NATURAL RUBBER
What is Natural Rubber?
Natural rubber consists of long chains of loosely linked isoprene polymers. When chains separate themselves from each other, they reconnect themselves; This gives rubber its flexibility. Unlike synthetic. Unlike synthetic rubbers, which are made from petrochemicals, natural rubber is made from the latex sap of rubber trees (rubber trees are the most prolific at producing rubber, although other plants also produce latex, making them the latex supplier for 99% of natural rubber).
Natural Rubber Properties
Natural rubber has flexibility and strength, as well as vulnerability to impurities and environmental conditions and hydrocarbons. Compared to other rubbers, natural rubber is one of the most flexible types and is resistant to water and some chemicals. It is also resistant to cutting, tearing, abrasion, fatigue and abrasion and has an operating range of -58 to 212 degrees F. Additionally, it has great tensile strength and bonds easily to other materials.
What is Natural Rubber Used For?
Natural rubber is used in applications that require high levels of abrasion and heat resistance. Due to its strength and compressibility, natural rubber is used in engineering applications such as anti-vibration mounts, drive couplings, springs, bearings, rubber bands and adhesives. However, a large portion of natural rubber, approximately 50%, is used in high-performance tires for race cars, buses and airplanes due to its strength and heat resistance. It is also used in hoses, automotive parts, foam mattresses and battery cases.
SBR RUBBER
What is SBR Rubber?
SBR or Styrene-butadiene rubber is the most widely used and most consumed synthetic rubber instead of natural rubber for similar applications. SBR is a general-purpose rubber consisting of 25% styrene and 75% butadiene combined in a co-polymer. Co-polymer means that the molecules of these two materials are combined into combined molecules with more than one unit. The added styrene makes SBR cheaper while also increasing its bonding and blending capabilities. Styrene also gives SBR strength as well as abrasion and abrasion resistance.
SBR Rubber Properties
SBR rubber is so widely used because of its low cost and availability, but it also has high tensile and impact strength, flexibility, and abrasion resistance. It is flexible at low temperatures (though not as flexible as natural rubber) and has good heat resistance. SBR is also resistant to water, organic acids, ketones, chemicals, alcohols, and aldehydes. This type of rubber also ages better than natural rubber and is resistant to cracking while being able to accommodate large amounts of fillers used to enhance its properties.
What is SBR Rubber Used For?
The majority of SBR is used in light-duty automotive tires and parts. Due to its lower heat resistance compared to natural rubber, it is used in automotive tires to a lesser extent in high-performance or heavy-duty tires. Heavy-duty applications such as aircraft tires are all-natural rubber and require more heat resistance. Cold emulsion SBR is used primarily in light-duty tires, while solution SBR is more commonly used in specialized applications such as radial automobile tires and motorcycle treads due to its higher cost. SBR is also used for automotive parts, including drive couplings.
In addition to automotive applications, SBR can also be found in industrial applications as belt, wire and cable insulation, traction pads, roll covers, hoses, gaskets, felts, and coated fabrics due to its abrasion resistance. SBR is used primarily for rubber seals due to its metal adhesion and abrasion resistance. On the more commercial side, SBR is used in shoe soles, carpet backing adhesives, and molded rubber products.
EPDM RUBBER
What is EPDM Rubber?
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a synthetic rubber composed of ethylene, propylene, and diene monomers. Its molecular structure has a single bond, chemically saturated backbone, making it extremely resistant to outdoor conditions. This is because ozone and UV rays cannot break down its molecular structure in the same way as rubbers with double bonds.
EPDM Properties
The biggest advantages of EPDM are how resistant it is to weathering outdoors. It can resist abrasion, UV rays, ozone, aging, and weathering, and is the most waterproof rubber available. EPDM is also vapor resistant, can operate at temperatures up to 392 degrees F (200 C) without air, and is resistant to chemicals, including polar liquids. EPDM is flexible, has low electrical conductivity, and bonds easily to metals, with properties similar to silicone rubber below 250 degrees F. It is also very flexible with an elongation of 600% and a tensile range of 500-2500 psi and works well in temperatures from -50 degrees F (-45 C) to 350 degrees F (177 C). On top of that, EPDM insulates and reduces noise, which is one of the reasons it is so widely used in the automotive industry.
What is EPDM Rubber Used For?
EPDM is used as a cheaper alternative to silicone rubber for parts that will be exposed to a lot of outdoor or moisture, or for electrical insulation. However, it can also be used as a roof or lining. It is primarily used in four sectors: Automotive, Industrial, Construction, HVAC.
NBR RUBBER
What is Nitrile Rubber?
Nitrile, also known as Buna-N or NBR (nitrile-butadiene rubber), is a type of synthetic rubber polymer. It is a copolymer formed by combining the molecules acrylonitrile and butadiene.
