Questions You Should Know about special shapes rubbers factory

Founded in 1933, Fournier Rubber & Supply Company has since established itself as an industry-leading supplier of gaskets and rubber and plastic products. We offer high-quality industrial rubber products from reputable manufacturers and, for highly specialized or unique applications, custom manufacturing capabilities for custom-tailored gaskets and hose assemblies. Equipped with over 80 years of experience handling rubber materials, our team is well-aware of the unique characteristics demonstrated by each of the different types of rubbers.  

Want more information on special shapes rubbers factory? Feel free to contact us.

Rubber is an elastic material that can be produced naturally from various plant sources or synthetically through a variety of chemical processes. It has been in use for thousands of years, during which time it has been produced in numerous variations with distinct characteristics that make them suitable for different applications.

It serves as an essential raw material in the production of everything from automobile tires to surgical gloves. However, successfully producing these components necessitates choosing the right type of rubber for the given part design and application environment. For this reason, we’ve provided an overview of some of the most commonly available rubber types, outlining what they are, their key properties, and their typical uses. 

Basic Properties of Rubber

As indicated above, rubber comes in several variations, each of which has unique properties. However, most—if not all—rubbers also share a few common characteristics, such as:

• Elasticity:

  The molecular structure of rubber materials allows them to return to their normal shape after being compressed or stretched. This characteristic is apparent in rubber bands. Stretching or compressing a rubber band temporarily pulls or pushes the individual molecules out of alignment with each other. As the molecules are attached to one another, they return to their original position once the stretching or compressing force is removed.

• Thermal contraction:

  While most materials expand when heated, rubber contracts. This unusual phenomenon results from how the rubber molecules respond to heat. When heat is applied, the already-tangled molecules become more tangled and twisted. When heat is removed, the molecules return to their resting state and the rubber regains its original shape.

• Durability:

  Most rubbers are highly durable, resisting damage and degradation from abrasive and tearing forces, impact, low temperatures, and water. They also exhibit a relatively slow heat buildup rate. 

Types of Rubber

Each type of rubber material—whether natural or rubber—demonstrates distinct properties that make it suitable for certain applications. Some of the most common types of rubber and their properties include:

Natural Rubber

Natural rubber—also known as India or gum rubber—is derived from the milky liquid (i.e., latex) present in the Hevea brasiliensis tree. Some of the material’s key characteristics are high tear and tensile strength, resilience, and resistance to abrasion, friction, extreme temperatures, and water swell. Typical uses include adhesives, flooring and roofing, gloves, insulation, and tires. 

Neoprene Rubber

Neoprene rubber—also called chloroprene—is one of the oldest types of synthetic rubber. Compared with natural rubber and other synthetic rubbers, it exhibits an exceptionally low susceptibility to burning, corrosion, and degradation. This quality makes it the perfect base material for adhesives and corrosion-resistant coatings. Its ability to maintain good mechanical properties over a wide temperature range also suits it for use in high-pressure gaskets, belts, and window and door seals.  

Silicone Rubber

Silicone rubber—also referred to as polysiloxane—is known for its malleability, biocompatibility, and resistance to extreme temperatures, fire, ozone, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is available in both solid and liquid forms in a variety of colors. Its chemically inert nature makes it ideal for use in parts and products that demand biocompatibility (such as gloves, respiratory masks, implants, and other medical products) and chemical resistance (such as baby care items, cosmetic applicators, and food containers and instruments). 

Nitrile Rubber

Nitrile rubber—also known as Buna-N rubber or nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)—demonstrates several desirable mechanical and chemical properties, such as resistance to compression set, heat, oil and gas, and wear. These traits make it suitable for use in automotive gaskets and seals, O-rings, and engine hoses. It is also used in medical products (e.g., surgical gloves) since it lacks the allergenic proteins of latex-based rubbers and maintains its structural integrity better than silicone rubber. 

EPDM Rubber

Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber is a synthetic rubber that exhibits excellent durability, resisting damage and degradation from extreme temperatures and weather conditions. These qualities make it suitable for use in outdoor parts and products, such as roofing sealants, hoses, and seals. Its superior noise and thermal insulation properties also suit it for use in automobile systems. 

Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR)

Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is a copolymer of styrene and butadiene characterized by its superior hardness and durability. It demonstrates better abrasion, alcohol, compression set, and water swell resistance than some of the more expensive synthetic rubbers, which makes it ideal for use in seals integrated into hydraulic brake systems. Other common uses include cutting boards, gaskets, and shoe soles. 

Butyl Rubber

Butyl rubber—also known as isobutylene isoprene—offers one of the highest levels of gas impermeability. This quality, combined with the material’s excellent flexibility, makes it suitable for the manufacture of airtight components, such as inner tubes, sport balls, and sealants. As a liquid compound, it is also often used as an additive in diesel and petroleum fuels and chewing gums.

