What is neoprene? Neoprene was invented and patented for commercial development by DuPont scientists in 1930. Today, it is the ultimate general purpose elastomer, although, it hasn’t always been this way. A neoprene roll at one time would have come with a filthy odor and would have sent even the most practical consumer looking to other alternatives. Today, a neoprene roll would not give you cause to doubt it since it is one of the most versatile and easily handled rubber products available. It is durable, affordable, and can easily be made into stripping material for indoor or outdoor purposes. Neoprene stripping works wonders and is used frequently today for weather resistance, padding, gasket seals, and insulation purposes. With this rubber compound’s products all around us and used in so many different applications, the question is: how did such a smelly product which was at one time cast-aside come to be one of the most popular elastomers today?

“Because neoprene was more resistant to water, oils, heat and solvents than natural rubber, it was ideal for industrial uses such as telephone wire insulation and gasket and hose material in automobile engines. DuPont improved both the manufacturing process and the end product throughout the 1930s. The company discontinued the “Duprene” trade name in 1937 in favor of the generic “neoprene” to signify that the material is an ingredient, not a finished consumer product”. By changing the development and manufacturing processes of rubber the “rubbery” odor was eventually extinguished thereby making neoprene more suitable for commercial uses such as gloves and wet suits. What is Neoprene? The elimination of the displeasing odor which had haunted earlier versions of the elastomer relieved the aversion for the product in consumers. This launched the demand and mass-production of this synthetic rubber during and after World War II.

Basically unchanged since 1950, this elastomer continues to be essential in the manufacture of adhesives, sealants, power transmission belts, hoses and tubes. It is still one of the most popular elastomers today due to its many functional qualities and variety of uses in different applications. A neoprene roll can be one of the easiest products to purchase to fit any do-it-yourself (DIY) project. It is is an easy product to cut to any size needed and offers good elasticity and flexibility for any corners or bends it might need to fit into for stripping or insulation purposes. Neoprene stripping is wonderful for weather protection and is used often with garage doors or for general purpose mechanical outdoor or indoor applications.

What is Neoprene? From a smelly and undesirable beginning came a product that is used unsparingly in today’s world. Using neoprene stripping to line the bottom of your garage door, or cutting a neoprene roll into a custom size snow blade will no longer give you the stigma of “a foul job done”; instead, call one of our rubber experts to discuss which of our neoprene products will give you the satisfaction of “a job well done”.