# IV drip lines



## tlcarrig (Mar 7, 2008)

I don't know if this is the best place to put this but I figure all the chemical buffs look here most often. I'm wondering if the plastic IV drip lines used in hospitals are acid (HCl, HNO3,H2SO4) or peroxide resistant. Same thing with the O2 delivery tubes. I know the peroxide in our pool shock (27%) slightly etches a plastic measuring cup but that's a different kind of plastic. An IV drip line could be adapted to make a good peroxide drip if it's resistant. Any ideas?


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## Lou (Mar 7, 2008)

FEP, PFA, OR ETFE fluoromer tubing is cheap. Look around for ''teflon'' tubing on ebay.

Nothing really touches it.


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## skyline27 (Mar 7, 2008)

What about buying IV's? Anybody know who sells them?
I'd like to use one for slow release clorox or peroxide


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## tlcarrig (Mar 7, 2008)

skyline - Unless you know someone in the hospital as a patient that is on an IV it will probably take some effort to get one. Maybe if you know a nurse in a hospital and talk them into getting you one. I got the tubing set up because my brother just got out from having by pass surgery. They just threw the whole thing in the trash. I wish I had thought to get the saline bottle too. I just got the drip mechanism and tubing. Now I'll have to come up with some kind of bottle to put the peroxide or clorox in. Probably something I can put a rubber stopper in with a hole in the stopper for the drip tube. As far as getting one, without having a hospital involved, would be to go to survivalist sites and find a doctor that supplies them with medical equipment. There are a number of survivalists magazines at bookstands too. These doctors believe in the survivalist (mentality/attitude) and furnish medical equipment to them that they would otherwise not be able to get. I don't know what the composition of this tubing is. I guess I'll have to snip off a bit and throw it in the pot to see what happens.


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## istari9 (Mar 7, 2008)

The name of the 02 line is polyvinylchloride; I am an RT and use it every day... Let me know how much you would like to have or try as an experiment.


Ray


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## tlcarrig (Mar 7, 2008)

Ok. The O2 line is PVC. The IV line looks to be the same. Do you know? I don't even know if it matters. Thanks for the info.


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## skyline27 (Mar 7, 2008)

Hmmm. I'll bet a lot of good medical stuff gets thrown out. That falls into the dental scrap realm: Nasty vs. Benefit ratio. 

Get it where you can boys! Society is a wasteful beast 

I know a nurse and a blood bank worker. They're being obstinate


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## Shaul (Mar 8, 2008)

It's called an Enteral Feeding Bag, and it usually hooks up to an Enteral feeding pump. 

You can try a pharmacy for the bags. Just tell them you're trying to set up a drip system for your houseplants while you're away, or some such; and that you don't need the hypodermic needle, just the bag, tubing and flow adjuster. That might work.

Of course, if you manage to obtain an Enteral feeding pump, that opens up a whole new range of possibilities in that you could use a much larger source than just the bag and then through the proper use of T or Y fittings you could service a number of containers at one time.

Only the outside of the tubing connects to the pump which then moves the liquid through the tubing via a type of rotating cam. No liquid actually touches the pump itself.

And yes, you could use an Enteral feeding pump with a large water tank to water your houseplants while you're away. 8) 8) .


Finally, under no circumstances would I recommend anyone collecting or using 'used IV lines' for this purpose (no matter how much you think you've disinfected them first). There are enough dangerous and infectious diseases rife in the world (and especially in hospitals) and the last thing anyone needs is to contract one of them. That would sure put a kink in your refining plans.

Remember! You can incinerate Dental scrap before processing. You can't do that with plastic tubing.

Work Right. Work Safe.

Shaul


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## markqf1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Did I understood correctly, that means these pumps are acid proof?


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## tlcarrig (Mar 8, 2008)

As long as the tubing used is ACID PROOF then the pump will not be harmed as no liquid circulates through it. It uses, I think, a three lobed cam that the tubing goes around to pump the liquid inside the tubing. The speed of the cam determines the drip rate.


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## Shaul (Mar 8, 2008)

This website may answer some/all of your questions:

http://www.watson-marlow.com/

Also, the pdf file below (from them) shows the chemical composition of different types of tubing which they produce, and the interaction between said tubing and all manner of chemicals, including acids.

Also, their suggestion to first do an acid test with a length of tubing (soaking in a container of the type of liquid you wish to subject it to), to see how it holds up; makes a lot of sense.


Shaul


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## tlcarrig (Mar 9, 2008)

Great move Shaul. Good job. I'll look at this site real close. I'll still have to do the soak test though because I have no idea what this tubing is made from. I might be able to get some supplies from them though.


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## markqf1 (Mar 9, 2008)

Great,
Just do a static load test.  

Mark


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