A Complete Guide to EPDM Rubber - Properties and Applications

Ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is one of the most common and widely used man-made synthetic rubber materials. It is available as a solid or closed-cell sponge in a range of hardnesses and densities. It has an excellent resistance to weathering, ozone and chemicals.

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EPDM has taken its place as the preferred rubber compound for manufacturing rubber seals for almost every industry sector. With over 70% of the material used for manufacturing rubber products being synthetic, the largest proportion of this is EPDM. Its global success and mass production has resulted in an incredibly versatile and low cost compound suitable for almost any application.

This guide provides a background to the history of EPDM and explains the main advantages and disadvantages of using it to manufacture custom seals, trims and gaskets.

When the reliance on natural rubber exceeded supply, companies looked to develop synthetic alternatives. In the s, scientists at Exxon developed EPDM as a result of their work polymerising two petroleum-derived gases; ethylene and propylene. This process created ethylene propylene rubber which was highly suitable for outdoor sealing applications due to its excellent resistance to heat and weathering.

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Today, the basic principles for manufacturing EPDM remain almost completely unchanged and follow the same stages first identified by Exxon. The rubber base material is created by combining ethylene and propylene. This compound then undergoes a chemical reaction known as polymerisation to turn the base material into an amorphous liquid. This process creates the EPDM rubber compound that can be used to create extruded profiles, moulded gaskets or flat sheets.

Extruding an EPDM seal works by pushing the rubber compound through an extrusion tool (known as a die). Together with pressure and temperature, the machine extrudes the required shape which is then cured and hardened using a vulcanising line, steam line, salt bath or autoclave cure. The compound can also be rolled and squashed to a required thickness using a calender roller to create large sheets of rubber suitable for cutting into narrower strips.

Although the raw EPDM rubber compound is initially semi-solid, it can be manufactured into both solid and expanded sponge rubber products. During the extrusion process, nucleating agents such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide are injected into the compound to create a cellular structure. By adjusting the gas injection rate, it is possible to achieve different densities depending on the level of firmness required. This process creates what is known as expanded EPDM, a compressible closed-cell sponge suitable for most sealing applications.

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