11/16/2015 Rubber, a short description of rubbers ­ Classifications, different types of rubber

Processing of Rubber Materials

­ Rubber, a short description of rubbers ­

Classifications, different types of rubber

There are plenty of different rubber types available but still the largest
single type used is natural rubber (NR), produced of latex from the tree
Hevea Brasiliensis. The synthetic types of polymers, mainly manufactured
from oil, have been developed either to replace or to be used together
with NR or to make polymers with properties superior of NR in special
areas, typically with better high temperature resistance, better outdoor
resistance and/or resistance to fuels and oils.

A common classification of different types of rubber is:

General purpose elastomers

Special purpose elastomers
Speciality elastomers

General purpose elastomers comprise:

Natural rubber (NR)

Polyisoprene rubber (IR)
Styrene­butadiene rubber (SBR)
Butadiene rubber (BR)

These types have good physical properties, good process ability and
compatibility, are generally economical and are typical polymers used in
tyres and mechanical rubber goods with demand for good abrasion
resistance and tensile properties. General purpose types constitute the
largest volume of polymer used.

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11/16/2015 Rubber, a short description of rubbers ­ Classifications, different types of rubber

Distribution of natural and synthetic rubber

Special purpose elastomers comprise:

Ethylene­propylene rubber (EPM and EPDM)

Butyl rubber (IIR)
Chloroprene rubber (CR)
Acrylonitrile­butadiene rubber or Nitrile rubber (NBR)

They have all unique properties which cannot be matched by the general
purpose types and are very important for manufacturing of industrial and
automotive rubber products.

The Speciality elastomers are a great number of polymers with very

special properties, in many cases of great importance for the automotive­
, aircraft­, space­ and offshore industries. Some of these polymers are:

Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSM)

Acrylic Rubber (ACM)
Silicone Rubber (PMQ/PV/MQ/VMQ)

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Floursilicone Rubber (FPQ)

Fluor elastomers (FPM/FFKM/FEPM)
Urethane Rubber (AU/EU)
Epichlorohydrine Rubber (CO/ECO/GECO)

More information is in VERT module "Elastomeric materials" and in

www.tut.fi/plastics/tyreschool (Modul 6)

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