Neoprene Rubber – Where Is It Used?

Neoprene rubber is a solid rubber material with a number of excellent qualities. It has strong resistance to oils, chemicals, UV light, ozone and many general weather conditions. It’s a strong and robust material that resists abrasion and can withstand temperatures of between -35°C and 125°C in some grades. As a result, it’s no surprise that it is commonly used in a wide range of industrial applications.

Neoprene rubber is a popular gasket material for a number of applications, especially for sealing purposes. Given its properties, Neoprene rubber is commonly used for sealing electrical applications, such as light fixtures. Electronic lights must be sealed against the ingress of moisture; water or liquid that seeps into a lighting component can lead to expensive damages or even complete failure. By using a resistant material such as Neoprene rubber, costs are likely to be considerably reduced in the long term.

Whilst Neoprene has proved to be a popular material in a number of industries, the name is probably not too well known amongst most people. However, Neoprene rubber is actually commonly used for many applications that the average person comes across on a regular basis:

Sports and medical equipment

Neoprene rubber is widely used in manufacturing products such as medical and sports supports. It makes an ideal material for wrist, knee, elbow and other types of supports. Whilst many materials will chafe and deteriorate over time, Neoprene keeps its shape, providing support as well as comfort. As a result, many medical braces and supports worn to help performance in sport use Neoprene rubber.

Neoprene is also used in some sports shoes to provide extra padding for insoles. This helps to lessen the pressure on the joints when playing high intensity sports, or even just running.

Laptop covers and sleeves

Static build up in laptops, PCs and other electrical equipment can be quite detrimental. Neoprene therefore makes a great material for encasing laptops and other electrical products. As well as providing padding and protection to prevent damages, Neoprene’s natural resistance to electricity prevents static from building up. Neoprene is also commonly used for mobile phone sleeves and cases.

Wetsuits, dry suits and waders

Due to its high resistance to water of very cold temperatures and sealing ability, Neoprene rubber is extremely well suited for use in making wet suits for snorkelling, surfing, or deep sea diving. As it is highly elastic, it doesn’t hinder body movement when taking part in water sports and other activities. A range of other water-related clothing also use Neoprene on a widespread basis; for example, waders, dry suits and jackets for fishermen.

Safety gloves

Due to its resistance to oils and chemicals and the ability to prevent the ingress of water and other liquids, Neoprene is widely used in the manufacture of safety gloves and other safety equipment. As Neoprene rubber of certain grades will not degrade when subjected to very low and high temperatures, it provides an excellent material for protecting our skin from harm when working in certain conditions.

To find out more about the beneficial characteristics of Neoprene rubber, or if you feel that Neoprene could be well suited to your application, you can call the CB Frost team on +44 (0) 121 773 8494.