Wayne Painter
Rubber Moulding Manager
Solving customer problems since 2000.
A real benefit that we have seen in recent times, with the development of exceptional materials – carbon fibre, PTFE, acetal, acrylic, Peek® – is that rubber can be chemically bonded to them and therefore provide the best of both worlds.
A rubber seal with a PTFE lip; a carbon fibre substrate with a bonded rubber lip; a composite wear pad made of rubber and PTFE. Very often a seal needs to be in contact with a moving surface in order to perform its intended function – but in doing so can create too much friction. A combination of rubber and PTFE can form a compliant but low-friction seal. Alternatively, the PTFE can be used right at the tip of the seal to reduce the likelihood of damage through overheating – but will be energised by the main bulk of the seal which is still manufactured from rubber.
Rubber can be chemically bonded to most polymers, and this dual-material solution is now used across a range of applications, providing a solution that is greater than the sum of its parts and requires fewer stages in the final assembly of the product.
To better understand which materials might be suitable for your application, please take a look at our chemical compatibility chart – or better still, get in touch.
*These ratings are only a guide to the general suitability of each Polymer. Properties can be modified by specific formulation.
See chart
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