Design Engineers Guide – Rubber

ACM – Polyacrylate Rubber
Polyacrylates offer good resistance to lubricating oils and high temperatures, and are commonly used where the two are found in combination. ACM elastomers show excellent resistance to engine oils (semi- and fully-synthetic), petroleum based lubricants, transmission fluids, aliphatic hydrocarbons, ozone and ultraviolet radiation.

AEM – Ethylene Acrylate Rubber
Ethylene acrylic elastomers (AEM) are terpolymers of ethylene, acrylic and a cure-site monomer, supplied by DuPont™ under the tradename of Vamac®. AEM elastomers exhibit mechanical properties similar to ACM, although they can operate over a wider temperature range than ACM and hydrogenated nitriles (HNBR).

CR –Neoprene
Good heat, flame, aging and weather resistance. Moderate chemical and oil resistance. Long flex life. Poor resistance to aromatic hydrocarbons.

EPDM – Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer
Excellent resistance to weather and ozone. High tensile strength. Good low temperature properties. Resistant to non-flammable hydraulic fluids (Skydrol). Non-resistant to mineral oils.

FKM – Fluoro Rubber
Excellent long term heat resistance and aging. Excellent hot oil, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon resistance. Not very elastic. High cost polymer.

FQM – Fluoro Silicone
High and low temperature stability, exceptional release from sticking, resistance to aging, ozone and sunlight, good dielectrics and outstanding water repellency. Applications include electrical insulators, ignition cables, gaskets, O-rings, static seals, oxygen masks, food and medical grade tubing and roll coverings.

HNBR - Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene
HNBR has excellent abrasion, compression set, tensile, and tear properties. Unlike standard NBR-Nitriles, HNBR resists ozone, sunlight, and other atmospheric environments.

IIR - Isobutylene Isoprene Rubber
IIR Butyl rubber is a great option for shock absorption and has exceptionally low gas and moisture permeability and outstanding resistance to heat, aging, weather, ozone, chemical attack, flexing, abrasion, and tearing. It is resistant to phosphate ester based hydraulic fluids, and has excellent electrical insulation performance. Butyl is not recommended for use when in contact with petroleum oils and fluids.

NR – Natural Rubber
It has a long fatigue life and high strength even without reinforcing fillers. This along with the outstanding strength of natural rubber has maintained its position as the preferred material in many engineering applications. It can be used to approximately 100 O C, other than for thin sections. It is able you retain its flexibility down to -60O C if appropriately compounded. It has good creep and stress relaxation resistance . The main disadvantage is its poor oil resistance and its lack of resistance to oxygen and ozone, however these disadvantages may be overcome by chemical protection.

NBR – Nitrile, Acrylonitrile Butadiene
Resistant to attack from mineral oils, petroleum solvents, fair resistance to heat and aging. Relatively poor cold resistance. Cannot be used where weather resistance is required.

SBR - Styrene Butadiene
Non-oil resistant, economically priced synthetic rubber – especially noted for its low water absorption properties.

URETHANE
Outstanding tensile and abrasion qualities – excellent resistance to wear, ozone, oxygen, kerosene & gasoline.

VITON
In addition to its ability to withstand extreme temperatures, it is also fuel and oil resistant.

VMQ – Vinyl Methyl Silicone
Excellent electrical properties, resistant up to very high temperatures and flexible to very low temperatures. Poor tensile and abrasion resistance compared to other elastomers.

Design Engineers Guide – Plastic

ABS - Acrylanitrile Butadiene Styrene
ABS is an amorphous polymer with good Impact Strength and excellent appearance. It is easy to process and is widely used for computer housings, small appliances, automotive interior trim, and medical components. It is available in flame retardent grades, and medical grades. ABS has poor chemical resistance.

ABS - Polycarbonate Alloy
These alloys offer improved strengths over ABS at a lower cost than Polycarbonate. Exceptional low temperature Impact Strength. Flame retardent grades are available. Due to the world shortage of polycarbonate production capacity, lead times for these materials are long, and availability is limited.

