silicone rubber Archives

Silicone Rubber vs. EPDM: Which is best for High Temperature Sealing?

Posted on February 2, 2026February 2, 2026 by RobSEO

Selecting the ideal material for industrial sealing solutions comes down to the specific environmental conditions that the seal will be exposed to. Two of the most popular contenders for sealing solutions in a wide variety of industries are General Purpose Silicone Rubber and EPDM Rubber. Both are high-performance materials offering distinct advantages, particularly for use in outdoor applications where resistance to weather and elements like ozone and UV are key. However, when the application heats up, the differences in characteristics between these two materials become all the more important.

For engineers or procurement specialists making decisions on gasketing and sealing materials, when it comes to choosing between Silicone and EPDM, understanding their specific thermal resistance capabilities is vital for preventing seal failure.

Let’s take a deep dive into the key specifications of Silicone Rubber and EPDM Rubber, to determine which is the better choice for high temperature sealing applications.

EPDM Rubber: Key Specifications

EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) Rubber is often chosen for its impressive weathering capabilities, particularly in the automotive and construction industries, for applications such as window seals, roofing membranes, and a wide range of outdoor gaskets.

Standard EPDM is designed for moderate temperatures, operates effectively within a wide temperature range of -30°C to +80°C, whilst specialist grades can push the upper temperature limit, for example, LSLT EPDM (Low Smoke Low Toxicity) operates within -30°C to +100°C.

Strengths

Despite moderate temperature limitations compared to some other elastomers, EPDM exhibits strong characteristics that make it a strong choice for many applications:

Weathering: It offers outstanding resistance to ozone, UV light, and general weather conditions (including rain and frost).
Chemical resistance: EPDM shows good resistance to water-based chemicals and vegetable-based hydraulic oils, making it ideal for automotive braking systems and water handling.
Durability: It is known for good tensile strength and a low compression set, meaning it recovers well after being compressed.

Whilst EPDM is a durable and weather resistant material, for applications involving an environment where temperatures can exceed +80°C (or +100°C for LSLT), it begins to degrade, leading to seal failure.

Silicone Rubber: Key Specifications

General Purpose Silicone Rubber is a popular choice for a range of extreme environments. It’s an inert material, meaning it doesn’t react with most chemicals, and as a result is widely used in industries ranging from food and drink processing to mass transit and aerospace.

The thermal resistance of Silicone is often a key consideration for engineers, as it is capable of operating under extreme temperatures between -60°C and +230°C, whilst specialised grades such as HT200 can withstand temperatures of up to +250°C, whilst maintaining structural integrity.

Strengths

The most notable strengths of General Purpose Silicone include:

Extreme heat performance: With a standard upper limit of +230°C, silicone can survive in environments that would melt or significantly degrade EPDM.
Inertness and safety: Most grades of solid silicone are food safety compliant and WRAS (Water Regulations Approval Scheme) approved, making them safe for food, drink, and potable water contact.
Longevity: General Purpose Silicone has a long life span, and maintains excellent resistance to ozone and UV, much like EPDM.

Making the Right Choice

For applications involving sealing engine compartments, industrial ovens, or steam processing lines, EPDM Rubber is most likely insufficient due to the limitations of the material’s temperature resistance. However, EPDM is well suited to applications where weather resistance is essential, but heat is more moderate.

In contrast, Silicone performs strongly when exposed to heat, whether General Purpose or a specialised grade. At over +200°C, Silicone remains flexible and maintains its sealing ability, whereas EPDM would fail under the same conditions.

While Silicone certainly wins on temperature, when cost and specific chemical compatibility are also factors, EPDM can be a cost-effective choice and has strong resistance to certain oils that may damage Silicone. However, for applications where the primary threat to sealing ability is heat, Silicone Rubber is the go to choice.

Your Next Project

If you are considering the right gasket or sealing material for your next project, talk to CB Frost & Co. Our experienced sales team will be able to help you choose the best suited and most cost-effective material specifications for your intended application.

