Rubber-Cal, Inc., a Santa Ana-based distributor of rubber flooring and rubber sheet goods, is introducing 11 new silicone elastomers to their sheet rubber inventory. Silicone rubber is a high quality synthetic elastomer that is popular for use in applications involving extreme temperatures. It is widely used today in the automotive, electronic, medical, and food handling industries. Rubber-Cal’s new silicone rubbers are available in the form of sheets and are available for fabrication into custom seals and gaskets.
With the new silicone sheets officially now in stock, Rubber-Cal has expanded on their existing lineup of silicone rubber. The new sheets are available in widths of either 3 feet or 4 feet, and can be ordered in lengths of up to 25 feet or 50 feet, depending on the specific thickness. In order to make themselves more accessible for potential international clients, the company has introduced one of the more popular silicone sheets in Metric units of measurement. The new additions are all commercial grade silicone and available in a variety of different colors and durometer options.
Color, according to senior sales manager Gregory Yoon, is very important when it comes to silicone rubber. He explains: “When someone is looking for a silicone rubber, one of the first features they inquire about is the color of the material. With the new additions of the blue, brown, and red-orange colors, we can cover a wider variety of aesthetic preferences than before.”
The new silicone sheet rubbers also add more than just aesthetic variety to Rubber-Cal’s inventory. The durometer rating of an elastomer is one of the most important features to consider when acquiring a sheet rubber product. Durometer is the unit of measurement used to indicate how hard and resistant to physical indentation a particular rubber is. The higher the rating, the more dense and hard a rubber is. Previously, Rubber-Cal only stocked 60A durometer silicone. With the arrival of the new silicone materials, the company has added 40A, 50A, and 70A durometers to their inventory.
Silicone has been popular for both commercial and industrial use since it’s inception in 1943. It was originally developed for use as an insulating material for electric motors and generators. Ever since becoming available for mass consumption, this chemically non-reactive and stable elastomer is now applied in aviation sealing, medical devices, home hardware, cooking utensils, and much more.
Silicone has a broad working temperature range that can endure extreme highs and lows. On a general basis, silicone rubber can survive in temperature conditions as low as -103° F and as high as 500° F. It is a chemically resistant material that is also suitable for use in the outdoors thanks to it’s ability to survive contact with environmental elements such as UV, ozone, and moisture. Of all synthetic elastomers, silicone is still one of the widely researched and studied in the hopes of unlocking new applications for it’s use.
Rubber-Cal, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is one of the leading sources in America for industrial sheet rubber, rubber flooring, and flexible ducting. The company sells products under its online brands including Ducting.com, RubberFlooringExperts.com, and FloorMatCompany.com. The company prides itself on it’s “living brands”, which are products that evolve to the changing needs of consumers.