What is Neoprene Ducting?
Most motorized equipment such as car engines, and even some cooling systems, require a way to filter air from one location to another or keep smelly fumes from building up in a single location. Neoprene ducting is usable in many different applications because of the way that it's built and the chemicals used in its creation. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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In 1930 the chemist Elmer Keiser Bolton, who oversaw the laboratories of the DuPont company, investigated the possibility of creating a man made rubber after seeing professor Julius Nieuwland make an elastic compound from various chemicals at the University of Notre Dame. The DuPont researchers eventually made a rubber substance called Duprene. Later that year the DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers improved the formula by mixing it with the gaseous form of hydrogen chloride and gave it the name Neoprene, which is now manufactured by many different companies.
Function
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Neoprene ducting is primarily used in automobile or aircraft engines but can also have applications in home environments such as cooling routes for high end entertainment systems. The ducting is used to transfer air to different areas, move fumes, and prevent dust from collecting on important parts. The chemicals used to make the ducting are mostly inert which makes it highly resistant to corrosion and the flexibility of Neoprene makes it fit easily in tight spaces.
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Features
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The size and thickness of Neoprene ducting will be directly proportional to its minimum bend radius, which is the rating of how much the ducting can be bent before becoming damaged and losing its effectiveness, and the maximum amount of pressure it can withstand. If the gas being pumped through the ducting exceeds the pounds per square inch pressure maximum the ducting will tear or break completely.
Types
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The main difference between types of Neoprene ducting is whether it is single ply, which has only a single layer of Neoprene, or two ply, which adds a separate layer. Some types of Neoprene ducting also include threads of spring steel wire for added strength. It can also be made with different materials which will change the extremes of temperature that the ducting can withstand before freezing or melting. The general temperature extremes of Neoprene ducting will range from negative 50 degrees Celsius to 150 degrees Celsius.
Considerations
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Some Neoprene ducting is made with a substance called Thiourea which is carcinogenic and can potentially cause serious rashes if your skin remains in contact with it for extended periods of time. You may need joining sleeves which are generally provided separately for connecting the ducting itself to an air duct.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Flexible Ducting
