Natural rubber comes from the tree Hevea brasiliensis which is native to South America. Explorer Henry Wickham brought seeds of this rubber tree which were planted in England, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Southeast Asian countries are now the main producers of natural rubber.
Nearly 23 million tons of natural rubber is produced globally while synthetic rubber accounts for 60 percent of produced rubber. Rubber is also eco-friendly and recyclable, which is great since over 250 million tires are discarded yearly.
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Types
AFLAS® Rubber
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Also known as TFE/P, this rubber is a type of fluoroelastomer made for specific applications and with specific properties. AFLAS® rubber is used mostly for the various parts associated with the oil-drilling equipment.
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One of its most unique characteristics is that when developed at very low properties down to -65 Fahrenheit it remains functional because it becomes leathery in its consistency. This is significant because, with many other types of rubber, low temperatures can make them very brittle and easy to shatter.
Butyl Rubber
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Butyl rubber is also called Isobutylene-isoprene, or IIR, and it was developed in the 1940s as a synthetic rubber. Because of its low gas permeability and its low resilience, it is perfect for products such as high-pressure/vacuum-sealing applications, vibration damping, and shock damping.
It is very resistant to ozone, heat, and weathering, and you can even use it to dilute both alkalis and acids. However, it is not a good product to use in petroleum- or mineral-based fluids, and you can often find it in seals, O-rings, bottle closures, diaphragms, liners, gaskets, inner tubes, and even speaker surrounds.
Chloroprene Rubber
Chloroprene rubber, or CR, is a very familiar type of rubber that is commonly known as Neoprene®, which is manufactured by DuPont. It is on oil resistant synthetic rubber with moderate resistance to petroleum-based fuels and oils. In fact, if you’ve ever purchased a wrist or knee brace, it is very possible that it was made of CR.
It is a good all-purpose type of rubber, in part because it has a good balance of chemical and physical properties. It does better than natural rubber when it comes to resistance to heat, ozone, and oil, but it also has a lower level of physical properties. Applications for CR include seals, gaiters, belting, cable jackets, and various types of coated fabric.
In addition to its reasonable price, CR absorbs water slowly and its flame resistance is very good. It has good resilience and is one of only a handful of rubbers that self-extinguishes. Although some types of CR can crystallize and harden when stored, they always thaw when heated.
EPDM Rubber
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EPDM stands for ethylene propylene diene monomer, and it has great resistance to ozone, chemicals, and even heat. EPDM also has good resistance to polar fluids and has great physical properties.
With the exception of exposure to di-ester lubricants and petroleum-based fluids, EPDM is a good type of rubber to make items such as cable connectors, insulators, gaskets and hoses, seals, accumulator bladders, and diaphragms.
There are also grades that are available as food quality mixes for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Epichlorohydrin Rubber
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Epichlorohydrin, or ECO rubber, is very similar to nitrile rubber when it comes to its properties, only with better resistance to petrol, heat, and oil. ECO has low gas permeability and low-temperature flexibility, not to mention excellent resistance to ozone, alkalis, and acids.
Of course, it is difficult to use ECO rubber as a sealing material because of its poor compression set limits, and since it tends to corrode metals, your tooling costs might be high and your metal-bonding applications could be limited. ECO rubber is used in vehicle fuel systems, rollers, bladders, and diaphragms.
Fluoroelastomer Rubber
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Fluoroelastomers are also known as fluorocarbons, and the most notable brand is the Viton® brand. This type of rubber can take temperatures of up to nearly 400 Fahrenheit, and almost 600 Fahrenheit if used for short periods of time. They are resistant to weathering, ozone, oils, and most chemicals as well.
However, Viton® rubber is also very expensive, so it is not suitable for all applications. Most applications that use fluoroelastomers include seals, gaskets, accumulator bladders, diaphragms, and O-rings. The Viton® brand is part of the DuPont Company.
Fluorosilicone Rubber
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Fluorosilicones can handle a wide variety of temperatures, from 140 Fahrenheit to nearly 400 Fahrenheit, which is one of the reasons they have great resistance to ozone, weathering, and di-ester lubricants.
Their oil resistance is moderate, but they have very good electrical strength. They are expensive to use in many applications, but they do make good diaphragms, gaskets, seals, O-rings, hose linings, and fuel system components for the aerospace industry.
Hydrogenated Nitrile Rubber
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Hydrogenated nitrile rubber, or HNBR, can withstand very high temperatures and is resistant to things such as hot water, steam, ozone, and sour oil and gas. With a medium price, HNBR does have some limitations.
It has poor flame resistance and poor electrical properties, but it does well when making products such as diaphragms, accumulator bladders, and gaskets and seals. These rubbers are mostly used in the oil and gas industries.
Hypalon® Rubber
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Hypalon® rubber is a brand name for chlorosulphonated polyethylene, or CSM, and it is a great type of chloroprene. It has very good low gas permeability, better heat aging, and great chemical resistance compared to other types of rubber. CSM is weather and ozone resistant, and it has good electrical properties as well.
CSM should not be used in certain applications because of its poor fuel resistance and its poor compression set, including dynamic sealing applications. The most common applications for CSM include various static seals, as well as components which tend to go through hot, humid weather or exposure to things such as hot gases and liquids.
Kalrez® Rubber
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Kalrez® rubber contains perfluoroelastomer parts and seals, and they resist over 1,800 different chemicals. They are stable in temperatures of up to 620 Fahrenheit, and they have advanced properties that reduce the costs associated with operations and maintenance, improve safety, and help maintain the integrity of the seals.
They provide reliable long-term services with various electronic- and industrial-grade chemicals and this type of rubber is also used in the pharmaceutical, aerospace, and oil and gas industries. Most of their products consist of O-rings in either standard sizes or custom shapes.
Natural Rubber
