rigid & flexible rubber

Rigid & Flexible Rubber Products

Properties / Rigid & Flexible Rubber Applications

What is Rigid & Flexible Rubber?

Rigid & Flexible PVC, also known as Polyvinyl Chloride, is an incredibly versatile synthetic polymer. It is also the world’s third-most produced synthetic plastic material with about 40 million tons produced each year.

PVC has two essential forms: rigid and flexible. Rigid PVC is often applied in construction for pipes, doors and windows. It is also useful in the production of bottles, food-covering sheets and non-food packaging. Commercial PVC is a nearly transparent material with moderate toughness and great resistance to flame. Chemically pure PVC, however, is incredibly brittle and offers very low impact strength.

The addition of plasticizers creates the soft and flexible form of PVC. Flexible PVC is often utilized in plumbing, flooring, signage, electrical cable insulation, inflatable products and many other applications where it can replace other rubber materials. In addition, 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 Rigid & Flexible Rubber

  • Chemical Definition: Polyvinyl chloride
  • Abbreviations: PVC
PropertiesFlexible PVCRigid PVC
Electrical
Arc Resistance-60-80sec
Dielectric Constant3-53-4
Dielectric Strength10-30kV/mm10-40kV/mm
Volume Resistivity10-16 x 10^15 Ohm.cm15-16 x 10^15 Ohm.cm
Flame
Fire Resistance (LOI)20-40%40-45%
Flammability UL94HBV0
Mechanical
Elongation at Break100%-400%25%-80%
Flexibility0.001-1.8GPa2.1-3.5GPa
Hardness Rockwell M11-70
Hardness Shore D15-7065-90
Stiffness0.001-1.8GPa2.1-3.5GPa
Tensile Strength at Break7-25MPa35-60MPa
Tensile Strength at Yield4-7MPa35-50MPa
Toughness-20-110J/m
Physical
Density1.3-1.7g/cm^31.35-1.5g/cm^3
Glass Transition Temperature-50 to -5°C60-100°C
Radiation Resistance
UV Light ResistanceFairFair
Temperature Performance
Brittle Point-40 to -5°C-10 to 1°C
Max Continuous Service Temperature50-80°C50-80°C
Min Continuous Service Temperature-40 to -5°C-10 to 1°C
Chemical Resistance
AcetonePoorPoor
Ammonium HydroxideGood-ExcellentGood-Excellent
Aromatic HydrocarbonsPoorPoor
BenzenePoorPoor
ButylacetatePoorPoor
Chlorinated SolventsPoorPoor
DioctylphtalatePoorPoor
EthanolPoorGood-Excellent
EthyleneglycolExcellentExcellent
GlycerolExcellentExcellent
Hydrogen PeroxideExcellentExcellent
KeroseneExcellentExcellent
MethanolExcellentExcellent
Methylethyl KetonePoorPoor
Mineral OilExcellentExcellent
PhenolPoor-GoodPoor-Good
SoapGood-ExcellentGood-Excellent
Strong, Concentrated AcidsExcellentExcellent
TolueneExcellentExcellent
XylenePoorPoor

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 moldingrubber injection moldingrubber 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
Factors Affecting Rubber Tolerances
Interested in Rigid & Flexible PVC or Qualiform’s other rubber materials? Contact Qualiform today to receive expert material recommendations.