A Broad Knowledge of Polymers
The variety of polymers available to the manufacturing industry is extensive. Each is chemically suited to a particular application.
At Romar, we have thorough knowledge of these polymers and understand how they function in certain environments.
Romar uses a variety of polymers, in particular these include:
Natural Rubber
Natural rubber is an elastic substance obtained from the latex sap of rubber trees. This is different to synthetic rubber which is made from petroleum.
Natural rubber is still the material of choice for products requiring strength, spring, ability to resist abrasion and durability. Properties of natural rubber include:
- High strength combined with outstanding resistance to fatigue
- Excellent tack meaning it can stick to itself and other materials, making it easy to fabricate
- Low heat generation
- High resistance to cutting, chipping and tearing
Nitrile Rubber
Nitrile rubber is a synthetic rubber with high resilience and high wear resistance. It is a highly sought after variety of synthetic rubber by many manufacturers.
Properties of nitrile rubber include:
- Resistant to fuels and hot oils so can be used with motor vehicle engines
- Withstands a range of temperatures
- High resilience and wear resistance however only moderate strength
Silicone Rubber
Silicone rubber is the most commonly used synthetic rubber or polymer. It is composed of silicone, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. It is so commonly used because it provides the perfect balance of mechanical and chemical properties required in industrial application today. Properties include:
- Incredibly resistant to UV light, oxygen, ozone and general wear
- Heat resistant up to 250’C
- Great biomedical properties
- Not as strong as some of the other rubbers available on the market
Fluoro Polymer or Fluroelastomer
Fluoro polymer is a class of synthetic rubbers designed for high temperature application. It provides extraordinary levels of resistance to chemicals, heat and oil, while providing useful service life above 200°C.
This polymer may be more expensive than others however its resistance to chemicals results in a more durable and long-wearing product.
Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM)
This material is good general purpose rubber that can be made in two very different ways. It is important to understand this process because if it is not made correctly (depending the environment used), the product will fail dramatically.
Here at Romar, we understand this process intrinsically and will only recommend to our customers when we understand the environment in which it will be used.
Steels
Romar can offer expertise in the methods of treating steel to achieve the best result for a product.
This may involve understanding the correct metals required to make a mould or to fabricate a device.
Learn more about material selection for commercial manufacturing at Romar Engineering.