Acetal - POM
Acetal polymers are semi-crystalline. They offer excellent inherent lubricity, fatigue resistance, and chemical resistance. Acetals suffer from outgassing problems at elevated temperatures, and are brittle at low temperatures. Glass filled, and added lubrication grades are available, flame retardent grades are not.

Acrylic
Acrylics are amorphous polymers with excellent clarity. They are widely used in optical applications. Acrylics also have excellent weather ability and do very well in outdoor applications.

ASA – Aacrylic Styrene Acrylonitrile Alloy
These alloys offer improved weatherability over ABS, having better stability when exposed to ultraviolet light . ASA is alloyed with either PVC (Geloy) ,or AES (Centrex). These materials offer good retention of properties and appearance after prolonged exposure to sunlight. They has excellent low temperature properties.

Cellulosics
Cellulosics were among the first thermoplastics developed. They have been replaced by more modern materials in all but a few applications. Cellulosics smell funny, are very flammable and don’t do well at temperature extremes.

ETFE - Fluropolymer (Tefzel)
ETFE is a melt processable fluropolymer. It is similar in properties to other fluropolymers, having excellent lubricity (Fluropolymers have the lowest coefficient of friction of any plastic material), wear resistance, and excellent chemical resistance. ETFE is nothing special when it comes to mechanical properties, but it does have excellent

EVA - Ethylene Vinyl Acetate
EVA is a transparent thermoplastic elastomer used a lot for extruded tubing and athletic shoes. EVA remains flexible at low temperatures and resists cracking. EVA has limited application in injection molded components.

LCP - Polyester Liquid Crystal Polymer
LCPs are cool, relatively new materials with interesting properties. They have Tensile Strength and modulus close to aluminum.
Because of the highly oriented, rod like nature, of the polymer molecules, LCPs present some interesting design challenges. This is because the molecules will only form in straight lines. Additionally, the high orientation only occurs within about .040 of the surface of the part. Molecular orientation below this skin is random. As a result all of the strength of the material is in the skin.
Good design data is not available for these materials, so prototyping is a must. prototypes must be molded, because of the molecular orientation mentioned above.

Nylon 6
Nylons are semi-crystalline polymers with a good range of properties. Nylons are widely used because they have a good cost to performance ratio. Lower numbered nylons, 6 ,6-6, 4-6, absorb moisture and change their properties as a result. Nylons have been compounded with reinforcements, fillers and additives to produce a very wide variety of properties. Nylon 6 has the lowest modulus of all nylon grades.

Nylon 4-6
Nylons are semi-crystalline polymers with a good range of properties. Nylons are widely used because they have a good cost to performance ratio. Lower numbered nylons, 6 ,6-6, 4-6, absorb moisture and change their properties as a result. Nylons have been compounded with reinforcements, fillers and additives to produce a very wide variety of properties. Nylon 4-6 has the highest temperature capabilities of all nylon grades.

Nylon 6-6
Nylons are semi-crystalline polymers with a good range of properties. Nylons are widely used because they have a good cost to performance ratio. Lower numbered nylons, 6 ,6-6, 4-6, absorb moisture and change their properties as a result. Nylons have been compounded with reinforcements, fillers and additives to produce a very wide variety of properties. Nylon 6-6 offers better properties than nylon 6 without being as costly as nylon 4-6. It has the best abrasion resistance of all nylons. Verton, long glass fiber filled materials, by LNP, are excellent metal replacement materials.

Nylon 11
Nylons are semi-crystalline polymers with a good range of properties. Nylons are widely used because they have a good cost to performance ratio. Higher numbered nylons, 11, 12, do not absorb moisture to the extent that lower numbered nylons do, as a result their properties are more stable over a wide range of conditions. However , they are more expensive. These Nylons have been compounded with reinforcements, fillers and additives to produce a very wide variety of properties. Nylon 11 offers better Impact Strength and dimensional stability than lower numbered nylons. It is also more flexible.

