Gaskets & Rubber Products

Silicone makes excellent gaskets. It works over a wide temperature range, has a low compression set, high elongation, and is resistant to water, ozone, many acids, and UV light. If you’ve shopped for silicone gaskets or gasket material you probably noticed some formulations are specified as “food grade.” Here’s what that food-grade silicone gasket material means and why it might matter in your application.

What a difference an “e” makes! Silicon is the material of electronics. It’s hard and brittle and makes lousy gaskets. Silicone on the other hand is soft and elastic, which makes it a good choice in many gasket applications. Here’s what makes this polysiloxane material so useful.

EPDM is rubber-like in appearance and properties, so good compressibility and recovery is a hallmark of EPDM gasket material. Like all gasket materials though, it has strengths and weaknesses. This overview should help prospective buyers decide whether to consider EPDM gaskets.

Relatively immune to sunlight, water and low temperatures, EPDM is often a smart choice for gaskets that will be outside. Good compression set resistance means it recovers well in applications where a joint may open up from time to time, and high electrical resistance means EPDM gaskets may be appropriate for some electrical installations.