Field of Invention

The present invention relates to hoses, and more particularly to insulated hoses having external surface temperatures that enable the hoses to be touched incidentally or manually handled.

Background

Various applications may use hoses that contain a working fluid for either cooling or heating an associated component, such as in an electronics application having components that require cooling. An exemplary application includes semiconductor chip manufacturing that requires small hoses having high- temperature processing fluids. For example, the hoses may have operating temperatures that are up to 260 degrees Celsius. This high-temperature operation may cause higher energy loss that results in a high external surface temperature of the hoses. Consequently, a person handling or incidentally touching the hose may be subject to skin burns caused by the heated external surface temperature.

Alternatively, other hose applications may necessitate low-temperature processing fluids by which hose surface temperatures are too cold to touch without initiating skin damage. Prior attempts to provide hoses with external surface temperatures suitable to touch have included providing additional insulating layers and modifying the hose materials. Consequently, the resulting hoses are inflexible, heavy, and have large outer diameters that make the hoses unsuitable for use in certain applications.

Summary of Invention

The present invention is directed towards a hose assembly including an inner core tube that receives either a high-temperature processing fluid or a low- temperature processing fluid, and an insulating sleeve that is arranged over the inner core tube and is formed of an aerogel-filled expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material. Using the insulating sleeve formed of the aerogel-filled ePTFE is advantageous in that the insulating sleeve enables either high operating

temperatures or low operating temperatures of the hose assembly, while

maintaining an external hose surface touch temperature of 95 degrees Celsius or less. Accordingly, a person working around the hose is able to momentarily touch the surface of the hose without being subject to burns from an overly heated outer surface, or alternatively, freeze burns from an overly cold outer surface. In addition, the insulating sleeve thickness may be increased to allow for a prolonged contact surface temperature of 69 degrees Celsius or less. The referenced temperature limits are supported by military and general industry standards. Using the insulating sleeve formed of an aerogel-filled ePTFE material further enables the hose assembly to also be lightweight, ductile, and flexible. Still another advantage is that the hose assembly is able to be constructed with a relatively small outer diameter which may be desirable for certain applications. The insulating sleeve is suitable for use in either applications that use approximately 260 degrees Celsius high- temperature working fluids or applications that use approximately -73 degrees Celsius cold-temperature working fluids. When implemented in cold-temperature working fluid applications, the outermost surface temperature of the hose may be configured, by the increasing or decreasing the insulation sleeve thickness, to maintain a temperature that is above a dew point to prevent condensation on the outer surface.

According to an aspect of the invention, a hose assembly includes an inner core tube formed of a polymer material, and an insulating sleeve arranged over the inner core tube or a re-enforcement layer of the inner core tube, with the insulating sleeve being formed of an aerogel material and having a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin at atmospheric conditions.

The aerogel material may be an aerogel-filled expanded

polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material and the insulating sleeve may consist essentially of greater than or equal to about 40% weight aerogel particles and less than or equal to 60% weight ePTFE binder, and at least a portion of the binder is fibrillated to form ePTFE fibrils having a diameter of about 0.02 micrometers to about 0.10 micrometers. The aerogel material may be an aerogel composite blanket material. The insulating sleeve may be formed of at least one material that is a fibrous glass, wool, alumina silica, felt, calcium silicate, cellular glass, or mineral fiber.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a hose assembly includes providing an inner core tube formed of a polymer, and forming an insulating sleeve over the inner core tube or a re-enforcement layer of the inner core tube, with the insulating sleeve being formed of an aerogel material and having a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin at atmospheric conditions.

The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of an aerogel-filled expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material, wherein the insulating sleeve consists essentially of greater than or equal to about 40% weight aerogel particles and less than or equal to 60% weight ePTFE binder, at least a portion of which is fibrillated to form ePTFE fibrils having a diameter of about 0.02 micrometers to about 0.10 micrometers. The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of an aerogel composite blanket material. The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of at least one material that is a fibrous glass, wool, alumina silica, felt, calcium silicate, cellular glass, or mineral fiber.

Other systems, devices, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of a hose assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of a hose assembly according to another embodiment of the present application. Fig. 3 is a schematic drawing of a front view of the hose assembly shown in

Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic drawing of a sectional view of the hose assembly shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of a hose assembly according to still another embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a schematic drawing of a front view of the hose assembly shown in

Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a schematic drawing of a sectional view of the hose assembly shown in Fig. 5.