Beyond the Basics: A Deep Dive into the Unique Properties of General Purpose Silicone Rubber

Posted on October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 by RobSEO

General purpose silicone rubber is a cornerstone of modern manufacturing, relied on for its exceptional performance in everything from consumer goods such as kitchenware, to industrial seals and aerospace engineering. While its incredible resilience is widely known, the reasons behind its superior properties lie in its unique molecular structure. Unlike other elastomers, it’s not a carbon-based polymer, and it’s this chemical backbone that gives silicone rubber an unmatched advantage in handling some of the toughest environmental challenges.

The Foundation: A Silicon-Oxygen Backbone

The key to silicone’s resilience is its chemical backbone. While most organic rubbers (like EPDM or Nitrile) are built on a carbon-based chain, silicone rubber’s structure is a silicon-oxygen chain (−Si−O−). This silicon-oxygen bond is much stronger, and more stable and flexible than a carbon-carbon bond.

This highly stable backbone is the primary reason for silicone’s incredible thermal resistance. It can withstand a broad temperature range, typically from -60°C to +230°C, without becoming brittle or softening. In a high-heat environment, where a carbon-based polymer might start to degrade, the silicone backbone remains intact, ensuring the material retains its physical properties and continues to perform reliably.

Resistance to UV, Ozone, and Weathering

Another key advantage of the silicon-oxygen structure is its inherent resistance to environmental stressors. The single bonds in a carbon-carbon chain are highly susceptible to attack from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ozone, which are naturally present in the atmosphere. This can lead to chain scission, causing materials to become brittle, crack, and fail over time—a process often seen in worn-out rubber tyres or seals.

In contrast, the strong bonds of silicone rubber are largely unaffected by UV and ozone exposure. This makes it a perfect choice for outdoor applications, where it can provide a long-lasting, reliable seal without hardening or cracking, ensuring components remain protected year after year.

The Secret to Chemical Resistance

Silicone’s chemical inertness is another major advantage. The polar nature of the silicon-oxygen bond, combined with the non-polar methyl side chains, gives silicone a unique chemistry. Whilst it’s not a universal shield against all chemicals, it resists attack from a wide array of substances, including many acids, bases, and solvents.

Chemical inertness is critical in industries like food and medical, where materials must be non-toxic and not contaminate the substances they contact. The inertness of silicone makes it an ideal choice for seals, tubing, and gaskets in these sectors, providing both high performance and peace of mind.

A Long Lasting General Purpose Solution

Understanding the molecular science behind general purpose silicone rubber reveals why it’s not just another material. It’s a highly versatile, engineered solution designed for durability and performance in some of the most demanding environments.

The stability of silicone rubber’s silicon-oxygen bond truly sets it apart from other materials. It provides unparalleled thermal stability, while its protective side chains offer excellent resistance to environmental degradation. By understanding the science behind the material, engineers and designers can fully leverage silicone’s unique capabilities to create high-performance, long-lasting products that stand up to the most demanding conditions.

If you are looking for a durable and versatile multi-purpose material, silicone rubber could provide a long-lasting and cost effective solution for many industrial applications. Talk to our sales team about your next project today – call +44(0)121 773 8494 or send us a message here.

More Than Just Silicone: Your Source for Diverse High-Performance Materials

Posted on July 31, 2025 by RobSEO

Whilst silicone rubber is undeniably an extremely popular and versatile material for a wide range of applications, at CB frost & Co, our expertise and product range extends far beyond Silicone. As specialists in rubber and plastics manufacturing, we pride ourselves in supplying and converting a vast array of high-performance materials, tailored to meet the exacting demands of virtually every industry.

Don’t limit material selection

Silicone rubber stands out as a high-performance material, offering exceptional resistance to extreme temperatures, UV radiation, and a wide range of chemicals. This combination of properties make it a go-to choice for countless critical applications across modern industries, from aerospace and automotive, to electronics and medical devices, where reliability under harsh conditions is non-negotiable.

