Stagecoach Manufacturing INC. Material Guide

This silicone is known for its military, defense, and aerospace applications. It can withstand extreme high and low temperatures also is resistant to oils.

It is not suitable for oils and fuels with a petroleum base, but its most common applications include haul-off pads, tires, anti-vibration mounts, and drive couplings. It is also susceptible to ozone attacks unless it is combined with specific anti-ozone compounds. 

With moderate physical properties and good abrasion resistance, nitrile rubber can have high or low acrylonitrile content, with the former having better oil resistance than the latter. Nitrile has low gas permeability and poor electrical properties and ozone resistance, as well as poor flame resistance. 

It is very resistant to ozone, heat, and weathering, and you can even use it to dilute both alkalis and acids. However, it is not a good product to use in petroleum- or mineral-based fluids, and you can often find it in seals, O-rings, bottle closures, diaphragms, liners, gaskets, inner tubes, and even speaker surrounds. 

With the exception of exposure to di-ester lubricants and petroleum-based fluids, EPDM is a good type of rubber to make items such as cable connectors, insulators, gaskets and hoses, seals, accumulator bladders, and diaphragms. 

It is a good all-purpose type of rubber, in part because it has a good balance of chemical and physical properties. It does better than natural rubber when it comes to resistance to heat, ozone, and oil, but it also has a lower level of physical properties. Applications for CR include seals, gaiters, belting, cable jackets, and various types of coated fabric. 

With the exception of exposure to di-ester lubricants and petroleum-based fluids, EPDM is a good type of rubber to make items such as cable connectors, insulators, gaskets and hoses, seals, accumulator bladders, and diaphragms. 

Fluoroelastomers are also known as fluorocarbons, and the most notable brand is the Viton® brand. This type of rubber can take temperatures of up to nearly 400 Fahrenheit, and almost 600 Fahrenheit if used for short periods of time. They are resistant to weathering, ozone, oils, and most chemicals as well. Most applications that use fluoroelastomers include seals, gaskets, accumulator bladders, diaphragms.

CSM should not be used in certain applications because of its poor fuel resistance and its poor compression set, including dynamic sealing applications. The most common applications for CSM include various static seals, as well as components which tend to go through hot, humid weather or exposure to things such as hot gases and liquids. 

Also called SBR, styrene butadiene rubber is a very inexpensive all-purpose rubber. It is not as good as natural rubber when it comes to physical strength, low-temperature properties, and resilience, but fares a little better when it comes to resistance to abrasion and its heat-aging properties. SBR is nonresistant to fuel or oil, and it is also prone to weathering. This type of rubber is used in car tires, haul-off pads, drive couplings, and in the soles and heels of various types of shoes.

There are food-quality grades of silicone rubber that are FDA compliant and used in both the food and pharmaceutical industries. Silicone rubber is used in food and baking products, electronics, various medical devices, sealants, hardware products, and some home repair products.