Acaplast develops hose to reduce fuel permeation

Benevent l’Abbaye, France – Acaplast has developed an expandable rubber jumper hose as a solution to the problem of fuel line permeation.

The technology is claimed to greatly reduce the environmental impact of fuel permeation emissions, while limiting the risk of gas tank explosions in collisions.

The rubber hose consists of an external expandable rubber pipe and an internal rubber “sock” or sheath, the French automotive supplier said 23 July.

The fluorine-based FTPV permeability-limiting sock connects the filler pipe with the fuel tank and automatically elongates upon impact.

This feature, said Acaplast, prevents the fuel from escaping from the multi-layered pipe system.

While the outer tube reduces the chance of fire hazard from crash impact, the inner sock limits fuel permeation levels to 0.1mg per cm² per day, the company stated.

According to Accaplast, the FTPV liners have a high fluorine content with impermeability properties close to those of steel, but with the flexibility needed to fit snugly in the expandable outer hose.

The company launched the “cost-efficient” product on the market earlier this year, and is currently supplying it for the latest models of “a premium German sports car”.

The pipe meets environmental regulatory standards required in California and Japan, therefore allowing the vehicles to be launched worldwide.