Detailed Description

Aspects of the present invention relate to hose assemblies that are suitable for use in various applications. Examples of suitable applications include

electronics applications such as semiconductor chip manufacturing. Other applications include heat exchangers, other thermal management systems, medical devices such as those for therapeutics, and tire presses or similar applications that require media temperatures up to around 260 degrees Celsius. When used in a suitable application, the hose assembly may be configured for engagement between co-axially arranged metal fittings or other quick connectors.

The hose assembly may be formed of at least an inner core tube through which a processing fluid flows and an insulating sleeve that surrounds the inner core tube. The insulating sleeve is formed of an aerogel-filled expanded

polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material and has a low thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin. Depending on the application, the hose assembly may further include at least one of a reinforcement layer, insulation support layer, protective cover, or any combination thereof.

Referring first to Fig. 1 , a schematic drawing of an exemplary hose assembly 10 is shown. The hose assembly 10 defines a longitudinal axis L and includes an inner core tube 12, an insulating sleeve 14, an outer layer or jacket 16, and a reinforcement layer 18 that are concentrically arranged. The inner core tube 12 is tubular in shape and configured to receive a working or processing fluid flowing through the inner core tube 12. The inner core tube 12 may be configured to receive a processing fluid having a temperature that is up to 260 degrees Celsius.

In other exemplary embodiments, the inner core tube 12 may be configured to receive cold temperature processing fluids that have temperatures as low as -73 degrees Celsius. Other suitable processing fluids may be selected based on different characteristics such as fluorination, inertness, and cleanliness. A suitable cold temperature processing fluid may be formed of 50% water and 50% glycol. Advantageously, the hose assembly 10 is configured to provide an external surface temperature having a temperature that is suitable for touching or incidental contact by a user or handler of the hose assembly 10 in either a hot temperature processing fluid application or in a cold temperature processing fluid application.

The inner core tube 12 may be formed of any suitable material and the material selected may be dependent on the application and the temperature of the processing fluid received by the inner core tube 12. Examples of suitable materials include high-temperature polymer materials such as a fluoropolymer material. The inner core tube 12 may have an outer surface 20 that is a smooth surface. In an exemplary embodiment in which a hose assembly 10 having a smaller outer diameter is desirable, such as in semiconductor chip manufacturing, the inner core tube 12 may have a thickness between 0.5 and 6.0 millimeters and have an inner diameter between 5 and 102 millimeters.

The outer surface 20 of the inner core tube 12 is surrounded by the reinforcement layer 18. The reinforcement layer 18 may be arranged around the entire diameter of the inner core tube 12 and extend along at least a portion of the outer surface 20 of the inner core tube 12 along the longitudinal axis L of the hose assembly 10. The reinforcement layer 18 may be formed of any suitable material that provides support for high pressure applications and enhances the kink resistance of the hose assembly 10. The reinforcement layer 18 may also be formed of a metal or fiber material. Examples of suitable materials include a stainless steel or other wire material, para-aramid material, meta-aramid material, nylon material, polyethylene terephthalate material, or a high-temperature fiber material, such as carbon fiber. Other materials may be suitable and the material selected for the reinforcement layer will be dependent on the operating temperature of the processing fluid.

The reinforcement layer 18 may have any suitable pattern such as a pattern that is spiral, knitted, or braided, and the reinforcement layer 18 may be formed of adhesive tapes, non-adhesive tapes, or self-adhesive polymer films. The thickness of the reinforcement layer 18 may be between 0.1 and 4.5 millimeters. The reinforcement layer 18 may be provided when the hose assembly 10 is used in high-pressure applications such as applications in which the processing fluid operates up to a working pressure of 38.0 megapascals. In applications in which the hose assembly 10 is subject to lower pressures, such as in semiconductor chip manufacturing, the hose assembly 10 may not include the reinforcement layer 18.

