Rubber sheets and films are articles of rubber or elastomeric material that have properties appropriate for vibration dampening, equipment protection, barrier creation, or any application where a conformable covering or layer is beneficial. Customizable dimensions make rubber sheets and film a versatile industrial solution.

Types of Rubber Sheets and Films

The material the sheet or film is made of determines its mechanical and physical properties. Rubber sheets and films are made of four distinctive types of elastomers.

• Natural rubber: Natural rubber is an elastomer comprising of long chains of the monomer isoprene. These monomers are obtained from natural latex, a milky substance that comes from plant life, most commonly the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis).
• Synthetic rubber: The most common type of synthetic rubber is styrene-butadiene rubber, which is the same material used in an automobile tire. Synthetic rubbers use other types of monomers. These monomers are created through manmade processes.

• Vulcanized rubber: Both synthetic rubbers and natural rubbers can go through a process called vulcanization where the polymer chains become straightened and hardened. This causes the rubber to become quite hard and diminishes elasticity.

• TPE (thermoplastic elastomer): Thermoplastic elastomers have similar mechanical properties as natural and synthetic vulcanized rubbers but because they are thermoplastics they soft and malleable under higher heat.

Specifications

• Area: Length and width of the sheeting
• Thickness: Height of the material sheeting; correlates to abrasion, tear, and electrical resistance

Features

• ESD control: minimizes risk of electric shock
• EMI/RFI shielding: impermeable to electromagnetic signals

• Flame resistance: withstands limited exposure to fire

• Conductance: thermal and electrical conductance, typically imparted by filler materials

Image credit:

Saint-Gobain