Nitrile Rubber Properties
Nitrile rubber is most popular for its oil resistance, although it is also tough and heat resistant. The amount of oil resistance in nitrile rubber depends on the percentage of acrylonitrile. More acrylonitrile makes the rubber more resistant to swelling from oil, stronger, and less permeable to gases. Less acrylonitrile makes it more flexible at low temperatures. It is also known for its heat resistance, strength, and flexibility.
What is Nitrile Rubber Used For?
Nitrile rubber is popular in applications that require oil resistance, performance under extreme temperatures, and personal protection. Its hot oil resistance makes it a common material useful in the automotive industry for gaskets, oil seals, O-rings, engine hoses, and other parts. It is also used in the printing industry to make rollers that spread inks.
NEOPRENE RUBBER
What is Neoprene Rubber?
Neoprene rubber is a synthetic material composed of polymerized chloroprene and is sometimes called polychloroprene. Polychloroprene is composed primarily of polymers of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine, which are cross-linked to give the neoprene certain desirable properties, such as chemical inertness and thermal, oil, water, and solvent resistance. As part of the manufacturing process, neoprene undergoes vulcanization, which is the chemical processing of synthetic rubber to improve its properties. During vulcanization, cross-linking of the molecules occurs, producing sulfur bridges that join individual chloroprene chains to form a larger molecule. The number of sulfur linkages affects the overall properties of the neoprene batch. Therefore, depending on how the chloroprene is vulcanized and how many sulfur linkages are produced, neoprene can express a range of properties to varying degrees without changing its basic structure. As a result, it finds many different applications.
Neoprene Properties
It is a very heat resistant rubber. Compared to natural rubber, neoprene has a higher resistance to gas permeation and can operate at temperatures up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Even at these high temperatures, neoprene does not physically deteriorate, making it more suitable than natural rubber for long-term use in high-temperature applications. When heat degradation occurs, it does not melt or stretch as in many applications, but instead hardens. It is also fire resistant.
Neoprene is also cold resistant. Although it can operate at high temperatures, neoprene can also withstand temperatures down to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, when operating at temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, neoprene will gradually harden and become inoperable for most applications once it reaches -50 degrees F.
Common Neoprene Rubber Applications and Uses
Neoprene can be found in a number of industries due to its various useful properties. Applications include: Industrial, Electrical and Electronics, Safety Equipment, Marine, Automotive, Medical, Packaging, Construction.
VMQ (SILICONE)
What is Silicone Rubber (VMQ)?
Silicone rubber is one of the many types of industrial rubber. Borrowing properties such as flexibility and temperature resistance from both plastic and rubber, this material comes in sheets, tubes, liquids and other forms, allowing it to be used in a variety of applications from aerospace to medical and construction purposes.
Types of Silicone Rubber
Built on a base of silicone and oxygen (as opposed to the less stable carbon and hydrogen base of plastic), organic molecule groups (including methyl) give silicone rubber its flexibility. There are several variants of silicone rubber with different properties depending on the application it is used in. The different silicone groups are: Methyl groups, Methyl Vinyl groups, Methyl Phenyl groups, Flouro-vinyl and methyl groups.
Among the families of silicone rubber variations, there are three main forms of silicone rubber, depending on the processing method: liquid, room temperature vulcanized and high temperature vulcanized. They include: Liquid silicone rubber, RTV (room temperature vulcanized) silicone rubber, Solid or HTV (high temperature vulcanized) silicone rubber.
Silicone Rubber Properties
The strongest mechanical properties of silicone rubber are its temperature resistance and flexibility. Depending on the type, this material can withstand temperatures from -150 degrees to 550 degrees F before becoming brittle or melting. Its tensile strength is between 200 and 1500 PSI and its maximum elongation is 700%, which is very good for rubber. Since it is chemically more inert, non-stick and stain resistant than most plastics, it can be found in consumer and industrial food and beverage applications. In its sponge form, silicone rubber reduces vibration and noise while being lightweight, so it is also used in transportation.
Silicone Rubber Applications and Uses
Silicone rubber is used in many industries, either alone or in combination with other materials: Electronics, Construction, Automotive, Medical.
Fluoroelastomers FKM
Properties of Fluoroelastomers
Fluoroelastomers are highly fluorinated polymers suitable for continuous use at high temperatures. A variety of grades are available, including copolymers and terpolymers. The most common grades consist of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, and vinylidene fluoride.
Fluoroelastomers have excellent heat and flame resistance and exceptional resistance to aging, ozone, oxidants, oils, and many chemicals. They also have low gas permeability and low compression set.
Fluoroelastomers Applications and Uses
Fluoroelastomers are widely used in the chemical, automotive, and energy industries. They are used for hoses, diaphragms, accumulator bladders, gaskets, O-rings, and seals operating in particularly harsh environments.
FKMs have a typical service temperature range of -20°C (-5°F) to +230°C (+445°F). However, they can withstand temperatures of up to 300°C for short periods. However, FKMs are weak at high service temperatures, so the design must prevent any high loads.