There is a large amount of variance amongst synthetic elastomers. The reason for this is that man-made rubbers are engineered to have very specific traits that are meant to be best suited for focused applications. For example, EPDM excels in outdoor conditions due to its weatherizing characteristics. Some rubbers need to be more heat resistant, some need to be able to resist the O-zone, some need to be able to withstand abrasion or be resilient to oils and greases; chloroprene rubber does all of these well! This is a rubber that is meant to be used in everyday applications. Or better said it has lots of good qualities, so it can be used across many industries and applications.

Sheet neoprene, also called chloroprene rubber, is commonly referred to as the general purpose rubber. This being the case, it is sort of the “Jack of all Trades” and the qualities it does have are usually very moderate kin their class. But that being the case, it does excel in lots of uses partly due to its lower cost. Since it is affordable it is generally the product of choice when the application does not have critical needs. For example, rubber curtains are used in airline hangers and if the facility is not a military site, it may choose sheet neoprene over EPDM due to cost. Since the product has more demand, it is also inventoried in larger quantities, wide range of widths and thicknesses. Top that with an affordable price-point and rolls and sheet neoprene products dominate the industrial market. This synthetic elastomer has a low compression set, neoprene resistance to oils and weathering is moderate, and is available with flame-retardant properties. It is no surprise that everyone is buying neoprene and using it.

So, how does chloroprene rubber stack up against the other types of synthetic elastomers? Let’s explore the significant similarities and differences between each of the more commonly used rubbers:

• Sheet Neoprene vs. natural rubber: During the World War II period, chemists set out to create a synthetic compound that possessed characteristics similar to natural rubber. Chloroprene rubber was one of the first synthetic compounds to mirror the valuable traits of natural rubber including a low compression set, high tensile strength and resilience to abrasion. However, the man-made rubber outdid its natural counterpart with its moderate resistance to oil, grease, weathering and tolerance for a larger temperature range. Natural rubber is rarely used in industrial applications due to high costs.

• Neoprene vs. SBR: SBR is used heavily in abrasion resistant applications. SBR is less expensive and partly due to this it may be the most abundantly used rubber in consumer parts and applications requiring wear parts. The growing availability of reclaimed rubber, an eco-friendly version of SBR, is another reason this product has lower costs.

• Neoprene vs. nitrile: Both of the rubbers are essentially the same with few exceptions. Nitrile possesses an excellent resistance to petroleum-based fluids compared to neoprene. Neoprene, however, can withstand ozone and weathering better than nitrile.

• Neoprene vs. EPDM: The weathering resistance of EPDM is better than neoprene. EPDM has a tolerance for a larger range of temperatures, a better resistance to water swell. It can also resist mild acids, detergents and alkalis unlike neoprene. But, it does poorly when exposed to oils and solvents; neoprene resistance to these substances is moderate.

• Neoprene vs. silicone: Temperature is just not a factor for silicone; silicone can perform in a larger range of temperatures than any of its elastomer counterparts. Its resistant to extreme temperatures is unmatched. It is also unique for its low odor and taste. But the ability to perform in a broad range of temperatures may come at a cost: its tensile strength. Sheet neoprene available in the US market is mostly imported, while there are lots of successful small and medium sized firms in the US producing silicones.

The variety of elastomers allows them to serve a large range of diversified purposes; being manufactures to have certain traits will allow them to function best for use in a particular application. Yet, contrary to many of the other elastomers, chloroprene rubber spans the entire trait list, balancing features that are helpful in a broader range of uses. Neoprene’s function is indeed to be “general purpose,” for it performs well in applications where a combination of traits that aren’t present in other rubbers is needed. Among other things, neoprene resistance to many substances and conditions makes it useful for many applications. Simply put, while other rubbers can be as extreme as black or white, buying neoprene is a nice compromise of shades of gray.