Which Rubber Materials Is Best for You

High-Quality Rubber Materials

Rubber materials are widely used in industry, construction, automobiles, electrical, and other fields because of their unique elasticity, which can achieve sealing, wear resistance, shock absorption, anti-corrosion, high-temperature resistance, earthquake resistance, and other properties. At the same time, the differences in the molecular configurations of various types of rubber determine their different properties. Therefore, they have greater flexibility in selection and can meet the key needs of different customers in different industries.

Selecting the Ideal Rubber Material for Custom Molded Rubber Parts & Products

The success of a rubber component frequently hinges on the selection of its building materials. Which is the best rubber material for your sealing strip, weather stripping, assembly, or component?  Let ZYXrubber address that question!

At ZYXrubber, a custom high-quality rubber part manufacturer, we specialize in crafting a wide range of rubber products and possess expertise in processing various thermoset elastomers. With a dedicated development lab and chemist engineer, we possess the capability to tailor rubber compounds to meet your specific physical requirements. We produce extrusions, molded, injection molded parts, die-cut parts, metal-to-rubber bonding, mitered corners, sheets, gaskets, and seals of natural and synthetic rubber (elastomers). We also have professional rubber experts and can provide services including design support, material selection, specification, prototyping, and full-scale production.

Rubber material properties

We offer an extensive range of rubber materials to cater to various needs, including organic rubber, synthetic rubber, EPDM,  fluoro silicone, SBR, butyl, natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile, FKM, Viton®, fluoro rubber, and silicone,10 to 90 durometer range. The information provided below aims to provide our customers with a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and properties of different rubbers. It is designed to aid in the selection of the most suitable rubber material for specific usage conditions.

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber(EPDM Rubber)
EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is a synthetic rubber material used in a variety of applications. This EPDM rubber has excellent weather resistance, aging resistance, and chemical resistance and is especially suitable for rubber extrusion profiles.  EPDM is not suitable for applications where it will come into contact with petroleum-based oils and fuels, as it can swell and degrade when exposed to them. It is widely used in automobiles, construction, wires and cables, plumbing pipes, and other fields, such as automotive seals, EPDM tubing, EPDM hoses, EPDM washers, EPDM O-rings, and EPDM seal strips.

Properties:

• High-quality materials, sturdy and durable

• Good anti-aging performance, pressure resistance, and long service life.
• Flame retardant, insulating, high strength, high elasticity, compression resistance
  
  
  Neoprene Rubber

Neoprene rubber, CR,  is a synthetic rubber also known as polychloroprene. It is a type of elastomer produced by polymerizing chloroprene. Neoprene is highly resistant to a variety of environmental factors, including ozone, sunlight, and oxidation. It's also known for its ability to resist oils, oxidation, ozone, and flame. Neoprene exhibits good chemical stability and remains flexible over a wide temperature range, making it suitable for a variety of applications and can be used as wire sheathing, hoses, heat-resistant conveyor belts, etc.

Properties:

• Oil resistant
• Flame resistant
• Acid and alkali-resistant

• Well bonded

Nitrile Rubber
Nitrile rubber, NBR, also known as Buna-N, is a kind of synthetic rubber, also known as NBR rubber (nitrile butadiene rubber). It has excellent oil resistance, high wear resistance, good heat resistance, and strong adhesion. Its disadvantages are poor low-temperature resistance, poor ozone resistance, poor insulation performance, and slightly lower elasticity. Mainly used in the manufacture of oil-resistant rubber products. Nitrile rubber is better than neoprene in terms of oil and solvent resistance but is not recommended for applications facing harsh weather conditions. Widely used in manufacturing seals, automotive, and aerospace fields, such as gaskets, seals, O-rings, hoses, fuel-pump diaphragms, aircraft hoses, and other components.

• Good oil resistance and high wear resistance
• Airtightness
• Resistant to low-temperature difference
  
  Natural Rubber
  Natural rubber, NR is a versatile and important material that is derived from the latex sap of rubber trees, scientifically known as Hevea brasiliensis. Natural rubber is known for its exceptional elasticity and flexibility. It can stretch several times its original length and return to its original shape when released.  With good tackiness and adhesion, wear resistance, and tensile strength. It is susceptible to damage from ozone, potent acids, as well as fats, oils, greases, and hydrocarbons. Natural rubber is used in a wide range of products, including tires, shock mounts, isolators, belts, hoses, conveyor belts, and various industrial products. 
  