Nylon 12
Nylons are semi-crystalline polymers with a good range of properties. Nylons are widely used because they have a good cost to performance ratio. Higher numbered nylons, 11, 12, do not absorb moisture to the extent that lower numbered nylons do, as a result their properties are more stable over a wide range of conditions. However, they are more expensive. These Nylons have been compounded with reinforcements, fillers and additives to produce a very wide variety of properties. Nylon 12 offers better Impact Strength and dimensional stability than lower numbered nylons. It is also more flexible.

Nylon Amorphous
Amorphous Nylons offer many of the properties of nylon in a transparent material. They offer some of the best chemical resistance of any transparent material and can be molded to tight tolerances.

Nylon Impact Modified
Impact modified nylons are a good choice when a tough material is needed at temperatures between 93.3o C (200o F) and 148.9o C (300o F). When Impact Strength and chemical resistance is needed. Or when Impact Strength is needed in nylon at low temperatures They are created by adding a rubber modifier to conventional nylon resin.
Impact modified nylons do not have the surface hardness, or modulus of unmodified nylons.

Polyallomer
Cheap and soft. Polyallomers have good retention of properties after radiation sterilization. They are not widely used.

PBT - Polyester (Polybutylene Terepthalate)
PBT polyesters are semi-crystalline. They are versatile materials with a good range of properties. They have excellent electrical properties and are abrasion resistant. PBT has been extensively compounded giving a very wide range of properties. PBT performs much like Nylon but can handle higher temperatures and does not absorb moisture. PBT has excellent impact strength but is very notch sensitive.
PBT was the material used to make George Jetson’s “indestructible” protective suit. The suit survived explosions, heat, and crushing forces, but fell apart when Jane ran it through the wash. PBT will dissolve in hot water or steam.
PBT is very anisotropic in shrinkage, so it is difficult to mold to extremely tight tolerances.

PC - Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is an amorphous material with excellent Impact Strength, clarity, and optical properties. It is very widely used and a wide variety of compounds are available. Polycarbonate is a victim of its own success as worldwide production is at capacity, and there are currently long lead times for this material.
Polycarbonate has excellent mechanical properties, and can be molded to tight tolerances. It is attacked by solvents and petrochemicals, and its weatherability is only adequate.

PEEK - Polyetheretherkeytone
PEEK is a high temperature, high cost , semi-crystalline material with excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance.

PEI - Polyetherimid (Ultem)
PEI is an amorphous, high temperature material with relatively low cost compared to other high temperature materials. It has excellent elongation and Impact Strength, and can be molded to tight tolerances. Its chemical resistance is not as good as crystalline materials but is excellent for an amorphous material.
PEI behaves similar to polycarbonate, but can perform at higher temperatures.

PES - Polyethersulfone
Polyethersulfone is a high temperature amorphous material with relatively low cost. PES has slightly lower capabilities than PEI at about the same cost. As a result it is not widely used.

PE - Polyethylene High Density
Polyethylene is a widely used, inexpensive, thermoplastic. It has good inherent lubricity, and is easy to process. Polyethylene has good to excellent chemical resistance. It is also soft and cannot be used in temperatures much above 65.5o C (150o F).
High density polyethylene is the hardest and stiffest version of this material. It does not have the impact strength of low density, but is more resilient.

PE - Polyethylene Low Density
Polyethylene is a widely used, inexpensive, thermoplastic. It has good inherent lubricity, and is easy to process. Polyethylene has good to excellent chemical resistance. It is also soft and cannot be used in temperatures much above 65.5o C (150o F).
Low density polyethylene is the softest and most flexible version of this material. It has high elongation giving it excellent Impact Strength. This is offset by its permanent deformation upon impact.

