6 Benefits of Using Rubber for Sealing and Insulation
Today, there are probably thousands of applications for rubber. It is one of those materials that humanity could not live without in the 21st century. Maybe in the future, that will change, but that is not going to happen anytime soon. Currently, the most common and important applications of rubber are for tires, rubber bands, shoe soles, condoms, pacifiers, hoses, molding, conveyor belts, sealing, and insulation.
Out of all these different uses, I want to focus specifically on sealing and insulation. The demand for this kind of use is increasing every day which is why I thought it was vital to write this article and spread more awareness on this topic.
If you cannot seem to figure out why exactly you would use rubber instead of other alternatives for sealing and insulation, here are some of the benefits.
Resistant to UV light
Silicone rubber is very often used for sealing and insulation of home windows, industry windows, and doors and for almost every vehicle.
Vehicles have to be properly insulated both inside and out to protect the driver and all the other passengers inside from outside elements. The warm or cold air circulating in the interior should stay inside. It should not leak outside.
To make it a perfectly enclosed room, manufacturers in the automotive industry always resort to using rubber. One of the main reasons is because it is highly resistant to ultraviolet light. Since the insulator will be constantly exposed to UV light, it makes sense to use a material that is resistant to it.
So, even if the rubber insulators are constantly exposed to sunlight, oxygen, and ultraviolet light, it is going to degrade at a very slow pace.
In other words, the seals of doors and windows of vehicles will stay perfect throughout several decades.
Resistant to high and low temperatures
Again I will mention rubber being used as insulators and sealers for vehicle doors and windows. It is the perfect example.
Think about it. If you do not have a garage for your car, it is going to be outside in the parking lot all the time. Whether it is scorching hot or freezing cold, you are going to leave your car outside. Because of this, those insulators must be very resistant to high and low temperatures.
So, when the temperatures drop below zero during the cold winter days, the insulator will not dry out and degrade. The same applies to the hot summer days.
Rubber is also unaffected by sudden changes in temperature. So, even if the outside temperature changes by whole 20 degrees Celsius, nothing too damaging is going to happen.
Substantial insulation properties
Now, this is one of the main reasons, the main benefits why so many industries preferred to use rubber as an insulator. The fact is that this material has substantial insulation properties. It does not matter in which environment you put it, it is going to be very effective at its job.
That is why every single door or window around you uses rubber insulators.
Keep in mind that only a few centuries ago, this kind of insulation did not even exist. You can imagine how ineffective homes were at trapping heat inside.
Can take any shape or form
Another huge benefit of using this material is the fact that you can manipulate it into any shape or form you want. It does not matter whether the final product is going to be thick, thin, tiny, or huge. It is easily doable and the cost of manufacturing is incredibly low.
Rubber can be used to create anything from truck tires to small silicone plugs. Of course, creating these tiny products such as plugs, quarks, stoppers, etc. requires a bit more precision and manufacturing quality as suggested by etolrubber.com.
So, if you are in need of such products, you should make sure that you are going to be working with a reliable company that can deliver quality.
Easy and cheap to manufacture
There are probably dozens of alternatives that are much better at sealing, but always using the last option is not really optimal.
For example, pure silver is the metal that best conducts electricity. However, using silver for basic wires and cables is not exactly a good idea considering how expensive that would be. Silver is a scarce mineral, so we cannot waste it for such basic uses. Fortunately, copper is much more abundant on planet Earth, much easier to mind, and easier to manufacture.
The same logic applies to insulating materials. There are probably much better and efficient solutions to insulation problems, but that does not make them perfect. The rubber on the other hand is a pretty solid insulator, but it is also very easy and cheap to manufacture. It can also be farmed infinitely, making it the perfect contender as an insulator. Using anything else would not be very cost-effective.
Colorable
Another very obvious benefit to using this material for its sealing and insulating properties is the fact that it is colorable, or capable of being painted into any kind of solid color. This is actually quite useful considering that a lot of insulators are actually exposed and in the open.
For example, door and window insulators in cars are always exposed. It is very important for the car manufacturer to match the color of the door itself and the seal.
Home doors also have insulators lined for two purposes. Of course, the main purpose is for insulation, but they also serve the purpose to cushion the closing of the door.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why so many industries are utilizing rubber for sealing and insulation. Whatever you want to seal or insulate, this material should be your first option. Just make sure that you have found the right manufacturer to satisfy all your requirements.
Do not worry, whatever you need, it can be made. Rubber is highly customizable, so any shape or form you need as possible.