  

• Excellent elasticity
• High strength
• Excellent overall performance
• Wide range of applications

Butyl Rubber
Butyl rubber, also known as isobutylene-isoprene rubber (IIR), is a synthetic rubber that is produced by copolymerizing isobutylene with a small amount of isoprene. The most notable properties of butyl rubber are outstanding impermeability to gases, excellent oxidation and ozone resistance, and high damping properties. It has relatively low resilience and tends to have poor resistance to petroleum-based oils and fuels. Additionally, it's more expensive than other types of synthetic rubber. Common uses of butyl rubber are the inner liner of tubeless tires, Seals, and Gaskets, Automotive Hoses and Belts, and shock and vibration products. 

Properties:

• Impermeability to Gases
• Low Gas Permeability
• Vibration Dampening

Fluoroelastomer
Fluoroelastomer is a high-performance elastic material, commonly referred to as fluorocarbon rubber, also known as FKM or FPM. Its excellent properties include high-temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, aging resistance, oil resistance, and other characteristics. It has been widely used in aerospace, aviation, automobiles, petroleum and household appliances, and other fields. It is an irreplaceable key material in the cutting-edge national defense industry. Fluoroelastomers find common applications in creating seals, gaskets, O-rings, tubing, pipe connections, diaphragms, and valves, providing reliable sealing and robustness even in demanding environments.

• Good oil resistance
• High-temperature resistance
• Acid and alkali-resistant
• Resistant to many chemicals

Styrene Butadiene Rubber

Styrene-butadiene rubber, SBR, is a type of synthetic rubber that is commonly used in various applications due to its excellent abrasion resistance, good aging stability, and low cost. It is a copolymer of styrene and butadiene, which are two different monomers.  SBR is a major component in the production of tires, particularly for cars and trucks. It provides the necessary properties for treads and sidewalls. Besides the tire industry, it has been widely used in automotive components, Industrial Belts and Conveyor Belts, Seals and Gaskets, Hoses, Molded, and Extruded Products. 

Properties:

• Good Abrasion Resistance
• Good Toughness
• Aging Stability
• Water Resistance
• Withstand moderate temperatures

Silicone Rubber
Silicone rubber is a type of synthetic rubber. also called silicone. Silica gel has excellent physical properties, such as excellent heat resistance, cold resistance, aging resistance, chemical inertness, biological inertness, etc., and is widely used in many different fields, including Automotive, Kitchenware, Electronics, Medical Devices, and Aerospace Applications.  It is known for its excellent stability across a wide range of temperatures, as well as its resistance to moisture, UV rays, and chemicals. We can produce silicone rubber products in different shapes, thicknesses, colors, and specifications to meet customer requirements.

Properties:

• Environmentally friendly, safe, good insulation
• High and low-temperature resistance, UV resistance;
• Soft and comfortable, various colors

 
Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) 
Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are a type of polymers that combine the characteristics of thermoplastics and elastomers. They possess both the processability of thermoplastics and the flexibility and resilience of elastomers. The key characteristics of TPE include their ability to withstand flames and their resistance to aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, as well as to oil and gasoline. TPEs can be formulated to have a wide range of hardness, from very soft and rubbery to quite hard. It is widely used in automotive, consumer goods, medical, construction, and other industries. It's worth noting that within the category of TPEs, there are several subtypes like TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), TPS (styrene block copolymers), TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin), and others, each with slightly different properties and applications. 

Properties:

• Good Flame Retardant
• Flexibility and Resilience
• Wide Range of Hardness
• Chemical Resistance

Plastic is a synthetic polymer organic material, usually refined from fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. Plastics can be made into various shapes and sizes in a liquid or semi-solid state during processing, and have the advantages of being light, strong, corrosion-resistant, and easy to process. Therefore, they are widely used in the manufacture of various daily necessities, industrial products, and building materials. is widely used.
Here are some of the commonly used engineering plastics and their characteristics: