Rubber’s properties include durability, elasticity, flexibility, resistance to an array of harsh chemicals, and unforgiving environmental conditions. Rubber has many commercial, domestic, and industrial uses when made into sheeting.
What is Rubber Sheeting?
Though this is often the case, rubber is not always just flat pieces of pure rubber. Sometimes, cloth coated with rubber is also referred to as rubber sheeting. It is used for many applications to augment material properties like tensile strength or decrease the lengthening of material. Many components like control valves and fuel pumps are made with this type of sheeting, for example. It also comes in varying colors, lengths, sizes, thicknesses, and widths, depending on the application.
Rubber sheeting is made with natural, reclaimed, recycled, or synthetic rubber. Coming mainly from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree, natural rubber is still harvested in Africa, Asia, and South America. Reclaimed rubber comes primarily on old tires that undergo a devulcanization process to alter their properties before being made into new rubber sheeting. Recycled rubber for making sheeting also comes from discarded tires, though crumbed rubber is often used in certain types of asphalt. Synthetic rubber is made instead of petroleum byproducts, which can produce this sheeting with an array of physical and chemical properties.
Common Applications
What is rubber sheeting used for? The more popular applications for sheeting involve flooring and roofing because of rubber’s resistance to toxic substances, oxidation, and UV light and its flexibility even in colder environments. However, its many valuable properties make this sheeting useful for many other purposes.
Industries that use rubber sheeting include:
- Aerospace
- Agriculture
- Automotive
- Construction
- Defense
- Footwear
- Healthcare
- Marine
- Railroad
- Science
This type of sheeting is used for electrical insulation, food processing equipment, gaskets, O-rings, and weatherstripping. It’s also used for a whole host of other applications, from lining storage tanks to mats for horse stalls.
Electrical Insulation
Electricity doesn’t travel readily through rubber, so it’s often used for electrical insulation. This is particularly true for silicone-based sheeting, which can withstand high temperatures.
Food Processing Equipment
Due to its nonporous surface, rubber doesn’t retain microbial life like bacteria and viruses on its surface. Manufacturers often incorporate FDA-compliant sheeting into their food processing equipment.
Gaskets
Gaskets typically include rubber sheeting to help seal the space between two surfaces. This helps ensure that gas or liquid under pressure won’t leak in industrial applications. This durability and elasticity make it ideal as a sealant.
O-Rings
Also used to form a seal, O-rings are mechanical seals differentiated from gaskets by their circular shape. These ring-shaped seals are often fitted into hoses or pipes to prevent leaking. Though sometimes made from other materials, it is still used for many O-rings.
Weatherstripping
Both commercial and residential buildings use rubber weatherstripping to seal against outdoor conditions. More specifically, doors and windows leading outdoors are sealed with weatherstripping to prevent heated or cooled air from escaping. The rubber used for weatherstripping helps seal buildings to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures during hot summers or frigid winters. This helps ensure a building’s heating and cooling systems won’t be overworked and will run efficiently.
Your Source for Industrial Rubber
Manufacturer’s Rubber and Supply makes rubber sheet stock and closed-cell sponge rubber for sheeting. Our company can also blend materials and supply various thicknesses and other specifications for our rubber sheeting. To learn more, contact the rubber experts today.