PE - Polyethylene Medium Density
Polyethylene is a widely used, inexpensive, thermoplastic. It has good inherent lubricity, and is easy to process. Polyethylene has good to excellent chemical resistance. It is also soft and cannot be used in temperatures much above 150.
Medium density polyethylene has properties in between low and high density polyethylene.

PET - Polyester (Polyethylene Terepthalate)
PET polyesters are semi-crystalline. They are versatile materials with a good range of properties. They have excellent electrical properties and are abrasion resistant. PET has not been as extensively compounded as PBT because it is more difficult to process. PET has a higher modulus than PBT.
Like PBT, PET is very anisotropic in shrink, therefore it is difficult to mold to extremely close tolerances.

PI - Polyimide (Thermoplastic) (Aurum)
Polyimides offer excellent properties at high temperatures. A thermoplastic version of this material became available recently. Both amorphous and crystalline grades are offered. Polyimide materials are attacked by alkali and are very expensive.

PPA - Polyphthalamide (Amodel)
PPA is a relatively new, semi-crystalline material, with an excellent cost to performance ratio. PPA bridges the performance gap between nylons/polyesters, and higher priced, high temperature materials such as PEI and PEEK. PPA has excellent Impact Strength and is not notch sensitive. Verton, long glass fiber material from LNP is an excellent metal replacement material.
PPA does absorb moisture, and its properties change as a result. This change is not nearly as great as 6-6 nylon. Despite its relatively recent introduction, good design data is available for PPA.

PP - Polypropylene
Polypropylene is a widely used, semi-crystalline material. It has been extensively compounded to provide a wide range of properties at a wide range of costs. In general, polypropylene is a low temperature material with excellent chemical resistance. It has no known solvent at 23 oC (73o F).
Polypropylene is difficult to mold to extremely close tolerances.

PPO Modified Polyphenylene Oxide (Noryl)
By itself PPO is an excellent material with wonderful properties, unfortunately it cannot be processed by conventional means. As a result, PPO has been modified by placing it in a styrene matrix to create a readily processable amorphous material with properties superior to ABS. Modified PPO has good Impact Strength, stiffness, surface appearance, and flame retardency. It has fair to good chemical resistance too, but is more expensive compared to ABS.

PPS - Polyphenylene Sulfide
PPS is a high temperature semi-crystalline material. It has good mechanical properties and excellent chemical resistance at elevated temperatures. PPS has been compounded extensively and many different types of properties are available. PTFE filled PPS is one of the best bearing materials available.
Unfilled grades of PPS have poor properties, so components are usually made from glass filled or glass/mineral filled grades.
PPS is very sensitive to molding conditions and must be processed properly to achieve its maximum potential.

PS - Polystyrene Crystal
Crystal styrene is the cheapest thermoplastic available. It has properties to match its price. It is transparent and has good optical properties. It has very low Impact Strength.
This is the stuff those cheap plastic glasses are made of. The kind that crack if you grab them too hard.

PS - Polystyrene High Impact (HIPS)
High Impact Polystyrene is what its name implies. A few cents more than crystal styrene, to pay for the rubber modifier. HIPS is opaque and very widely used. It has a lower modulus, better elongation, and is a lot less brittle than crystal styrene.

PS - Polystyrene Medium Impact (MIPS)
Priced in between Crystal Styrene and HIPS, Medium impact polystyrene has properties that fall in between too. MIPS is opaque.

Polysulfone
Polysulfone is a high temperature amorphous material with relatively low cost. It is transparent and can be used at temperatures of up to 148.9o C (300o F). Polysulfone has been compounded, with glass and mineral filled grades available.

PU - Polyurethane Rigid
Polyurethane is an extremely tough abrasion and tear resistant elastomeric material. Recently, rigid grades have been introduced. These materials offer good chemical resistance, and are transparent in unfilled grades.

PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride Rigid
Rigid PVC is used primarily for water pipe and pipe fittings. It is occasionally used for electrical enclosures too. Rigid PVC offers similar properties to ABS at a slightly reduced cost. However, the appearance of PVC cannot come close to ABS. In its plastic phase, PVC is corrosive to molds and molding machines. In its solid phase, PVC is non corrosive.

PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride Flexible
This is the “vinyl” that everyone is familiar with. It is essentially rigid PVC with a plasticizer added to make it soft. The plasticizer works its way out of the compound. This outgassing, is what gives new cars their “smell”, as flexible PVC is used extensively in automobile interiors.
Considered an elastomer, flexible PVC is available in a variety of hardnesses from 50 Shore A to 85 Shore D.

PVDF - Polyvinylidene Fluoride (Kynar)
PVDF is a melt processable fluropolymer. It is similar in properties to other fluropolymers, but has better strength and lower creep than the other members of this family. PVDF has good wear resistance , and excellent chemical resistance. But does not perform well at elevated temperatures.

SAN - Styrene Acrylonitrile
SAN is ABS without the Butadiene. It does not have the Impact Strength of ABS, but can be crystal clear. Because it lacks butadiene SAN does not have the Impact Strength of ABS.

TPE - Thermoplastic Elastomers
Thermoplastic Elastomers differ from thermoplastic rubbers by having higher mechanical strength ,but less elongation, and fatigue resistance. TPE materials do not get as soft as TPR materials, but the two groups do overlap. These include elastomeric polyurethane, polyester, and nylon.
Polyester TPEs are tough have good chemical resistance and can be molded in thick sections. Like all polyesters, they dissolve in hot water.
Nylon TPEs will absorb moisture and are more expensive than polyester based materials.
Polyurethane is an extremely tough, fatigue resistant, abrasion and tear resistant, elastomeric material. It is the most expensive of the materials described here.

TPR - Thermoplastic Rubbers
Thermoplastic Rubbers are generally softer, more fatigue resistant, and less tear resistant than TPE. TPR is generally less expensive then TPE.
TPRs have basically 2 groups in common usage: Polyolefin based, and Styrene Based. The olefin based materials have good chemical resistance while the Styrene based materials are less expensive and cannot withstand temperatures much above 48.9 oC (120o F).

Rubber Terminology

As an engineering material, elastomers offer flexibility and elasticity, toughness (providing wear), cut and abrasion resistance, physical strength, relative impermeability to liquids and gases and oil and fuel resistance.

An evaluation of physical properties of a given elastomer should be made in a specific compound under specific application conditions. However, as a general guide to comparative properties, material producers and rubber compounders can supply data based on “typical” recipes or compounds found in standard tests.

Hardness

Hardness is determined by measuring the extent to which surface resists indentation by a standard indentor. This is an important property, which has a relationship to modulus and tensile strength. Measurements are commonly made by Shore Durometer.

Tensile Properties

Tensile strength, in megapascals (pounds per square inch), measures the load per unit area of the original cross section to cause rupture. Elongation measures rubber strength. It expresses, by percent, the amount of increase over initial length at instant of rupture.

Modulus, in megapascals (pounds per square inch), is a measure of loading required to stretch a test specimen a standard amount, usually 100-300%.

Compression Set

Compression Set is a measure of the degree to which a test specimen under standard loading and time “sets,” deforms, or does not rebound to its original dimensions. Expressed in percentage. This is important in sealing applications – particularly for high pressures over extended periods.

High Temperature Performance

High Temperature Performance measures the effect heat has on properties of rubber compound. This is particularly important in automotive applications where performance at elevated temperature is increasingly important.

Fluid Resistance Properties

Elastomers are generally classified as non-oil-resistant, general-purpose polymers or oil-resistant, specialty polymers.

General purpose, higher volume polymers have a lower cost with wide usage in tires and treads. The oil-resistant rubbers – particularly nitrile – find specialized use in a large number of engineering applications where fuel and oil resistance are important.

