LNG Composite Hose for -200 C Service

The LNG composite hose is a cryogenic transfer line for liquefied gas, rated from -200°C to +80°C at a working pressure of 10 bar (145 psi). Nine bores run from 25 mm to 254 mm (1 in to 10 in), with bend radii from 150 mm to 1,905 mm and lengths up to 20 m. Both helices are SS316, the liner is a polyester and polyamide film stack, and the body is built from low-temperature thermoplastic fabric and film under an insulating polyester cover. It is the build for bunkering, ship-to-shore and terminal work where the cargo boils at -162°C.

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The LNG composite hose is a non-vulcanised, multi-layer thermoplastic hose adapted for cryogenic service. It sits in the same construction family as the ambient-temperature composite hose, but every material in the stack is chosen for ductility at -200°C rather than for chemical resistance alone. Rubber cannot do this job: at LNG temperature a cured rubber tube turns glass-hard and cracks at the first bend.

In one sentence, the hose is a polyester and polyamide liner, multiple plies of low-temperature thermoplastic fabric and film, an SS316 inner and outer helix, and an insulating polyester cover.

Three numbers define the range: 10 bar working pressure, 25 mm to 254 mm bore, and a -200°C floor. Maximum length is 20 m, which is set by handling and by the pressure drop a cryogenic line can tolerate, not by the build.

Four advantages matter in cryogenic duty. The film-and-fabric wall stays flexible at -200°C, so the hose can be coiled and moved while cold. SS316 helices do not become brittle at low temperature, which is the failure mode of carbon steel wire. The polyester cover insulates the wall and limits frost. And 10 bar holds across the full bore range.

Users are LNG terminal operators, bunkering vessels and barges, gas carriers, LNG fuelling stations and industrial gas distributors, running bunkering manifolds, ship-to-shore systems, loading arm tails, tanker unloading lines and liquid nitrogen trailers.

The problem it solves is the cold-end connection. A rigid pipe cannot follow the relative motion between a bunker vessel and a receiving ship, and a rubber hose cannot survive the temperature. A cryogenic composite hose absorbs that motion while staying sealed, and its low weight keeps handling within a two-person lift at small bores.

Quality control covers the points that decide cryogenic life: film lot verification, helix certificates, low-temperature flex testing of samples, and a proof test on every assembly. HENGHUA holds ISO 9001 and ISO 18752, with CE, CCS, ABS and DNV listings.

Product Advantages of the LNG Composite Hose

• Rated to -200°C: a film-and-fabric wall that stays ductile where a rubber tube would crack.
• SS316 helices throughout: no ductile-to-brittle transition at cryogenic temperature, unlike carbon steel wire.
• 10 bar across the range: the same working pressure from 25 mm to 254 mm bore.
• Insulating polyester cover: limits frost build-up and protects rope lagging where it is fitted.
• Light for its bore: 0.90 kg/m at 1 in, 23.00 kg/m at 10 in, so handling stays practical.
• Handles boil-off: the liner stack tolerates two-phase flow and the pressure swings that come with it.

Applicable users: LNG terminal and jetty operators, bunkering barges, gas carrier crews, LNG fuelling station builders, industrial gas distributors and EPC contractors working on cryogenic transfer systems.

Detailed Technical Specifications

• Temperature: -200°C to +80°C, as published. Continuous cryogenic service is at the cold end; the warm limit applies to purging and warm-up.
• Working pressure: 10 bar (145 psi) at every bore.
• Length: 20 m maximum, or 65 ft. Standard lengths are cut to the transfer geometry; the hose can be cut and re-crimped.
• Bend radius: from 150 mm at 25 mm bore to 1,905 mm at 254 mm. Respect it cold, because flexibility falls as the wall chills.
• End fittings: crimped ferrules with flanges, cam and groove couplings or threaded nipples, in stainless for cold service.
• Insulation: polyester fabric cover as standard, with rope lagging available where the run is exposed.

الهيكل والمواد

• Inner helix: SS316 spiral, chosen because austenitic stainless keeps its ductility at -196°C and below, where carbon steel wire becomes brittle.
• Liner: a combination of polyester and polyamide films, the primary barrier against liquefied gas.
• Carcass: multiple layers of low-temperature thermoplastic fabric and film that carry pressure and axial load without cracking.
• Cover: polyester fabric, which insulates the wall from ambient heat and protects rope lagging where fitted.
• Outer helix: SS316 spiral that carries hoop load and shields the carcass from impact on a deck.

Why the composite build holds up

Cryogenic transfer breaks materials in a way that room-temperature design does not anticipate. Thermal contraction is large and sudden: a hose that goes from +20°C to -162°C in a minute shortens, stiffens and sees internal pressure spike as the cargo boils. A homogeneous material has to absorb all of that in one body, and most cannot.

