5 Sheet Rubber Terms You Were Too Embarrassed to Google… But You Should Definitely Know
- August 28th, 2017
- Technical/Industry Terms
As someone in the industrial rubber field, it’s our job to keep up with the latest industry trends, news on our suppliers or competitors, and all the technical terms that comes with buying rubber.
But sometimes, every once in awhile, a term or concept will eek by you. You might kind of know what it means, know it’s important, but not exactly sure why? And when one of your colleague mentions it to you, your first reaction is … “Huh?”
Now you might have said it a bit more eloquent than that, but speaking from experience, I’ve had plenty of “Huh?” moments when hearing technical experts talk about a specifics of a sheet rubber material. From that I’d be willing to bet there are more than a few fellow individuals in the industry who’ve felt the same.
So in response, we put together a list of the top 5 terms that you can brush up on (or maybe learn about for the first time) and your colleagues/Google search history will be none the wiser.
1. Durometer
This is significant because it measures a material’s resistance to permanent indentation. The durometer lets us know how easily the sheet rubber will compress under applied force. Therefore rubber sheet with a low durometer rating will feel softer to the touch versus higher durometer materials.
2. Tensile Strength
This looks at the maximum amount of tension or stress a material can take before failure (normalized by the cross sectional area). Tensile strength is often used as an important indicator regarding material quality.
3. Elongation
Evaluates the maximum amount of strain a material can take before failure (length at break divided by original length). Your application may require a material which can be repeatedly stretched, bent or reshaped then return to original form. As a general rule rubber can extend by a large amount before failure.
4. Compression Set
Measures the residual deformation of the rubber after it has been exposed to compressive stress at elevated temperatures for a set period of time. In applications where gaskets needs to be reused, or when dynamic forces/temperatures are present, the ability of the rubber to return to its original shape is especially important.
5. Tear Strength
This is almost exactly as the title suggests and looks at how well a material can withstand the effects of tearing or will resist the growth of any cuts/nicks under tension. This is a critical metric for material entering highly abrasive environments.
Are there other industrial terms you’ve been too embarrassed to Google? If so, you can check out more terms here!