ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information on hoses, with particular emphasis on automotive and high pressure hydraulic hose. The design of very high pressure hoses involves the need to use spiraling, rather than braiding, techniques. Rigid mandrel-built hoses manufactured from frictioned fabric have largely disappeared, but hose made by this method does have robustness and resistance to kinking that is hard to match with any of the more modern methods of manufacture. Rubber steam hoses are normally reinforced with wire, although textile-reinforced hoses are available for low pressure steam applications. The compounds for steam hose play a large part in product longevity, since the mode of failure of steam hose may be leakage at the fittings due to excessive compression set of the compounds, or the cover may become brittle and flexing of the hose may cause cracking.