The composite wall spreads the load. The film liner is thin enough to stay compliant as it contracts, so it seals without carrying structural load. The fabric plies are the structural element, laid in multiple directions, so contraction becomes distributed strain rather than a local tear. The helices sit on the two surfaces, where they support the bore and resist hoop stress without passing through the cold film.

The material choice follows the same logic. SS316 retains ductility at -196°C, so it bends instead of snapping during a cold pull. Polyester and polyamide films stay flexible below their glass transition when they are thin, which is why the liner is built from several plies rather than one thick sheet.

Safety factor and standard position

The design is measured against EN 13766, the standard for cryogenic composite hose for LNG transfer, which covers 25 mm to 250 mm bore, 10.5 to 25 bar and -196°C to +45°C. Our sheet publishes 10 bar and -200°C to +80°C, so the build extends beyond both ends of that envelope. That is deliberate: operators ask for margin at the cold end, and purge cycles run above ambient.

Where the two documents differ, we quote both in writing. A buyer applying EN 13766 in a specification review should see our published figures with the standard cited alongside them, not a number quietly rounded to fit. Burst margin, proof pressure and the low-temperature report for the bore ship with the quotation.

Chemical Compatibility and Media Guide

This table rates the liner stack against liquefied gases and the warm media used for purge and warm-up. Ratings assume the published window; a medium outside it needs written confirmation.

Read the table with three limits in mind. The temperature column matters more here than the chemical column, because the wall is rated to -200°C and the liner chemistry changes behaviour long before that. Purity matters as much as compatibility: a cryogenic line must be dry and oil-free, and residual moisture becomes ice that blocks a bore or damages a seal. And cooldown rate matters, because a fast chill puts the hose under contraction stress that a controlled ramp avoids. Request the full compatibility chart as a PDF, and send the cargo analysis with the enquiry.

Applications and Industries

• LNG bunkering: hose tails on bunker vessels and barges transferring to receiving ships.
• Ship-to-shore LNG transfer: terminal manifolds, loading arms and emergency release systems.
• LNG fuelling stations: dispensers and storage connections for truck and vessel fuelling.
• Gas carrier operations: cargo discharge, reliquefaction plant connections and vapor return.
• Industrial gas distribution: liquid nitrogen, argon and oxygen transfer for trailers and tanks.
• Petrochemical plants: cold ethylene, ethane and butadiene transfer at cryogenic conditions.

Selection Guide for LNG Composite Hose

Size, flow and cooldown

Size the bore on allowable pressure drop, not on the connection thread. A cryogenic line loses volume as the liquid boils, so a long small-bore run can arrive at the manifold as much as 20 to 30 percent vapor, and that changes the flow regime. Where the run is long or the receiving tank is at low pressure, go up one size.

Cooldown is a design parameter as well as an operating one. A 254 mm hose has a large mass to chill, and a fast chill puts contraction stress into the crimp. Ramp the cooldown, keep flow low until the line frosts, and accept that the first minutes are stabilisation rather than delivery.

End fittings and hose assembly

Cryogenic assemblies are crimped, not clamped. The ferrule must hold at -200°C, where differential contraction between stainless and the hose wall is largest, and the seal must survive thermal cycling rather than one installation. Common ends are fixed and floating flanges, stainless cam and groove couplings, and threaded nipples. A floating flange takes up bolt misalignment without twisting the hose.

Buy the finished assembly rather than a length and a fitting kit. The factory holds the crimping records, the proof result and the low-temperature data for that bore, and will not have to reproduce them on a jetty at night.

How it compares

The composite build earns its place on handling and flex life. A corrugated stainless hose holds higher pressure but cannot be coiled as tightly or lifted as easily at 6 in and above.

What drives the price

Five items set the cost: bore, liner stack, SS316 helix weight, length and end fittings. Stainless helices dominate material cost at large bore, because a 254 mm hose carries a lot of wire. Length is not linear: 20 m is a handling limit, and anything longer is built with a tested joint. Ask for pricing at 1, 3 and 6 assemblies.

Common selection mistakes

• Sizing for the ship connection and living with a pressure drop that boils the cargo.
• Ignoring cooldown rate in the operating procedure and blaming the hose for a crimp leak.
• Specifying carbon steel fittings on a cryogenic assembly to save cost.
• Storing the hose warm and wet between transfers, then finding ice in the bore.

Installation, Operation and Maintenance

Installation

Support the hose so its weight does not hang from the ferrules, and keep the bend radius above 500 mm at 102 mm bore and 1,905 mm at 254 mm. Leave a slack loop at the ship connection so relative motion is taken by the loop. Fit an emergency release coupling on ship-to-shore work, because a drive-away destroys hoses and manifolds together.

Inspection and retirement

Inspect before every transfer: cover cuts, exposed helix, frost patterns that suggest a liner breach, and loose ferrules. A localised cold spot on the cover is a warning sign, not a cosmetic issue. Retire on evidence: a leak, a bulge, a kink that does not recover, a failed proof test, or a low-temperature failure on a sample from the same batch.