The reinforcement layer 18 is concentrically surrounded by the insulating sleeve 14 such that the insulating sleeve 14 is also concentrically arranged over the inner core tube 12. The insulating sleeve 14 may be arranged around the entire diameter of the reinforcement layer 18 and extend along at least a portion of the outer surface 20 of the reinforcement layer 18 along the longitudinal axis L of the hose assembly 10. The insulating sleeve 14 is formed of an aerogel-filled PTFE material and has a low thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin at atmospheric conditions. Using the aerogel-filled ePTFE material advantageously provides both low thermal conductivity insulation and flexibility of the hose assembly 10. The insulating sleeve 14 may have a thickness that is between 0.5 and 6.0 millimeters such that the insulating sleeve 14 advantageously enables a small diameter of the hose assembly 10.

The insulating sleeve 14 may be composed of greater than or equal to about 40% weight aerogel particles and less than or equal to 60% weight ePTFE binder. At least a portion of the ePTFE binder is fibrillated to form ePTFE fibrils having a diameter of about 0.02 micrometers to about 0.10 micrometers. A suitable aerogel and ePTFE composite insulating material that may be used in the hose assembly 10 is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,868,083, which is incorporated herein by reference. Another material that may be suitable for the insulating sleeve 14 is an aerogel composite blanket as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,068,882. Various common materials such as fibrous glass, wool, alumina silica, felt, calcium silicate, cellular glass, and mineral fiber may also be suitable for use in other applications.

The insulating sleeve 14 may be formed of a sublayer tape 22 that is wrapped around the reinforcement layer 18 to cover the diameter of the

reinforcement layer 18, or in an alternative embodiment, the inner core tube 12.

The sublayer tape 22 may be wrapped such that the edges 24 of each flight of the wrapped sublayer tape 22 are adjacent, in an end-to-end or butt-to-butt manner, thereby creating a seam between adjacent edges 24. The edges 24 and seam may extend transversely relative to the longitudinal axis L of the hose assembly 10. As shown in Fig. 1 , the adjacent edges 24 may overlap by an amount up to around 67% of an axial length of the flight. In an arrangement in which the insulating sleeve 14 is formed of a wrapped tape, the hose assembly 10 may or may not include a supporting layer over the insulating sleeve 14, whereas in an alternative embodiment, a supporting layer, as will be described further below, may be arranged over the insulating sleeve to prevent separation of the seams of the butt- to-butt configuration.

Using the insulating sleeve 14 enables an outermost surface of the hose assembly 10 to have an incidental touch temperature of less than 95 degrees Celsius such that a user is able to incidentally touch the outermost surface of the hose assembly 10 without being subject to either heat burns when the hose assembly 10 uses a high-temperature processing fluid. With an increased sleeve thickness, the outermost surface of the hose assembly 10 may have a surface handling touch temperature of less than 69 degrees Celsius. The insulating sleeve 14 enables an outermost surface of the hose assembly 10 to have a touch temperature greater than 0 degrees Celsius to prevent cold burns when the hose assembly 10 is used in a cold-temperature processing fluid application, such as cold-temperatures applications operating at temperatures as low as -73 degrees Celsius. In an exemplary embodiment of the hose assembly 10 when used in a high-temperature application, the outermost surface may be configured to have a prolonged contact surface touch temperature of less than 69 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the outermost surface of the hose assembly 10 may be dependent on the application and as shown in Fig. 1 , an outermost surface 26, or the surface having the surface touch temperature of less than 95 degrees Celsius, may be formed by the jacket 16 which is the outermost layer of the hose assembly 10.

The jacket 16 may concentrically surround the insulating sleeve 14 such that the jacket 16 is also concentrically arranged over the inner core tube 12 and the reinforcement layer 18 (in applications when the reinforcement layer 18 is present). The jacket 16 may be arranged around the entire diameter of the insulating sleeve 14 and extends along at least a portion of the insulating sleeve 14 along the longitudinal axis L of the hose assembly 10. A high-temperature polymer material may be used to form the jacket 16 such that the jacket 16 is configured for both abrasion and insulation protection. An example of a suitable material is

Polyvinylidene fluoride, Poiyviny!idene difluoride, silicone rubber, silicone rubber with fumed silica, and Polyphenylene sulfide. The jacket 16 may have any suitable thickness, such as between 0.5 and 6.0 millimeters. The referenced dimensions of the inner core tube 12, the reinforcement layer 18, the insulating sleeve 14, and the jacket 16 are merely exemplary and the dimensions may be sized up or down depending on the application for the hose assembly 10. The dimensions may be selected to ensure a small outer diameter of the hose assembly 10 as compared with conventional hose assemblies.

