The EPDM Rubber Blog - Rubber-Cal’s EPDM sheet rubber

EPDM Sheet Rubber:

08/31/05

Products discussed in this posting: EPDM, Playground Tiles, Elephant Bark Rubber, Sheet Rubber, Commercial Rubber Matting.

If you're ever in need of a material with good ozone and UV resistance, you'll want to consider EPDM (often misspelled EDPM). Available in its pure form as rolls of black rubber sheeting or as a cost-effective rubber blend, this highly stable elastomer is a great choice for any outdoor application requiring long exposure to the elements. Other common uses for this product include, seal jobs like gaskets and soundproofing (for example, making a gasket for a car or making a room soundproof).

EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is highly valued for its chemical resistant characteristics (e.g., Anti-freeze, Synthetic Detergents, Acetone, Boric acid, Ethanol, Formaldehyde, Mercury, Potassium Sulfate, Silver Nitrate, Steam (up to 212 Fahrenheit), Saccharin). A roll of this product can be slit into strips or cut into pads for a variety of uses.

A more affordable type of E.P.D.M. is as a mixed or blended rubber material. Part of this product's charm is its ability to combine with other rubber products. Elephant Bark flooring and Playground Tiles (made of recycled tires) both offer EPDM mixes in the form of colored speckles or as a surface top coat, which reinforce them as outdoor matting products for maximum protection from the sun and weathering. Since it is a sheet rubber, EPDM can be fabricated using laser, die, and water-jet cut, in addition to hand fabrication. Such customizing versatility offers a wide range of external applications. From bumpers to pool-side flooring, EPDM in its pure or blended form offers a waterproof and resilient solution to almost any challenge. But now that you know what EPDM is, let's take a look at what it does.

Imagine an asphalt or concrete outdoor play area for children where falls occur readily...ouch! Now imagine that same area covered by 2.5 inch rubber tiles to cushion their falls. These tiles would need some EPDM to withstand long-term weathering and hold up against kids running and playing on the surface. And since EPDM is available as colored speckles, a veritable rainbow of color patterns are possible, adding "pizzaz" to any play area. Or consider canine kennels and doggie daycares which require rubber matting products to protect the dogs paws from the excessive heat and rigidity of concrete. Such rubber matting would need to be available as a rolled product for easy cleaning and would also require colored EPDM speckles to combat the intense UV rays of outdoor dog shelters.

So for a tough and versatile elastomer for outdoor uses, consider EPDM as a safe bet to meet all of your needs.

Jeffrey Stephens

08/31/2005

EPDM Sheet Rubber:

05/11/09

Products discussed in this posting: EPDM, Playground Tiles, Elephant Bark Rubber, Puzzle-Lock, Eco-Sport, Sheet Rubber, Commercial Rubber Matting.

EPDM rubber is used in lots of industries which we do not deal in, like roofing or pond-liner applications. Rubber-Cal’s EPDM sheet rubber (as opposed to say rubber tiles which would have EPDM content) is a blend EPDM rubber with that of SBR and CR. We offer this product in 36 inch and 48 inch wide rolls and gauges from 1/16 inch to one inch. We stock the popular widths of EPDM rubber (i.e., 36 inch) for those applications with immediate needs.

EPDM can also be found in other rubber products we carry. As Jeffrey mentions below, most recycled rubber products which are derived from tires, also have a high EPDM rubber content. Although these are not products which Rubber-Cal would provide a Certificate of Conformance for with regards to their EPDM content. Tires being an outdoor product must contain lots of material which can defy aging due to environmental factors. However, recycled rubber products ultimately will be less sophisticated than their virgin counterparts, in terms of identifiable content of material used. Keep in mind one tile of rubber flooring may contain parts of recycled rubbers from multiple tires, factories and calendar years which they were produced.

Rubber-Cal’s products like Puzzle-Lock, Elephant Bark, Eco-Sport, and Playground Tiles are all made from 100% recycled rubbers and tires and which contain lots of EPDM rubber. This will help make these rolled rubber and tiled rubber products very outdoor friendly products.

Our suggestion is to always go with the recycled product if your applications allows. They are less expensive and more environmentally friendly products. For example, Elephant Bark can be used in lots of applications where EPDM rolled rubber is used, at a fraction of the price. EPDM rubber is up to 2.5 times the cost of the recycled Elephant Bark rubber, which is one of our proprietary rubber products.

As always we can send out samples, so you can touch and feel the material before taking the big step of purchasing

Mr. Elasticity

05/11/09