Rubber products: what they are, types, applications

Rubber products are the most common parts, applicable in almost all areas of production. They are used in appliances and professional equipment - machines and units for shops or agriculture. In everyday life, rubber products are also often used. This is the gasket in the water faucet, the hose that supplies gas from the pipe to the stove, the seal in plastic windows, on the refrigerator door and much more.

What are rubber products

Rubber products are manufactured from rubber of natural or synthetic origin. These are parts of various shapes and purposes, which are divided into two groups:

• Molded products have a certain shape: a shock absorber, gasket, seal, bushing, ring, reinforced collar, etc. They are made by forming raw rubber in a hydraulic press or by injection molding. Moulded rubber products are manufactured according to standard templates or by custom order. There are about 30,000 types of such products.
• Non-mold rubber products are pipes, rubber hoses, cords, etc. They are used in automotive, aircraft construction and other areas. Production of unformed parts is more complicated than that of molded ones. The mass of rubber is passed through a die, which has grooves on the inside. This is how the profile of the piece is formed. Then the product is vulcanized by current, high temperature or ultraviolet light. There are about 12 thousand kinds of non-moulded rubbers.

Rubber technical products can be porous, reinforced, more durable, with the addition of silicone. They are made of natural or synthetic rubber, latex, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride. They come in different diameters and sizes.

Rubber products have the following properties:

• oil and gasoline resistance;
• resistance to acids;
• resistance to high temperatures;
• ozone resistance;
• current conductivity, etc.

Rubber has protective properties that make hoses and tubes made of it suitable for isolation, movement of corrosive media through the system. Features of rubber products:

• Rubber after deformation takes the same shape at low loads. The material is flexible, elastic, resistant to temperature fluctuations.
• Prolonged service life.
• Chemical and petrol resistance.

Application

Rubber products serve as joint seals, thermal and electrical insulation, sealing layer. Rubber is used to make belts that transmit rotational energy in various mechanisms: vacuum cleaners, machine tools, washing machines, etc.

Rubber products are used in many areas:

• Aircraft construction and the assembly of apparatus used in harsh weather conditions.
• Units of the chemical industry. Rubber hoses carry caustic substances.
• Conveyor belts.
• Automotive industry. In the design of many units of machines there are rubber products - hoses, glands, seals, etc.
• Pump industry. Rubber pumps, seals, hoses and tubes are used. 
• When building construction, rubber harnesses seal panel joints.

When purchasing rubber products, if possible learn the expiration date or date of manufacture. Examine the part and check for cracks, whether the material is not hardened. Rubber products with certain additives are selected for specific tasks.