The advantages of investing in the right EPDM gaskets

From the automotive industry to construction projects and electrical devices, even the most microscopic of gaps between surfaces require reliable seal solutions that protect products and maintain performance. 

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Of these options, the properties of EPDM gaskets make it an ideal seal for numerous industries and applications. But what makes EPDM so functional, and is it the right gasket for your requirements?  Discover the benefits and applications involved with EPDM rubber to see whether it offers the ideal gasket for your needs. 

EPDM stands for “Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer” and is a synthetic rubber material widely applied across multiple industries. Due to its highly durable and flexible nature, EPDM rubber is used for numerous sealing applications such as gaskets, pads, and strips.  EPDM stands for “Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer” and is a synthetic rubber material widely applied across multiple industries. Due to its highly durable and flexible nature, EPDM rubber is used for numerous sealing applications such as gaskets, pads, and strips. 

An EPDM gasket is a seal made from rubber that helps prevent leaks between surfaces. Often applied in mechanical applications, gaskets fill the space between mating surfaces or joints.

Examples of these components can include piping and fitting flange faces, mating surfaces from automotive cylinders, water tank rims, door edges and frames. What distinguishes an EPDM gasket from other seals is that gaskets offer relatively static capabilities as a seal, while other seals suit more dynamic environments involving active aspects like pumps, engines, or rotating components.

EPDM gaskets can be made in a variety of ways. But most commonly, EPDM gaskets get formed either through die-cutting or hand-cutting. Both methods satisfy the precision required for accurate gasket composition. However, each suits specific requirements.

For example, die-cutting suits small to large gasket production volumes. It offers accuracy at affordable rates and provides bespoke sizes to meet your exact application preferences. On the other hand, hand-cutting is ideal for smaller, more specialised EPDM gasket batches. Manufacturers can produce bespoke gaskets for niche purposes. Therefore, it’s ideal for prototyping and product testing.

EPDM rubber gaskets can remain flexible even in low temperatures, ensuring you gain a reliable seal across all environments and industrial conditions. Plus, EPDM gaskets can also adapt to their environment, such as when metal ducting experiences dimensional changes when exposed to temperature fluctuations. EPDM rubber gaskets will respond to these transitions while sustaining a leak-tight seal.

Versatile, reliable and durable, EPDM rubber gaskets cover a range of applications with their numerous advantages and general resistance properties. At Ramsay Rubber Cellular Sealing Solutions, we ensure all our EPDM rubber gaskets are available, custom-made to suit your needs, offering plain, self-adhesive and perforated options with thicknesses ranging between 1mm to 10mm. 

Want more information on Industrial EPDM Rubber Seals? Feel free to contact us.

We ensure our products meet IAFT  regulations for the automotive industry and are also ISO accredited.  For more information on how our EPDM rubber gaskets can satisfy your sealing requirements, get in touch today and receive a free assessment. 

Seals for the aerospace sector must be able to reliably withstand harsh environments, as they’re exposed to everything from extreme pressures and temperatures to corrosive chemicals and dynamic applications. Without this resilience, seals simply wouldn’t be safe for the industry’s critical applications, posing a continual safety risk to passengers or equipment and becoming a severe liability. One material that’s well-suited to aerospace sealing applications is ethylene propylene diene monomer, or EPDM, a rubber well-known for its flexibility, durability, and strength. It’s a common option for such sealing solutions as gaskets and O-rings.

But what is EPDM rubber? Read on to learn more about EPDM, its beneficial properties, and why it’s a good fit for the aerospace market and its challenging conditions.

Key Properties of EPDM Rubber

Some of EPDM’s key characteristics are similar to those of other rubbers. For example, this synthetic rubber resists tear propagation at high temperatures to approximately the same degree as natural rubber (NR), and it also shares low-temperature flexibility with vulcanized NR. Compared to isobutene-isoprene rubber (IIR) vulcanizates, EPDM offers similar resistance to heat deformation.

EPDM’s exact mechanical properties are dependent upon the filler types and volumes with which it’s made. However, the following advantageous qualities are typical of EPDM rubber:

• Durable strength: EPDM is durable and possesses a good strength-to-weight ratio, making it a highly versatile option for aerospace applications and beyond. Hardness, however, varies between 40 and 90 depending on the rubber’s exact composition.
• Performance across a broad temperature range: EPDM seals maintain their integrity in environments ranging from -60° F to 350° F (-51° C to 177° C). They can also withstand cycling temperatures without degrading like other polymer types, as well as hot water and highly pressurized steam.
• Resistance to moisture and chemicals: EPDM rubber material is among the most water-resistant varieties of rubber. Not only does it seal well against moisture, but EPDM is chemically inert. It won’t break down in the presence of chemicals, acids, alkalis, and other corrosive substances as well as non-mineral oil-based brake fluids.
• Resistance to UV radiation, ozone, weathering, and aging: Sunlight can cause seals to break down and fade over time. However, EPDM resists damage from UV light and ozone, making it a safer option for exterior sealing protection. It also offers great longevity; with sufficient care, EPDM seals can last for decades.
• Elasticity and compressibility: EPDM exhibits good elasticity, making it flexible enough for use in dynamic sealing applications. The material also exhibits a low compression set, meaning that post-compression, it will go back to its original shape.
• Electrical properties: Even after exposure to high temperatures or hot air aging, EPDM exhibits good electrical characteristics. It offers superior resistance against high-voltage corona discharges, and it’s an exceptional electrical insulator. This lends it to applications as insulation material for high-voltage cables.
• Manufacturability: Manufacturers can create sealing products with EPDM through multiple techniques, such as compression, transfer, and injection molding.

Benefits of EPDM Rubber Seals for Aerospace Applications

The features of EPDM materials demonstrate the value the rubber provides in aerospace applications, in which failure isn’t an option. It’s uniquely beneficial for aerospace seals because it can handle the extremes of air and space travel, including fluctuating pressures and very high- or low-temperature environments. Even given its durability and strength, EPDM is also a low-weight material solution, which is a particularly important combination for creating safe, dependable seals in the aerospace industry.

Some of the most common applications for EPDM rubber seals are:

• Sealing gaps between controls and instrumentation in the cockpit
• Maintaining proper pressure within air- and spacecraft cabins
• Preventing fluid leaks within hydraulic systems
• Generating reliable, corrosion-resistant seals in fuel and brake systems
• Adding insulation to solid rocket motors, propulsion systems, and thermal protection systems for spacecraft re-entries

This robust rubber material has optimal resiliency for such applications, with good thermal stability and resistance to moisture and chemicals. It also exhibits low thermal conductivity, helping ensure its performance as an insulator as it won’t experience significant heat transfer from other aerospace components. Ultimately, EPDM’s beneficial properties lend the material to ideal applications as aerospace gaskets and O-rings for reliably sealing against leaks and preventing component damage, equipment failure, and even loss of life.

Custom EPDM Rubber Gaskets and Seals for Aerospace Applications at RD Rubber

Since , RD Rubber Technology Corp. has specialized in high-performance sealing solutions and custom precision molding. We serve critical markets such as aerospace, defense, medical, and pharmaceuticals with our high-quality custom-molded EPDM gaskets and O-rings, among our other product offerings. Our organization is ITAR- and DOD-registered, with ISO and AS certifications as part of our commitment to quality management.