The degradation of hoses due to exposure to chemicals or environmental conditions.

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Material degradation of hoses due to chemical and environmental exposure is the idea being tested. Hose deterioration is the broad term for the overall decline in a hose’s materials and performance when it’s attacked by solvents, fuels, heat, UV light, and other harsh conditions. This can show up as cracking, hardening or softening, loss of elasticity, swelling, and eventually leaks or failure. In practice, hoses exposed to solvents or high temperatures should be checked regularly and replaced when deterioration is evident, since that general term covers all the different ways exposure can compromise the hose. While aging refers to time-based changes and swelling is a specific symptom, deterioration best describes the complete process of degradation from chemical and environmental exposure.