Continental is now offering SAE-certified silicone hose elbows, designed to address the heat and extreme temperatures that create issues for heavy-duty truck engines.
“Engine temperatures in newer heavy-duty engines can run extremely high,” said Brent Lloyd, Heavy-Duty Channel Manager for the ContiTech division of Continental. Silicone has a 400-degree continuous rating and a 450-degree peak rating. “In these high temperature applications, silicone hose will typically last the service life of the vehicle,” Lloyd added. “If your fleet operates under conditions that involve frequent mountainous terrain and maximum weight cargo that drive up the engine heat, then silicone hose may be money well spent in the long run.”
Silicone rubber has historically been used in specialty applications to meet requirements other elastomers can’t handle. They also have the largest application temperature span of all rubbers. “Today’s heavy-duty truck engines require more stringent emission requirements and our four-ply coolant silicone hose and elbows will meet or exceed OE specs to meet these extreme environmental conditions,” said Lloyd.