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Material Applications
Molded Rubber: SBR, Natural Rubber, Neoprene, Silicone, EPDM, Nitrile, Santoprene, and Viton
SBR
SBR, an abbreviation for styrene-butadiene, is a general-purpose, versatile elastomer with above average flexibility, resilience, and abrasive resistance. SBR has good weathering characteristics and is resistant to mild-to-moderate chemicals, organic acids, and alcohols. SBR is easily formulated with high styrene resins to produce tough, hard rubber applications. Compounding with other elastomers greatly improves its oil and solvent resistance. Product examples using SBR include vehicle mats.
Natural Rubber
Natural rubber is excellent as a general-purpose elastomer: it offers a good balance of superior tear strength, high resilience and tensile strength, good abrasion resistance, and good flexural qualities at low temperatures. Natural Rubber should not be used where it will be exposed to chemicals or oil. Also, it does not stand up well in outdoor use where it is subjected to oxygen, sunlight, ozone, and temperature extremes. Product examples using natural rubber include latex gloves and nursing equipment.
Neoprene
Neoprene® is DuPont's trade name for polychloroprene elastomer. Neoprene® has good resistance to oils, hydraulic fluids, grease, and ozone attack. In addition, it will not support flame and is self extinguishing. It has excellent heat resistance and is abrasion resistant and durable. Neoprene withstands fluctuations in temperature but fairs poorly in consistently low temperatures. Product examples using Neoprene include engine compartment grommets.
Silicone
Silicone, or polysiloxane, is a stable elastomer that retains its elasticity in temperature extremes (-150 to 500° F). Silicone has inherent resistance to ozone attack, ultraviolet light, corona discharge, moisture, and chemical attack. Silicone also has good tensile strength, elongation, compression-set, and abrasion resistance. Finally, silicone is characterized by its excellent electrical insulation properties. Product examples using silicone include hump hoses.
EPDM
EPDM, or ethylene propylene diene monomer, is used extensively in outdoor applications. This elastomer can withstand all types of weather including sunlight, ozone, and oxidants. EPDM has excellent resistance to animal and vegetable oils, water, steam, and oxygenated solvents. EPDM also has good dielectric qualities and a high heat resistance. In addition to high heat, the compound's low temperature properties are excellent as well. EPDM has excellent chemical resistance but is unsuitable for use with oil or hydrocarbon solvents. Product examples using EPDM include grommets, stick shift boots and muffler hangers.
Nitrile
Nitrile rubber is resistant to petroleum oils and aromatic hydrocarbons and is also highly resistant to mineral oils, vegetable oils, and many acids. In addition, nitrile has good elongation properties as well as adequate resilience, tensile and compression set.
Because of its cost, this elastomer is not usually recommended for applications where oil resistance is not a major problem. Where oil resistance is required, the cost is justified. Nitrile rubber is generally attacked by ozone, ketones, esters, aldehydes, chlorinated and nitro hydrocarbons. Product examples using nitrile include oil seals and engine compartment seals.
The nitrile elastomers Buna-N and NBR are noted for their outstanding resistance to solvents, oils, and fuels of various kinds. They also have excellent compression-set and tensile strength, and both have good performance over a wide range of temperatures. Nitrile can be compounded to remain flexible in low temperatures but has poor ozone and weather resistance.
Santoprene
Santoprene thermoplastic rubber is a family of high-performance elastomers which successfully combine performance characteristics of vulcanized rubber, such as flexibility and low compression set, with the processing ease of thermoplastics. Because of the longer life of Santoprene® in both extreme hot and cold environments, the material is often preferred over the use of rubber.
Santoprene rubber fits into the middle of the cost and performance spectrum of both thermoplastic and thermoset rubbers. The abrasive resistant material can be blow molded, teleformed, or injection molded with great ease. Along with the fact that the material is so easy and cost efficient to produce, Santoprene® also can be recycled. Santoprene rubber has the environmental resistance equivalent to general purpose EPDM rubber compounds, while fluid resistance is comparable to general purpose polychloroprene rubber compounds.
This unique combination of environmental resistance and fluid resistance provides a thermoplastic rubber suitable for a broad range of applications including:
Appliances: pump gaskets, supports, boots, hose connectors, plugs, sump boots, baffles.
Automotive: rack-and-pinion boots, air ducts, cable covers, bushings, windshield spacers, tubing, grommets, gaskets, body scals for windows and doors, body plugs, weather stripping, lamp covers, suspension dust covers, air bag doors.
Building and construction: glazing gaskets, weather stripping for doors and windows, expansion joints, setting blocks.
Business machines: rollers for printers, computer feet, vibration isolators.
Electrical/electronic: molded connectors, power transmission and distribution components, linemen's accessories, mining cable, control cable, power-limited circuit cable, submersible cable, coiled cords, flexible cords.
Fluid delivery: plumbing seals, filter and pump seals, hose and tubing, pipe seals.
Food contact: diaphragms, valve seals, closure seals, hose and tubing.
Hardware: caster wheels, tool grips, industrial rollers.
Medical devices: closures, gaskets, stoppers, plunger tips.
VITON
Viton® rubber is a relatively new addition to the elastomer family, Fluoroelastomers resist a wide variety of corrosive fluids at elevated temperatures while retaining their mechanical properties. Other features include resistance to weathering, ozone, oxygen and flame, good tensile strength, resilience, and low compression set. Unlike many of their counterparts, Viton fluoroelastomers retain their basic properties at extremely high temperatures. Fluoroelastomers are still undergoing extensive development and their excellent mechanical stability under severe operating conditions makes them an ideal component where the cost can be justified. Product examples using Viton include oil seals.
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