Rubber Characteristics & Industrial Applications

1. Natural Rubber (NR)

Advantages

• Excellent elasticity and resilience
• Outstanding tensile strength
• Excellent wear resistance
• Good fatigue resistance
• A renewable natural resource
• Easy to process

Disadvantages

• Poor oil resistance
• Poor ozone resistance
• Prone to aging in sunlight
• Limited heat resistance

Typical Applications

• Tires
• Conveyor belts
• Rubber rollers
• Shock absorbers
• Suspension bushings
• Dampers

2. Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber (EPDM)

Advantages

• Outstanding weather resistance
• Excellent UV resistance
• Excellent ozone resistance
• Good water resistance
• Excellent electrical insulation properties

Disadvantages

• Poor resistance to petroleum-based oils
• Not suitable for gasoline environments

Applications

• Automotive seals
• Window seals
• Roofing membranes
• Solar panel seals
• Electrical insulation
• Water pipe seals

3. NBR Rubber

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) is renowned worldwide for its outstanding oil resistance.

Advantages

• Outstanding oil resistance
• Good wear resistance
• High tensile strength
• Cost-effective

Disadvantages

• Poor UV resistance
• Limited ozone resistance

Applications

• O-rings
• Oil seals
• Hydraulic seals
• Fuel hoses
• Automotive gaskets

4. HNBR Rubber

HNBR is a hydrogenated version of NBR. Compared with NBR, HNBR offers the following advantages:

Advantages

• Higher heat resistance
• Stronger ozone resistance
• Better aging resistance
• Higher mechanical strength

Applications

• Automotive timing belts
• Air-conditioning seals
• Oil drilling equipment
• Heavy machinery

5. FKM (Fluoroelastomer)

FKM is considered one of the highest-performing rubber materials available today.

Advantages

• Outstanding oil resistance
• Outstanding chemical resistance
• Continuous operating temperature up to 250°C
• Long service life

Disadvantages

• Expensive
• Difficult to process

Applications

• Aerospace
• Petrochemical industry
• Automotive engines
• Semiconductor equipment

6. VMQ (Silicone Rubber)

Silicone rubber is known for its exceptionally wide working temperature range.

Advantages

• Operating range from -60°C to 250°C
• Food-grade options available
• Medical-grade options available
• Excellent flexibility
• Excellent aging resistance

Applications

• Medical devices
• Kitchenware
• Baby products
• Electronic insulation
• Healthcare products

7. CR (Chloroprene Rubber)

Commonly known as neoprene.

Advantages

• Flame resistance
• Weather resistance
• Moderate oil resistance
• Good ozone resistance

Applications

• Diving suits
• Industrial hoses
• Cable jacketing
• Conveyor belts

8. SBR (Styrene-Butadiene Rubber)

SBR is one of the most economical synthetic rubbers available.

Advantages

• Low cost
• Excellent wear resistance
• Easy to process

Disadvantages

• Poor oil resistance
• Moderate weather resistance

Applications

• Tires
• Shoe soles
• Conveyor belts
• Rubber flooring

9. IIR (Butyl Rubber)

Among common rubber materials, IIR offers the best gas impermeability.

Advantages

• Outstanding air-tightness
• Good weather resistance
• Good chemical resistance

Applications

• Tire inner tubes
• Pharmaceutical stoppers
• Vacuum seals
• Food packaging

10. PU Elastomer

Although technically an elastomer rather than a traditional rubber, polyurethane is often discussed alongside rubber materials because its applications are similar.

Advantages

• Outstanding wear resistance
• High load-bearing capacity
• Excellent tear resistance

Applications

• Rollers
• Mining equipment
• Forklift tires
• Industrial machinery