Low Temperature Characteristics

Flexibility is the property most adversely affected by low temperatures. Lowering temperature results in loss of resilience, increased hardness and, ultimately, brittleness. The brittle point is determined not only by the temperature and nature of the rubber, but also by its rate of deformation. Hardness, hysteresis, Joule effect, flex cracking, modulus, elongation, tensile strength and permanent set are also temperature dependent.

Glossary of Terms

Continuous Flow

After identifying the value stream for a product, the focus is on avoiding batch and queue between different steps in the process flow.
You must ensure that the next downstream operation has:
* only what is needed
* just when it is needed
* in the exact amount needed

Enabling flow without interruption, detours, backflows, waiting and scrap presents a constant challenge. Generally, the batch size should be reduced to the smallest possible size. The end target is to enable single piece flow, meaning producing only one product at a time.
The benefits of continuous flow are:
* improved response time to customer orders
* improved resource productivity
* improved quality
* reduced lead time
* reduced space

Liquid Silicone Rubber Injection Molding

Liquid silicone rubber injection molding is the most recent addition to Frankson’s molding operations. The faster cycle times and improved performance properties of liquid silicone rubber make it an astute choice for a variety of molded components.

Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) remains flexible and elastic beyond -40° C (-40° F) and retains its properties up to 220° C (428° F), which makes liquid silicone rubber a resourceful candidate for gaskets, seals, boots, bellows, medical devices and other applications when outdoor conditions will be demanding. Cured liquid silicone rubber does not out-gas volatiles and plasticizers (like other rubber compounds do), which makes it friendly to various assemblies that were formerly required to be “silicone free.”

Liquid Silicone Rubber Injection Molding Advantages

A key advantage of liquid silicone rubber over gum based molding silicone compounds is the cycle time. Depending on the catalyst and cross-section of the molded component, the cycle times for liquid silicone molded parts range from 30 seconds to three minutes (with an average cure time of 25 to 50 seconds).

In contrast, gum base silicones may take from 3 to 5 minutes total cycle time in a traditional silicone mold. Therefore, a single- or two-cavity injection mold will out produce a multiple-cavity mold. With fewer cavities needed to support production, tooling costs and lead times (and even overall costs) are reduced.

Tooling considerations for Liquid Silicone Injection Molding

Liquid silicone molding involves room temperature compounds mixed and pumped into a hot mold. Tooling designs are simplified as liquid silicone rubber flows readily into very thin cross sections, tight radii and thick/thin features. Tooling surfaces do not have to be highly polished and draft angles are not required to facilitate removal of the finished component from the tooling.

When the cure cycle is complete, the molded silicone gasket can be removed without concern of distortion or tearing since the silicone is fully cured.

Molded Rubber Parts

Frankson is your one stop resource for all your rubber molding needs. As an ISO/QS 9000 certified company, Frankson continually demonstrates its dedication to quality. Customer satisfaction is our #1 goal. And because of this, we’re always looking for new ways to lower our costs while increasing efficiency.

No matter if you require rubber caps, seals, mounts, bellows or other molded rubber parts, Frankson can take your part from prototype all the way to finished product. In fact, by using applicable plastic technology, Frankson can produce parts at a greater rate than other injection molding companies. If you’re looking for an experienced molded rubber parts manufacturer, Frankson can provide you with rubber molding expertise and state-of-the-art rubber injection molding technology that ensures top quality molded rubber parts.

When working with Frankson, you can count on quality rubber parts production from the design and manufacturing of your free design review to final finishing and assembly. Molding rubber is our specialty – and we have the capability to provide parts design, prototyping, production, finishing and assembly. This means you don’t have to work with multiple companies, which saves both time and money.

Please contact Frankson, your source for “high precision”, “cost efficient” rubber molded parts.

Thermoplastic Elastomers

With our years of in-depth and practical experience, Frankson can take your TPE project from concept to completion with the highest levels of quality – at the most competitive price. On time. Every time.

About Thermoplastic Elastomers

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) – sometimes referred to as “thermoplastic rubbers” – are a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers (usually a plastic and a rubber), which consist of materials encompassing both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties.