Cleaning, storage and service life

Keep the bore dry and oil-free. Purge with dry nitrogen after each transfer, cap the ends, and store coiled off the ground, out of standing water. Do not store a cold hose in a warm humid space without purging: condensation inside the bore becomes ice on the next cooldown. Bunkering duty typically runs five to eight years.

Quality Assurance and Test Data

Production begins with incoming inspection of film lots, fabric and helix wire: thickness, tensile strength and material certificates. Film plies are laid and seamed under controlled tension, because a wrinkle in the liner becomes a leak path at cryogenic temperature. The carcass is built in passes, the cover applied, and the helices formed to the drawing.

Testing addresses the cold end. Every assembly is proof tested before dispatch, samples from each lot go through burst testing, and low-temperature flex and seal tests run on specimens with the report available per bore. Dimensional checks confirm bore, outside diameter and bend radius.

Traceability runs by batch and by assembly, with the batch number marked on the hose and the record retrievable. Packaging is film plus a plywood case or reel, with the ends capped and the coil restrained.

Standards and Certifications

Company certifications: ISO 9001 and ISO 18752, with CE, CCS, ABS, DNV, MSHA, GOST-R and MA listings, plus California Proposition 65 compliance. Scope and numbers are issued with the quotation, and the low-temperature test report is supplied per bore.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an LNG composite hose made of?

A polyester and polyamide film liner, plies of low-temperature thermoplastic fabric and film, an SS316 inner and outer helix, and an insulating polyester cover. The layers are compressed rather than vulcanised, which is what lets the wall stay flexible at -200°C.

Why not use a rubber hose for LNG?

A cured rubber tube becomes glass-hard at LNG temperature and cracks at the first bend. A film-and-fabric composite wall stays ductile because each ply is thin and free to move, which is the reason cryogenic transfer uses this construction.

What pressure can it take?

10 bar, or 145 psi, at every bore from 25 mm to 254 mm. It is a transfer hose, not a high-pressure line: if the duty needs 25 bar, a corrugated stainless assembly is the right product and we will say so.

How cold can it run?

-200°C on the published sheet, with a warm limit of +80°C. Liquid nitrogen at -196°C is routine service; anything colder is outside our range.

What is the maximum length?

20 m, or 65 ft. Longer runs are built as an assembly with a tested joint, because a single 40 m length of 8 in cryogenic hose cannot be handled safely.

Does it handle two-phase flow?

Yes. Boil-off and the intermittent slugs that come with it are normal in cryogenic transfer, and the liner stack tolerates them. Size the bore generously so the vapor fraction at the outlet stays workable.

How is it different from a stainless corrugated cryogenic hose?

The corrugated hose holds higher pressure and suits fixed, high-pressure runs. The composite hose is lighter per metre, coils tighter and is easier to handle at 6 in and above, which is why it dominates bunkering work.

What is the minimum order and lead time?

Standard bores are built against the confirmed drawing. Sampling is quoted at 48 hours, and standard bulk runs take about seven days. Stainless fittings and non-standard lengths extend the schedule.

How do I get a quote and the test report?

Send the medium, temperature, working pressure, bore, length, end connection, quantity and destination port through the contact form. You will receive a quotation with a drawing, the proof test basis, the specification as a PDF and the low-temperature test report for the bore.

Why Source Composite Hose from HENGHUA

HENGHUA builds hose in an 18,000 m2 plant with eight production lines and 25 million metres of annual output, exporting to 70+ countries. For cryogenic work the relevant capability is process control rather than volume: film splicing under tension, helix forming to drawing, and crimping that holds through thermal cycling decide whether an LNG composite hose survives its first cooldown.

The quality system is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 18752, with CE, CCS, ABS, DNV, MSHA, GOST-R and MA listings and California Proposition 65 compliance. Those are the approvals a gas carrier surveyor will ask for, and the certificates travel with the quotation.

As a manufacturer and exporter we work to drawing. OEM and ODM covers private-label builds, non-standard flange patterns, rope lagging, custom lengths and bore combinations, with sampling in 48 hours and bulk turnaround around seven days on standard specification. Distributors get a stable specification between shipments.

Technical support is part of the supply. Send the cargo analysis and we return a liner recommendation with the compatibility chart; send the transfer geometry and we return a bend radius and length proposal. Where a duty sits outside our range, we say so before the order.

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Send the medium, temperature, working pressure, bore, length, end connection, quantity and destination port through the contact form. Our sales engineers confirm the liner stack, the pressure class and the fitting pattern, then return a quotation with a drawing, the specification as a PDF and the low-temperature test report for the bore. If you are replacing a hose that cracked at the ferrule, send the failure photographs and the operating procedure, and we will tell you whether the lng composite hose was the wrong product or the cooldown was the wrong procedure. The wider cryogenic range covers adjacent duties, and where the transfer is ambient petroleum work the marine composite hose and dock composite hose are the closer matches.