At CB Frost & Co, we excel in providing custom silicone solutions, however, it’s vital to acknowledge that while silicone materials are incredibly versatile, limiting your material choice to only silicone can mean missing out on the unique advantages that other specialised elastomers and polymers bring to the table for different, but equally demanding applications. This is why we stock and convert a wide selection of specialist materials, ensuring you get the perfect compound for optimal performance, longevity, and cost-effectiveness.

Shop now! To purchase a range of high-performance materials with ease, cut into sheets or strips, visit our online shop.

Rubber

Commercial and synthetic rubber materials offer a myriad of benefits for industrial applications across various sectors. Natural rubbers are well suited to components requiring high elasticity, tensile strength, and excellent dynamic properties, ideal for vibration isolation and shock absorption.

On the other hand, synthetic rubbers are engineered to provide specific properties, such as superior resistance to oils, chemicals, extreme temperatures, UV radiation, and ozone, often outperforming natural rubber in harsh environments. This diverse range of properties ensures that whether the application demands flexibility, chemical inertness, weatherproofing, or robust durability, there’s a rubber compound perfectly suited to enhance performance, ensure safety, and extend the lifespan of industrial components and systems.

We supply and convert an array of rubber materials, including:

Silicone Rubbers
Neoprene Rubber
Nitrile Rubber
Commercial Rubber
Commercial Insertion Rubber
EPDM Rubber
Fine Fluted Ribbed Matting

Sponge

With their unique cellular structures, sponge rubber materials offer a range of benefits across many industrial applications. Their compressibility allows them to conform to irregular surfaces, making them ideal for use in sealing against dusty, water and air ingress, as well as providing cushioning and shock absorption to protect delicate components.

Depending on whether they are open-cell or closed-cell, sponge materials offer versatile solutions for temperature management, noise reduction, and lost-lasting performance in demanding environments, due to their resilience and resistance.

We stock and manufacture with various sponge materials, including:

Silicone Sponge materials
Neoprene Sponge
EPDM Sponge
PVC Sponge
Nitto Semi-Closed Sponge

Foam

Foam rubber materials offer many industrial advantages. Their unique open-cell or closed-cellular structures provide excellent properties like cushioning and shock absorption, making them ideal for protecting delicate components and reducing impact. Foam materials also provide thermal and acoustic insulation capabilities, helping regulate temperature and dampen noise in a range of environments, from HVAC systems to automotive or rail interiors.

Certain grades of foam materials can also offer good resistance to moisture, chemicals, UV, and extreme temperatures, ensuring durability and long-lasting reliability even in demand industrial settings.

We regularly supply and convert foam compounds such as:

Silicone Foams
Polyethylene Foams
Polyurethane Foam
Armaflex Foams
Class O Insulation Foam
PORON Urethane Foam

Plastics

Beyond rubber, sponge and foam materials, we also work with various high-performance plastics to provide comprehensive machined solutions, including:

Sustamid 6 FT (PA6)
Machined PVC
Machined Nylon
Acetal Plastic
PTFE

Your High-Performance Material Needs

Our commitment is to guide you through the material selection process. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your application’s specific environmental conditions, mechanical stresses, chemical exposures, and regulatory requirements. This ensures that whether you need the extreme temperature stability of silicone, the oil resistance of nitrile, or the weathering resilience of EPDM, we can provide the optimal high-performance material in the precise form you need – be it sheeting, strips, gaskets, or custom mouldings.

Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all approach. Explore the full spectrum of possibilities with CB Frost & Co.

Discover our extensive range of materials and capabilities, or to purchase sheeting or strips in a range of standard rubber, foam and sponge materials, visit our online shop.

Sections

Latest News

Die-Cut vs. Waterjet Cut Silicone Gaskets

Rolling Stock Networking: Connect with CB Frost at RSN 2026

Tag: silicone rubber