Rubber seals and gaskets are a critical component of many systems. Rubber seals provide sealing against water, dust, and wind and prevent handling fluid from escaping your system. Rubber seals are a very crucial component and a good seal can change the life and overall performance of the application, so we must use the right materials in our seals and gaskets so that the application can perform better for longer periods of time, ultimately resulting in less service time and more cost-savings.
Choosing the Right Materials for your Application Requirement
There are so many options available when it comes for sealing and gaskets, but in this blog, we will discuss silicone and Santoprene material. We’ll try to understand which material is most suitable for your application and also which is the most trending material in today’s time and why. So, first of all, we will start with silicone and then review Santoprene materials.
Silicone Rubber
Most applications demand long ranges of -150 degree to 480 degrees Fahrenheit, and silicone has the ability to perform as per application requirement in a wide range of hot and cold temperatures. Because of this temperature resistance, a number of industries prefer to have silicone rubber for their applications.
Silicone is thermoset material, meaning its chemical reaction permanently sets the tubing shape. Even the raw compound is extruded and heated into tubing. Silicone is widely used in applications that require high temperature performance.
Santoprene Rubber
In recent years, mainly after covid 19, a lot of industries prefer to use Santoprene material. This is because when it comes to performance, Santoprene is 100% better then silicone rubber.The thermoplastic elastomer grouping of polymers share with vulcanized rubber is also called TPV. It is dynamically vulcanized polymer composed of cured EPDM material rubber (EPDM means Ethylene Propylene Dienes monomer).
In multiple sectors such as automotive, household appliances, electrical and even in the construction and healthcare industry, most of them started moving to Santoprene from other elastomers.
Why Santoprene Wins Against Silicone
Specialty molding: Santoprene TPV offers improved processability and aesthetics, and also possesses superior UV resistance amongst other TPE products. It also provides extraordinary processability of molding even with maintaining right colorability not found with silicone rubber.
Flame retardant: UV strong and soothed against copper and other metal-catalyzed degradation. Santoprene is UL 94 V-0 rated and UL 94 5VA rated. That actually improves the performance of your application.
Detergent-resistant: In household items, silicone rubber gets stiff and starts losing its quality while santoprene has excellent resistance to harsh chemicals, and holds up well to dishwasher and washing machine detergents. Santoprene is also resistant to grease and oil, which makes it better choice for cook lines. So, for household item applications, santoprene materials are ideal
Drinking water: Santoprene TPV is NSF 61 certified and NSF 51 certified. In applications where drinking water is being used such as water purifiers, it is most suitable to use santoprene material over silicone.
Food Contact: when it comes to food related applications, you must have well-rated rubber material and Santoprene TPV has an FDA amenable non-fatty food contact rating. It is also NSF-51 certified and 8271- XX Non hygroscopic.
Bonding: Bonds to PC, ABS, PS and extra engineering thermoplastics (ETPs), B100 grades, PP, and metal. Santoprene is outstanding for enclosure or 2 shot molding.
Rubber Extrusion: Santoprene TPV is an outstanding compound for extrusion manufacturing and can be extruded with single or complex profiles, including mechanisms with both soft and rigid assets.
Sustainable Material: Santoprene is 100% recyclable and is a sustainable material.
Additional Benefits of Santoprene TPV
• Excellent oil and chemical resistance
• Great sealing properties
• Highly durable and fatigue resistant
• Lightweight
• Superior weather and shock protection
• Excellent Aging characteristics
• Constant service temperature ranges from -60° C to + 135° C (-81° F to +275° F) with no cracking or tackiness
• Also available in the UV resistant, Flame retardant, FDA approved and Medical grade USP Class VI certified grades
• Automotive certified Santoprene grades
• Available in Black, White, and Natural color or custom color
• UL Compliant
• Spiced or Vulcanized Rubber gaskets
• Durometer hardness ranging from 40 Shore A to 90 Shore A
The Santoprene rubber tubing is latex-free and is certified with RoHS compliance. This means the material contains no Substance of Very High Concern (SVHCs) as classified by REACH environmental regulations. Because of its excellent strength and anti-aging properties, it is best suited to harsh weather, sunshine, and saline applications.
Another advantage of using such rubber tubes in your products is their environmental stability under changing temperatures and their operability in a wide range of temperatures. Santoprene is already being used in various industries including automotive, health and medical care, building and construction, consumer applications, food processing industries, oil and gas industries to name a few. For more than 30 years Santoprene TPVs have been widely used in many industries, building lightweight, higher-performance, and more environmentally sustainable vehicles at lower system costs.
At SantopSeal, we manufacture Santoprene weather stripping, Santoprene Seals and Gaskets, Santoprene rubber tubing, and Santoprene rubber sheets that are used in automotive interiors, exteriors, under the hood, and under-car components. There are aa wide range of applications in the automotive industry as well as construction and many other sectors. These Santoprene TPV-made weather seals come with durable sealing performance, andlower weight. Theyfeature functional integration with simplified processing, and long-lasting upgraded aesthetics. This material is very strong and has resilient properties against oil, grease, impacts, and tearing. Also, parts made from this Santoprene TPV are durable and aesthetically appealing. These qualities of Santoprene TPV make it an ideal material for the many industrial applications.
At SantopSeal, we manufacture all custom extrude rubber parts and profiles. We have gained a reputation for manufacturing high-quality extruded rubber parts according to our clients’ specifications. Our consideration to detail and dedication to perfection for every project is integrated with our experience and knowledge of the industries we work in. We ensure that the Custom Extruded profile of thermoplastic Rubber Gaskets and Seals will meet or exceed your expectations. Call now to see how we can help you with your custom sealing requirements. Contact us with your details via email at info@santopseal.com or call us on (412) 444-1888.