When the hose assembly 10 receives a processing fluid up to around 260 degrees Celsius, the outermost surface 26 of the jacket 16 may have a surface touch temperature of less than 69 degrees Celsius. By increasing the thickness of the insulating sleeve 14, the temperature may be maintained at a surface that is above a dew point temperature when used with a cold temperature fluid as low as - 73 degrees Celsius. Using the hose assembly 10 in a cold-temperature application is advantageous in that the hose assembly 10 insulates the cold media and prevents the formation of condensation on the outer surface of the hose assembly 10.

Referring now to Figs. 2-4, another embodiment of the hose assembly 110 includes an inner core tube 12, an insulating sleeve 14, an outer layer or protective cover 16, and a reinforcement layer 18 that have features similar to those described above, and further includes an electrically static dissipative liner 28 and an insulation support layer 30. The hose assembly 110 includes the inner core tube 12 that is configured to receive high-temperature processing fluids or low-temperature processing fluids, and is formed of a high-temperature polymer material. A high- temperature polymer material may be any polymer material suitable for withstanding operating temperatures that are greater than 150 degrees Celsius. The electrically static dissipative liner 28 is arranged along an inner diameter 30 of the inner core tube 12 and is formed of an electrically static dissipative material. The thickness of the electrically static dissipative liner 28 may be less than, greater than, or the entire thickness of the inner core tube 12 and the surfaces of the dissipative liner 28 may be smooth, corrugated, or convoluted. The dissipative liner 28 may be the innermost layer of the hose assembly 110.

At least part of the outer surface 20 of the inner core tube 12 is concentrically surrounded by the reinforcement layer 18. The reinforcement layer 18 may be arranged around the entire diameter of the inner core tube 12 and extend along at least a portion of the outer surface 20 of the inner core tube 12. The reinforcement layer 18 may be formed of a wire material, para-aramid material, meta-aramid material, nylon material, or polyethylene terephthalate material. Other materials may be suitable and the material selected for the reinforcement layer will be dependent on the operating temperature of the processing fluid. The reinforcement layer 18 may have any suitable pattern such as a pattern that is spiral, knitted, or braided.

The reinforcement layer 18 is concentrically surrounded by the insulating sleeve 14 such that the insulating sleeve 14 is also concentrically arranged over the electrically static dissipative liner 28 and the inner core tube 12. The insulating sleeve 14 is formed of the ePTFE material and has a low thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin at atmospheric conditions, as previously described. The insulating sleeve 14 may be formed of a plurality of sublayer tapes 32, 34 having edges 36, 38, respectively, that are adjacent and arranged in an end-to-end or butt-to-butt manner. Any suitable number of sublayer tapes may be used. Thus, a seam is formed between the adjacent edges 36, 38. The sublayer tapes 32, 34 may each be arranged over the diameter of the insulating lever 14. In alternative embodiments, the sublayer tapes 32, 34 may overlap with each other such that the adjacent edges 36, 38 may overlap by an amount between 10% and 67% of an axial length of the sublayer tapes 32, 34. The sublayer tapes 32, 34 may be formed as a single tape and the single tape or sublayer tapes may be wrapped over each other to form a longitudinal cigarette wrap over the insulating sleeve 14.

The insulation support layer 30 is concentrically arranged over the insulating sleeve 14 and between the insulating sleeve 14 and the protective cover 16. The insulation support layer 30 is used to prevent separation of the seams between the sublayer tapes 32, 34. The insulation support layer 30 may be formed of a braided fiber, a spiraled fiber, or a mono-filament fiber. Any suitable material may be used to form the insulation support layer 30 and the thickness of the insulation support layer 30 may be less than a thickness of the protective cover 16 and a thickness of the insulating sleeve 14. The insulation support layer 30 may be formed of an adhesive or non-adhesive tape, or a self-adhesive polymer film.

