2008 Volume 20 Issue 3 Pages 146-151
The silicone rubber is often used as the piping tubes and the sealing gaskets for hot drink circuit in the beverage dispensers and the cup type vending machines. In such industrial equipments, the demand of market has become severe on the taste of beverage in recent years. Thus, ensuring the inertness of these silicone parts to the taste of beverage is the primal task. The silicone rubber tube is generally prepared by extrusion molding method. There are two kinds of rubbers : the organic peroxide cured and the platinum cured silicone rubbers are used for the extrusion molding. In the present study, effect of the post-processing treatments were investigated for the improvement of inertness properties of the silicone rubbers on the taste of beverage. A thorough postcure and following a hot water soaking treatment were found to have advantages for reducing the taste of both kinds of silicon rubbers.
