The Shore Durometer is a measurement of hardness of a material and is typically used for polymers, elastomers and rubbers.
How is Durometer measured?
Durometer hardness is measured by a device also called a Durometer. It forces a conical-shaped point into the surface of the material and measures the force of the indentation. It should be noted the Durometer of a material does change over time as a material deteriorates.
What is the difference between Durometer Shore A and Shore D?
Shore A scale is used for softer materials like Rubber and Polyurethane while Shore D scale is used for harder materials like PTFE and other hard plastics.
How does Durometer affect flexibility?
There is a connection between Durometer and flexibility. Typically, the higher the Durometer value, the less flexible the material will be. For example, a Polyurethane tube with a Durometer 85 Shore A will be more flexible than a Polyurethane tube with a Durometer 98 Shore A rating.
How does Durometer affect performance?
The hardness of a material can be defined as the resistance to indentation. This impacts on seal performance. Hardness of a tube will dictate the type of fitting that can be used. For example Polyurethane tube with a Durometer of Shore A 98 can be used with push-in fittings, whereas Polyurethane tube with a Durometer of Shore A 85 cannot be used with push-in fittings because it is too soft. This type of tube must be used with hose barbs and clamps.
Surethane Polyurethane tube tests at 98 Durometer Shore A scale which makes it an extremely hard polyurethane that can handle a lot of pressure. It can be used with a wide range of fittings including push-in fittings, compression fittings and hose barbs.
ATP’s Surethane is constructed of Ether-Based polyurethane providing resistance to hydrolysis (water absorption) and oil.