Fluorosilicone Rubber

Fluorosilicone rubber—also called FVMQ—is highly resistant to extreme temperatures (-100–350 degrees Fahrenheit), transmission fluids, petroleum oils and fuels, synthetic lubricants, fire, and ozone. These properties make it an ideal material for aircraft fuel systems and other highly specialized industrial applications.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website blue tc rubber oil seal.

Contact the Rubber Experts at Fournier Rubber Today

The above guide serves as an overview of the different types of rubber and their properties to help customers determine which material is best-suited for their applications. If you have additional general questions about rubber material or specific questions about a particular rubber material, turn to the experts at Fournier Rubber. 

At Fournier Rubber & Supply Company, we’ve worked with both natural and synthetic rubber for over eight decades. By leveraging the knowledge gained for this experience, we can identify or custom manufacture rubber gaskets, hose assemblies, and other products for a wide range of customer needs. To learn more about rubber or our rubber products and services, check out our About Us page or contact us today. 

For manufacturers, ensuring their product is high-quality and functioning to its fullest potential is extremely important. Not only does this effect their customers, but their reputation, profitability and competitive standing in the industry as well. Quality holds a lot of weight, especially in products that play a critical role in high-stakes applications, like rubber o-ring seals in the medical industry, for example.

In order to confirm that a product is made to company standards, a qualification process must be set in place. Apple Rubber runs extensive rubber part qualification testing throughout their engineering phase to ensure the materials they are using are right for the application and are free of any defects. From raw material testing to testing the finished product, qualification tests are crucial for manufacturers. Here are four important rubber part qualification steps you need to know:

A quality checklist is necessary throughout the entire design process.

To keep track of a product throughout the design and manufacturing process, a company should have a quality checklist in place. This will ensure that every part is tested equally and held to the same standards, eliminating the risk of defective products leaving the facility.

Apple Rubber is focused on making sure each product is exactly what the customer expects and meets their specific requirements. To do this successfully, Apple Rubber begins its quality testing process with a quality form F-39. This form follows a product from raw material selection to finished product testing and is used to verify that each manufactured part lives up to Apple Rubber’s high standards. Without an efficient checklist in place, some parts could miss out on certain tests or testing results could be documented incorrectly.

Every rubber has its own specific gravity.

Since most rubber is black, it can be difficult to decipher between materials with the naked eye. However, different types of rubber have very specific gravities, so engineers can ensure they’re using the correct rubber material through specific gravity testing. Some of Apple Rubber’s most popular rubber compounds include Viton®️ with a density of 1.87, Nitrile with 1.2 and Neoprene with 1.47.

This test is done by comparing the weight of dry rubber specimen to the weight of the specimen when submerged in water. The specific gravity of rubber is determined by high precision analytical balances per ASTM method D297. This test is an important step because parts with a higher density typically have a higher cost. A part with a higher density also weighs more, so shipping costs can be affected as well.

Tensile testing is a critical step in the design phase.

Tensile testing is a universal test machine that determines how materials will behave under tension. The results of this test will give a measurement of a materials tension and elongation. This test is critical for selecting the appropriate material during the design phase because it reveals the materials seal performance quality.

For Apple Rubber, all material specifications start with durometer, tensile and elongation. Tensile tends to correspond with durometer, so it’s important to confirm that the durometer is measured correctly before moving out of the tensile testing phase. Materials with low durometer tend to have low tensile and work best in low-pressure applications, while materials with high durometer usually have high tensile and function best in high-pressure applications.

Finished products should undergo visual and automated testing.

Finished products are tested a little differently than raw materials. At Apple Rubber, the parts undergo a visual attribute inspection to ensure the surfaces of the rubber parts are acceptable. Inspectors review the parts for surface defects like knit lines, nonfills and foreign material.

After the finished rubber products are sampled for visual defects, an automated testing process should be in place. Apple Rubber uses a visual measuring machine called Micro-Vu. This machine is programmed to specific dimensions and automatically measures the product quickly and precisely. Since the product is automated, there is a low risk for any mistakes and dimensional inspection takes less time. Measuring the geometry of specific features is particularly important for seals because it gives both the customer and Apple Rubber the confidence that their product will meet expectations.

Part qualification is crucial for manufacturers and should be taken very seriously to ensure each product is of the highest quality and is free of defects. Implementing a qualification system into your facility will reduce the risk of customers receiving low-quality products that don’t meet their standards.

Want to talk more about our part qualification process?

Tweet us @AppleRubber to continue the conversation.

4 Important Steps You Need to Know About Rubber Part Qualification

Are you interested in learning more about wholesale o ring? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!