head has an adjustable occlusion setting, you can tune the roller pressure to the tube hardness — a small adjustment that significantly extends tube life.

Pressure and Temperature Limits

Standard peristaltic pump tubing is designed for discharge pressures up to about 1 bar (14.5 psi) in continuous service. Heavy-wall reinforced tubing can operate at higher pressures — some industrial heads reach 3 to 6 bar with the correct tube. Exceeding the pressure rating causes the tube to balloon, reducing compression efficiency and accelerating wear; at high pressure the tube can fail suddenly.

Temperature limits are set by the tube material, not the pump. Silicone handles roughly −40°C to 200°C in intermittent service, with continuous use best kept below about 150°C. PTFE-lined tubing has a similar mechanical limit from its outer layer, though the liner itself withstands far higher temperatures. Always check both the fluid temperature at the pump and the ambient temperature — a cold environment makes tubing stiffer and slows recovery.

How to Select Peristaltic Pump Tubing: 6-Step Process

1. List your fluid properties. Write down the liquid, its concentration, pH, viscosity, temperature and whether it contains solids. This determines the material family: water-based and food → silicone; strong acids/bases/solvents → PTFE-lined; oils and mild chemicals → Norprene.
2. Define flow rate and pressure. Your required flow rate (ml/min or L/min) and discharge pressure (bar) decide the tube size and whether you need heavy-wall tubing. Use the pump head's flow matrix to pick the tube size that reaches your target flow at a mid-range speed.
3. Check chemical compatibility. Verify the tube material against your specific chemical. A compatibility chart lists resistance at the fluid's concentration and temperature. When in doubt, request a sample and run a 48-hour soak test — swelling, hardening or discolouration means the material is not suitable.
4. Match the tube to the pump head. Confirm the tube's outer diameter and wall thickness match the head's specification. Never improvise a tube size; it changes occlusion and voids performance guarantees.
5. Choose the right hardness. For low-pressure precision dosing, a softer tube gives better low-flow consistency. For high-pressure or continuous industrial service, choose a harder tube with heavy wall. If your head has adjustable occlusion, set it to the tube's recommended compression.
6. Plan the consumable budget. Tube life is measured in hours; buy spares in multiples of your pump's tube count (a 2-channel head needs 2 tubes). Keep a spare set in stock — tube failure is the most common cause of unplanned peristaltic pump downtime.

Common Mistakes in Tubing Selection

• Choosing by chemical resistance alone. A tube that resists the chemical but recovers slowly will deliver poor flow and wear the pump head. Elastic recovery matters as much as chemistry.
• Using rigid PTFE in a standard head. Standard PTFE tube will not recover after roller compression — you need PTFE-lined composite tubing, not bare PTFE.
• Ignoring pressure. High system pressure shortens tube life far faster than chemistry. If your application runs above 1 bar, use heavy-wall tubing and check the head's pressure rating.
• Wrong hardness. Too-soft tubing fails early; too-hard tubing gives pulsating flow. Match hardness to duty cycle, not to price.
• Not tracking tube hours. Tubes fail without warning if you do not log running hours. Replace on a schedule based on the material's rated life, not on visual appearance alone.

Maintenance That Extends Tube Life

• Run at the lowest speed that meets your flow. Slower roller speed means fewer compression cycles per litre pumped, which extends tube life.
• Release occlusion when idle. If the pump sits unused for long periods, loosen the head or remove the tube so it is not permanently compressed in one spot.
• Flush after aggressive fluids. After pumping chemicals, flush the line with a compatible rinse fluid to remove residue that can harden the tube wall.
• Keep spares in stock. Have a replacement tube ready; swap immediately when flow drops by 10% or visible cracks appear.
• Log hours. A simple running-hours log lets you replace tubes on schedule before they fail mid-batch.

Replacement Signals: When to Change the Tube

• Flow rate drops by 10% or more at the same speed — the tube has lost elasticity or is partially blocked.
• Visible cracks, splits or whitening on the tube wall.
• Pulsating or surging flow that was previously smooth.
• Discolouration or swelling — a sign of chemical incompatibility, not normal wear.
• Droplets or wetness on the pump head — the tube has failed and is leaking.

Buying Peristaltic Pump Tubing: What to Ask the Supplier

When you buy tubing from a manufacturer, ask for these five specifications in writing: (1) exact material formulation and Shore A hardness, (2) ID/OD/wall in millimetres, (3) rated pressure at continuous service, (4) temperature range and any continuous-use limit, and (5) expected flex life in hours at your operating speed. A manufacturer that publishes full spec tables is far more reliable than one selling "high-quality tubing" without numbers. For OEM volume, ask about custom lengths, custom hardness formulations and PTFE-lined options — these are standard capabilities at established peristaltic pump manufacturers.

Conclusion

Peristaltic pump tubing is a consumable with a big impact: the right tube keeps flow accurate, extends pump life and prevents downtime; the wrong tube fails early and can contaminate your process. Start with your fluid chemistry, match the material family (silicone / PTFE-lined / Norprene / specialty), confirm the size against your pump head, choose the hardness for your duty cycle, and log hours so you replace tubes before they fail. If you are unsure which tube fits your application, send us your fluid details — liquid, temperature, pressure and flow rate — and we will recommend a matched tube and head combination.

Related guides: PTFE vs Silicone Tubing: 7 Key Differences · How Long Does Pump Tubing Last? · Peristaltic Pump Head Guide · Browse PERIFLOW tubing