Rigid & Flexible Rubber Products
Properties / Rigid & Flexible Rubber Applications
What is Rigid & Flexible Rubber?
Rigid and flexible PVC, also known as Polyvinyl Chloride, is an incredibly versatile synthetic polymer. It is the world’s third-most produced synthetic plastic material, with about 40 million tons produced annually.
PVC comes in two primary forms: rigid and flexible. Rigid PVC is commonly used in construction for pipes, doors, and windows, as well as in the production of bottles, food-covering sheets, and non-food packaging. Commercial PVC is nearly transparent with moderate toughness and excellent flame resistance. However, chemically pure PVC is very brittle and has low impact strength.
The addition of plasticizers transforms PVC into its soft and flexible form, often referred to as flexible rubber. Flexible PVC is widely used in plumbing, flooring, signage, electrical cable insulation, inflatable products, and many other applications where it can substitute for other rubber materials. Additionally, when combined with cotton or linen, it can be used to make canvas.
One of the major weaknesses of PVC is its low resistance to both light and heat. PVC will decompose easily even under moderate heat, resulting in intense deterioration of the polymer’s properties. Therefore, additional stabilizers are incorporated into the PVC to delay the process.
Read below for advantages and properties of Rigid & Flexible rubber:
Advantages of Flexible PVC
- Good Strength
- High Abrasion Resistance
- High Clarity
- Good Outdoor Weathering Characteristics
Advantages of Rigid PVC
- Good Strength
- High Clarity
- Good Outdoor Weathering Characteristics
- Flame Retardant
Properties of Flexible & Rigid Rubber
- Chemical Definition: Polyvinyl chloride
- Abbreviations: PVC
| Properties | Flexible PVC | Rigid PVC |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | ||
| Arc Resistance | - | 60-80sec |
| Dielectric Constant | 3-5 | 3-4 |
| Dielectric Strength | 10-30kV/mm | 10-40kV/mm |
| Volume Resistivity | 10-16 x 10^15 Ohm.cm | 15-16 x 10^15 Ohm.cm |
| Flame | ||
| Fire Resistance (LOI) | 20-40% | 40-45% |
| Flammability UL94 | HB | V0 |
| Mechanical | ||
| Elongation at Break | 100%-400% | 25%-80% |
| Flexibility | 0.001-1.8GPa | 2.1-3.5GPa |
| Hardness Rockwell M | 1 | 1-70 |
| Hardness Shore D | 15-70 | 65-90 |
| Stiffness | 0.001-1.8GPa | 2.1-3.5GPa |
| Tensile Strength at Break | 7-25MPa | 35-60MPa |
| Tensile Strength at Yield | 4-7MPa | 35-50MPa |
| Toughness | - | 20-110J/m |
| Physical | ||
| Density | 1.3-1.7g/cm^3 | 1.35-1.5g/cm^3 |
| Glass Transition Temperature | -50 to -5°C | 60-100°C |
| Radiation Resistance | ||
| UV Light Resistance | Fair | Fair |
| Temperature Performance | ||
| Brittle Point | -40 to -5°C | -10 to 1°C |
| Max Continuous Service Temperature | 50-80°C | 50-80°C |
| Min Continuous Service Temperature | -40 to -5°C | -10 to 1°C |
| Chemical Resistance | ||
| Acetone | Poor | Poor |
| Ammonium Hydroxide | Good-Excellent | Good-Excellent |
| Aromatic Hydrocarbons | Poor | Poor |
| Benzene | Poor | Poor |
| Butylacetate | Poor | Poor |
| Chlorinated Solvents | Poor | Poor |
| Dioctylphtalate | Poor | Poor |
| Ethanol | Poor | Good-Excellent |
| Ethyleneglycol | Excellent | Excellent |
| Glycerol | Excellent | Excellent |
| Hydrogen Peroxide | Excellent | Excellent |
| Kerosene | Excellent | Excellent |
| Methanol | Excellent | Excellent |
| Methylethyl Ketone | Poor | Poor |
| Mineral Oil | Excellent | Excellent |
| Phenol | Poor-Good | Poor-Good |
| Soap | Good-Excellent | Good-Excellent |
| Strong, Concentrated Acids | Excellent | Excellent |
| Toluene | Excellent | Excellent |
| Xylene | Poor | Poor |
Processing
- Transfer Molding
- Injection Molding
- Compression Molding
Applications of Flexible PVC
- Wire & Cable Jacketing
- Pool Liners
- Flooring
- Garden Hoses
- Rainwear & Boots
- Medical Tubing
- Automotive Interior Trim
- Plumbing
- Electrical Cable Insulation
- Inflatable Products
Applications of Rigid PVC
- Building & Construction
- Exterior Siding
- Windows
- Piping
- Pipe Fittings
- Sprinkler Systems
- Office Furniture Edging
- Bottles
- Non-Food Packaging
Qualiform ISO Certified Rigid & Flexible Rubber Manufacturer
Qualiform is an ISO-certified Rigid & Flexible PVC rubber manufacturer with a wide variety of precision custom rubber molding services. We can mold standard OEM replacement stars as well as custom finger lengths and configurations. Looking to develop a recycling star for your PVC application or media processing? Contact our technical staff for consultation on design and property requirements.
We are industry leaders in processing, development and testing capabilities. Qualiform offers precision rubber manufacturing services including rubber molding, rubber compression molding, rubber injection molding, rubber transfer molding, and rubber to metal bonding. We also offer unmatched problem-solving capabilities in all areas of rubber molding and rubber-to-metal bonding. Qualiform can create the custom rubber solutions you need for virtually any application.
Qualiform offers 40+ years of experience in custom rubber components manufacturing, so customers can depend on Qualiform experts to create the high-quality PVC products they need. Contact the Qualiform technical staff at (330) 336-6777 to learn more about how we can help you.
Qualiform Proprietary Blend
In addition to our PVC materials, Qualiform offerss a proprietary blend with reinforcing fibers. We blend these fibers directly into the PVC rubber. As a result, the PVC has increased resistance to impacts and abrasions as well as improved durometer, toughness and performance. We also offers this proprietary blend for our other available materials:
- Butyl Rubber
- EPDM Rubber
- Natural Rubber
- Neoprene Rubber
- Nitrile Rubber
- Synthetic Rubber
- Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE)
- Viton Rubber
