Soft Rubber Tubing For General Lab Connections

Quick Answer: The Rubber Tubing, Soft is general-purpose soft rubber tubing, typically natural rubber as the product image filename suggests, used for the everyday flexible connections of a school or college lab, such as cooling water to condensers, gas delivery between glassware and short links between apparatus.

The Everyday Tube of the Teaching Lab

Natural rubber combines high elasticity with good grip: the tube stretches over a nozzle and springs back to seal it, bends without kinking in moderate curves, and tolerates water, dilute acids and alkalis and most aqueous salt solutions. That makes it the default choice for condenser cooling water, delivery tubes from gas-generating flasks, Kipp’s apparatus outlets and simple connections between wash bottles and flasks.

Its limits are equally well known. Natural rubber swells in oils, petrol and many organic solvents, and it is gradually degraded by ozone, ultraviolet light and heat, becoming sticky or cracked. For oil and fuel service, nitrile tubing is the usual upgrade; for high temperatures or aggressive solvents, fluoroelastomer tubing such as the Rubber Tubing, Viton is used.

This grade is firmer than the extra soft tubing in the same range, so it holds its shape better over longer runs and is less likely to slip off at mains water pressure, while still fitting glass nozzles without excessive force.

Applications

Cooling-water lines for condensers during distillation practicals.
Delivery tubes for collecting gases over water.
Short links between flasks, bottles and adapters in chemistry and biology set-ups.
General air and water connections in physics demonstrations.

Specifications

Item	Soft laboratory rubber tubing
Material	Typically natural rubber; image filename indicates natural rubber
Suited to	Water, air and low-pressure gas; dilute aqueous chemicals
Avoid	Oils, fuels, many organic solvents, prolonged heat and sunlight
Bore and wall sizes	Confirm at enquiry

Care & Handling

Inspect the tubing before each practical and cut away cracked or perished ends.
Store it away from sunlight, radiators and electric motors.
Do not leave it in contact with oils or solvents; wash and dry it after chemical contact.

Why Choose LabEquip

Schools and colleges get through soft rubber tubing steadily, so it is a routine item on prep-room orders. LabEquip supplies it in General Lab Products with the other grades, and bulk lengths can be requested through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is soft rubber tubing made of?

Soft laboratory rubber tubing is typically natural rubber, which is elastic and grips nozzles well. The image filename for this listing refers to natural rubber tubing.

Can it be used for Bunsen burner gas?

It can make a short temporary link, but tubing designed for burner gas service, which is thicker and kink-resistant, is the safer choice for routine use.

Is natural rubber tubing resistant to acids?

It tolerates dilute acids and alkalis and most aqueous solutions reasonably well, but concentrated oxidising acids and many organic solvents attack it.

Why does rubber tubing crack in storage?

Ozone in the air, sunlight and heat break down natural rubber over time. Keeping it in a dark, cool cupboard away from electric motors slows this.

Can I use this tubing for vacuum filtration?

Not reliably, because its wall can flatten under suction. Thick-walled vacuum tubing is designed for that job.

Is natural rubber tubing suitable for people with a latex allergy?

Natural rubber contains latex proteins that can cause reactions in sensitive people. Such users should wear gloves or use synthetic tubing such as silicone or neoprene.

Last Updated: September 2026