While most elastomers are thermosets, thermoplastics are, in contrast, relatively easy to use in manufacturing. (An example of this is injection molding.) Thermoplastic elastomers show both advantages typical of rubber-like materials and plastic materials.

The principal difference between thermoset elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers is the type of crosslinking bond in their structures. Crosslinking is a critical structural factor that imparts high elastic properties. The crosslink in thermoset polymers is a covalent bond created during the vulcanization process.

On the other hand, the crosslink in thermoplastic elastomer polymers is a weaker intermolecular force or hydrogen bond – or takes place in one of the phases of the material.

Types

There are six generic classes of TPEs (generally considered to exist commercially) that Frankson works with. These are styrene block copolymers, polyolefin blends, elastomeric alloys (TPE-v or TPV), thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic copolyester and thermoplastic polyamides.

Advantages

TPE materials have the potential to be recyclable since they can be molded, extruded and reused like plastics – but they have typical elastic properties of rubbers, which are not recyclable (owing to their thermosetting characteristics).

TPE also requires little or no compounding – with no need to add reinforcing agents, stabilizers or cure systems. Because of this, batch-to-batch variations in weighting and metering components are absent, leading to improved consistency in both raw materials and fabricated articles. Most types of dyes can also easily color TPEs. TPEs also consume less energy. What’s more, closer and more economical control of product quality is achievable.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of TPEs relative to conventional rubber or thermoset are the comparably high cost of raw materials, general inability to load TPEs with low cost fillers (such as carbon black – therefore preventing TPEs from being used in automobile tires), poor chemical and heat resistance, high compression set and low thermal stability.

Processing

The two most important TPE manufacturing methods are extrusion and injection molding.

Fabrication via injection molding is extremely rapid and highly economical. Both the equipment and methods normally used for the extrusion or injection molding of a conventional thermoplastic are generally suitable for TPEs, which can also be processed by blow molding, thermoforming and heat welding.

Applications

The fact that TPEs have many of the same performance characteristics that thermoset rubbers have, makes TPE an ideal candidate for design or replacement in a number of different applications. Some typical applications include:

Automotive: Rack and pinion boots, air ducts, cable covers, bushings, grommets, body seals for windows and doors, dust covers, body plugs (fire wall grommets) and convoluted boots.

Appliance: Pumps, gaskets, boots, hose connectors, plugs and baffles.

Building and Construction: Gaskets, weather stripping, bulb seals, expansion joints and set blocks.

Business Machines: Rollers for printers, vibration isolators and feet/bumpers.

Electrical/Electronic: Molded connectors and cabling applications.

Fluid delivery: Plumbing seals, filter and pump seals and closure seals.

Food Contact: Diaphragms and valve seals.

Hardware: Caster wheels, tool grips and rollers.

Medical devices: Closures, gaskets, stoppers and plunger tips.

Sporting: Grips, scuba equipment and handles.

NEOPRENE	All purpose outdoor-indoor synthetic rubber resistant to most chemicals, oils, weathers, etc.
EPDM	Outdoor weather resistant even under extremely severe conditions, resistant to color fade, heat, electricity.
NITRILE (Buna-N)	Especially resistant to aromatic hydrocarbons, gasoline, petroleum oils, mineral and vegetable oils.
SBR (Buna-S)	Non oil resistant, economically priced synthetic rubber – especially noted for its low water absorption properties.
NATURAL RUBBER (NR)	Extremely resilient with high tensile & elongation properties – also resistant to flexing, permanent set and electricity – used in food and beverage applications.
URETHANE	Outstanding tensile and abrasion qualities – excellent resistance to wear, ozone, oxygen, kerosene & gasoline.
SILICONES	Can withstand extreme heat or cold and retain flexibility – normal temperature range of -101O C to 287.8O F (-150O F to 550O F).
VITON	Will withstand extreme temperatures and is fuel and oil resistant.