The protective cover 16 concentrically surrounds the insulation support layer 30 such that the protective cover 16 is also concentrically arranged over the dissipative liner 30, the inner core tube 12, the reinforcement layer 18, the insulating sleeve 14, and the insulation support layer 30. The protective cover 16 is formed of any suitable material such as a braided polymer, glass fiber, or carbon fiber material. Other suitable materials include a braided stainless steel material, a smooth polymer material, or a foam polymer material. Using the concentrically arranged layers in the hose assembly 110 enables the outermost surface 26 of the protective cover 16 to have a surface temperature that is 95 degrees Celsius or less to touch.

Referring now to Figs. 5-7, another embodiment of the hose assembly 210 includes an inner core tube 212, an insulating sleeve 14, an outer layer or protective cover 16, and a reinforcement layer 18 that have features similar to those described above, and further includes an inner core tube 212 that is convoluted or corrugated. The inner core tube 212 is configured to receive high-temperature processing fluids or low-temperature processing fluids, and is formed of a high-temperature polymer material. The inner core tube 212 is corrugated or convoluted which may be advantageous in improving the flexibility of the hose assembly 210. In other exemplary embodiments, an electrically static dissipative liner may be arranged along an inner diameter 230 of the corrugated or convoluted inner core tube 212.

The inner core tube 212 is surrounded by the insulating sleeve 14. The insulating sleeve 14 is formed of the aerogel-filled ePTFE material and has a low thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin at atmospheric conditions, as previously described. The insulating sleeve 14 may be formed of a plurality of sublayer tapes 32, 34 having edges 36, 38, respectively, that are adjacent and arranged in an end-to-end or butt-to-butt manner. Any suitable number of sublayer tapes may be used. Thus, a seam is formed between the adjacent edges 36, 38. The sublayer tapes 32, 34 may each be arranged over the diameter of the insulating lever 14. In alternative embodiments, the sublayer tapes 32, 34 may overlap with each other such that the adjacent edges 36, 38 may overlap by an amount between 10% and 67% of an axial length of the sublayer tapes 32, 34. The sublayer tapes 32, 34 may be formed as a single tape and the single tape or sublayer tapes may be wrapped over each other to form a

longitudinal cigarette wrap over the insulating sleeve 14.

The outer surface 40 of the insulating sleeve 14 is concentrically surrounded by the reinforcement layer 18. The reinforcement layer 18 may be arranged around the entire diameter of the insulating sleeve 14 such that the reinforcement layer 18 is also concentrically arranged over the inner core tube 212. The reinforcement layer 18 may be formed of a wire material, para-aramid material, meta-aramid, nylon material, or polyethylene terephthalate material. Other materials may be suitable and the material selected for the reinforcement layer will be dependent on the operating temperature of the processing fluid. The reinforcement layer 18 may have any suitable pattern such as a pattern that is spiral, knitted, or braided. Spiral adhesive tapes, non-adhesive tapes, or spiral self-adhesive polymer film may also be suitable to be used for the reinforcement layer 18. In alternative embodiments, an insulation support layer as previously described may be provided in the hose assembly 210 in addition to the reinforcement layer 18 or alternatively instead of the reinforcement layer 18. The reinforcement layer 18 is used to prevent separation of the seams between the sublayer tapes 32, 34. The thickness of the insulation support layer 30 may be less than a thickness of the protective cover 16 and a thickness of the insulating sleeve 14.

The protective cover 16 surrounds the reinforcement layer 18 such that the protective cover 16 is also arranged over the corrugated or convoluted inner core tube 212 and the insulating sleeve 14. The protective cover 16 is formed of any suitable material such as a braided polymer, glass fiber, or carbon fiber material. Other suitable materials include a braided stainless steel material, a smooth polymer material, or a foam polymer material. Using the concentrically arranged layers in the hose assembly 210 enables the outermost surface 26 of the protective cover 16 to have a surface temperature that is 95 degrees Celsius or less when touched by a user.

The hose assembly is advantageous in providing an outermost surface temperature that has a temperature which will not subject a user to heat related or cold related burns when in touching contact with the hose assembly. The hose assembly therefore is suitable for use in both high-temperature fluid applications and in low-temperature fluid applications. Arranging the insulating sleeve formed of the aerogel-filled ePTFE material over the inner core tube provides these

advantages in addition to also providing flexibility of the hose and enabling the hose assembly to have a small outer diameter.

