Choose the Right Rubber is not easy until you read this article. Rubber types include Natural / Isoprene, EPDM, NBR, Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), Silicone Rubber, Butyl Rubber, and Polybutadiene.

As a contract manufacturer of rubber materials with over 50 years of experience, Orient has worked with clients on a wide range of products. We have extensive knowledge of rubber manufacturing and create products based on our customer’s specialty molding needs.

Orient is able to mold a wide range of rubber materials. Simply provide us with your product design and drawing, and we will guide you through each step of the process, which includes selected the proper rubber material. Our team of experts will work with you and your design and find the rubber with the exact properties suited for your product and help to bring it to market quicker.

Below are the more commonly used rubber materials that Orient is able to custom mold. Over 75% of Orient’s rubber materials are not black and are available in a variety of colors and scents at no extra cost.

Natural / Isoprene:
Natural rubber is a polymer of isoprene and has a molecular weight of 100,000 to 1,000,000. An organic material, sometimes traces of other materials such as proteins, resins and inorganic materials can be found in high quality natural rubber. Natural rubber is formed in the bark of tropical trees. Isoprene’s chemical and structural makeup is very similar to natural rubber’s. Both can be used for similar applications although isoprene rubber has less green strength than natural rubber.

Ethylene Propylene Diene (EPDM)
A synthetic rubber and elastomer characterized by a wide range of applications. The “M” in EPDM refers to the compound’s classification in ASTM standard D-1418. EPDM is a very durable, high-density rubber making it a preferred material for products like gaskets, hoses and seals. The rubber is extremely resistant to to heat, oxidation and weather due to its stable structure.

Nitrile Rubber (NBR)
Nitrile rubber is a copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile and is used most commonly in sealing products. NBR is extremely resistant to oil and is therefore used in automotive seals, gaskets and other products that contact hot oils and fuels. The more nitrile in the product’s composition, the more resistant to oil it becomes at the expense of flexibility. NItrile rubber is also a very resilient material making it ideal for products such as cleaning and examination gloves. Gloves made with nitrile rubber are three times more resistant to punctures than gloves made with natural rubber or isoprene.

Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR)
Styrene butadiene rubber is a synthetic rubber that is more resistant to abrasion than natural rubber. It is predominantly used in automobile and truck tires as it stands up to heat and cracks and ages well. The higher the styrene content in the rubber, the harder and less flexible the product becomes.

Silicone Rubber
Silicone rubber is a polymer composed of silicon combined with carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Materials made with this synthetic rubber are extremely resistant to heat and cold, being able to withstand temperatures ranging from -80ºF to 400ºF. Resilient and durable, silicone rubber materials resist prolonged exposure to sunlight, oxygen, ozone, moisture and UV light. Silicone rubber does have its weaknesses however as products made of the elastomer are subject to tears and abrasions. During manufacturing, heat is required to vulcanize (cure) the silicone into its rubber-like form.

Butyl Rubber
Butyl is a synthetic rubber, also referred to as isobutylene isoprene. Butyl rubber has a variety of uses and applications but its true value is its impermeability to air and gases. Butyl is also very resistant to water and steam, which is why butyl rubber is used in sealants for damp proofing, rubber roof repair and rubber membrane maintenance. First used as tire inner tubes, butyl rubber is now applied to sporting ball bladders, gas masks and protective clothing, vial stoppers, explosives, chewing gum and is even used as an additive in lubricating oils and motor fuels. The addition of small amounts of polyisobutylene in lubricating oils results in a significant reduction of oil mist inhaled by a machine operator.

Polybutadiene
The majority of polybutadiene is produced to manufacture automobile tires. The rubber is resistant to abrasion, which is why polybutadiene is used to improve treads for large truck tires. The elastomer can be very flexible, is resistant to electricity, has a high heat tolerance and used to manufacture various types of elastic objects. Polybutadiene is also a material used to manufacture golf balls.

Relative Articles:
◆Porcelain insulator manufacturing process
◆Ceramic insulator manufacturer in China
◆composite Insulator advantages
◆composite impenetrable design
◆composite distribution insulators
◆composite Cross Arm Tower