A hose assembly includes an inner core tube formed of a polymer material, and an insulating sleeve arranged over the inner core tube or a re-enforcement layer of the inner core tube, with the insulating sleeve being formed of an aerogel material and having a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin at atmospheric conditions.

The aerogel material may be an aerogel-filled expanded

polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material.

The insulating sleeve may consist essentially of greater than or equal to about 40% weight aerogel particles and less than or equal to 60% weight ePTFE binder, and at least a portion of the binder is fibrillated to form ePTFE fibrils having a diameter of about 0.02 micrometers to about 0.10 micrometers.

The aerogel material may be an aerogel composite blanket material.

The insulating sleeve may be formed of at least one material that is a fibrous glass, wool, alumina silica, felt, calcium silicate, cellular glass, or mineral fiber.

The insulating sleeve may be formed of sublayer tapes that are coaxially arranged along a longitudinal axis of the hose in an end-to-end manner.

The insulating sleeve may be formed of a tape wrapped around the inner core tube along a longitudinal axis of the hose.

The insulating sleeve may be formed of sublayer tapes that are coaxially arranged along a longitudinal axis of the hose and each sublayer tape has an end that at least partially overlaps with an adjacent end of another sublayer tape.

Adjacent sublayer tapes may overlap by an amount between zero and sixty- seven percent.

The hose assembly may include a reinforcement layer that is arranged along at least part of the insulating sleeve, and the reinforcement layer may have a shape that is spiral, knitted, or braided.

The reinforcement layer may be formed of a wire material, para-aramid material, meta-aramid, nylon material, or polyethylene terephthalate material.

The hose assembly may include an insulation support layer that is arranged between the insulating sleeve and the outer layer, and the insulation support layer may be formed of braided fibers, spiral-shaped fibers, or a mono-filament fiber.

The hose assembly may include a protective cover being formed of a braided polymer, glass, or carbon fiber.

The hose assembly may include a protective cover being formed of a braided stainless steel.

The hose assembly may include a protective cover being formed of a smooth or foamed polymer cover.

The inner core tube may be convoluted or corrugated.

The hose assembly may include an electrically static dissipative liner that is arranged on an inner surface of the inner core tube.

The insulating sleeve may have a thickness between one-half and six millimeters.

The hose assembly may be configured to receive a processing fluid having a temperature that is up to 260 degrees Celsius.

A thickness of the insulating sleeve may be configured to maintain an outermost surface at a surface temperature that is above a predetermined dew point when the hose assembly receives a low-temperature processing fluid that is as low as -73 degrees Celsius.

The hose assembly may include a radially outermost surface having an operational temperature of 95 degrees Celsius or less.

A method of forming a hose assembly includes providing an inner core tube formed of a polymer, and forming an insulating sleeve over the inner core tube or a re-enforcement layer of the inner core tube, with the insulating sleeve being formed of an aerogel material and having a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 40 milliwatt per meter Kelvin at atmospheric conditions.

The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of an aerogel-filled expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material, wherein the insulating sleeve consists essentially of greater than or equal to about 40% weight aerogel particles and less than or equal to 60% weight ePTFE binder, at least a portion of which is fibrillated to form ePTFE fibrils having a diameter of about 0.02 micrometers to about 0.10 micrometers.

The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of an aerogel composite blanket material.

The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of at least one material that is a fibrous glass, wool, alumina silica, felt, calcium silicate, cellular glass, or mineral fiber.

The method may include providing a processing fluid having a temperature that is between -73 degrees Celsius and 260 degrees Celsius.

The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of sublayer tapes that are coaxially arranged along a longitudinal axis of the hose in an end-to-end manner.

The method may include forming the insulating sleeve includes wrapping a tape around the inner core tube along a longitudinal axis of the hose.

The method may include forming the insulating sleeve of sublayer tapes that are coaxially arranged along a longitudinal axis of the hose, wherein each sublayer tape has an end that at least partially overlaps with an adjacent end of another sublayer tape.

The method may include arranging a reinforcement layer along at least part of the insulating sleeve, wherein the reinforcement layer has a shape that is spiral, knitted, or braided.

The method may include arranging an insulation support layer between the insulating sleeve and the outer layer, wherein the insulation support layer is formed of braided fibers, spiral-shaped fibers, or a mono-filament fiber.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and

understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a "means") used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e. , that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.