Foam

Here at A.J. Rubber & Sponge Ltd., we always keep stock of a moderate range of neoprene, sponge and foam materials for use in seal and gasket manufacturing/gasket fabrication. The reason we stock a variety of neoprenes, rubbers, sponges and foams is that these materials all exhibit different mechanical and physical properties and further, support a wide range of uses and purposes. For this reason, it is always a good idea to have stock of different seal and gasket materials. Each material type is available in many different densities, polymer variations, and, of course, can be cut, slit, split and sliced into various thicknesses, lengths and widths. It is these cutting services that make each material suitable for a diverse application, such as custom gasket fabrication, custom seal manufacturing, spacer production and the manufacturing of adhesive backed gaskets/seals.

A.J. Rubber & Sponge Ltd. is proud to say that we are capable of producing a wide variety of custom foam gaskets for customers in differing industries. Foam can be cut, shaped, sliced, slit, split and otherwise manipulated to serve a variety of different commercial and industrial needs. Since foam gaskets are very widely used, there is no shortage of industry demand for them. Depending on the make of the raw foam material, they can undergo several different processes to produce low-pressure gaskets by compression of its thickness to seal out air, dust or light. Foam gaskets can be used to seal liquids in high-pressure applications as well as low-pressure environments. Silicone foam, for example, is typically not affected by prolonged exposure to temperatures ranging from from -53ºC to 201ºC (-65ºF to 395ºF). Silicone foam gaskets are also usually not subject to decay by aging or degradation from sunlight, and in fact, contain a number of intrinsic flame resistant properties.

Foam silicone gaskets and silicone foam gaskets are really just the same thing, but two different ways of saying it. Silicone foam gaskets are actually quite similar to silicone sponge gaskets, the difference being the way they are fabricated. Silicone foam gaskets/seals range from very open cell style structures to mostly closed cell cellular structures. The open celled silicone foam gaskets and seals tend to be best for dust seals and/or shock/vibration gaskets, such as those incorporated in automotive applications. The closed cell silicone foam gaskets, due to silicone’s low toxicity characteristics, work very well for environmental seals, where there is an element of the outdoors present. The closed cell silicone foam gaskets tend to be more durable and resistant to fluctuations in the environment.

Open cell foam, particularly the kind that is implemented in the fabrication process of foam seals and foam gaskets, is a lightweight product that is typically manufactured through a specialized process using liquid silicone ingredients as the starting material. In the foam gasket manufacturing industry, it is common knowledge that higher density silicone foams are more suitable for water sealing, whereas low density silicone foams may allow moisture to escape. The latter has an open cell structure, as indicated by it’s name. Thus, with the right coverage, achieving long term rain or weather seals with silicone foam is certainly possible, thanks to recent advancements in technology in the custom seal fabrication and custom gasket manufacturing industry.

Silicone foam gaskets:

A.J. Rubber & Sponge Ltd.’s silicone foam gasket fabricating/manufacturing processes include die cutting, horizontal splitting; roll slitting (foam gasket tape rolls), shearing, skiving, kiss die cutting and custom assemblies. A.J. Rubber & Sponge Ltd. is also capable of applying a broad range of PSA (pressure sensitive adhesives) to all silicone foam and silicone rubber products including custom silicone foam seals and custom silicone foam gaskets.

Some of the benefits of silicone foam gaskets include:

• Silicone foam gaskets have a very wide operating temperature - they have a temperature range of approximately -55°C to 200°C (-67°F to 392°F)
• Water sealing - closed cell silicone foam gasket products typically have good water sealing capabilities as well feature relatively low compressive forces, making silicone foam gaskets ideal for water-related applications
• Dust sealing - both open cell silicone foam gaskets and closed cell silicone foam gaskets can be utilized for keeping out dust, which makes them ideal for use in manufacturing plants, industrial building, production facilities and other general industrial applications
• Compression set resistance - silicone foam gaskets offer outstanding compression set resistance, which is a measure of the materials resilience and is defined as the ability to rebound to the original thickness upon being compressed
• Resistance to ozone and UV (ultraviolet) light - silicone foam gaskets have tremendous UV (ultraviolet light) and ozone resistant properties due in part to the inorganic backbone of their molecular structure. This characteristic of silicone foam gaskets is the foundation of their long term performance.

Acoustic foam gaskets:

Acoustic foam gaskets, also referred to as noise reduction gaskets, are commonly group as class O acoustic foam gaskets and are readily converted by A.J. Rubber & Sponge Ltd. in both plain and self adhesive (PSA – pressure sensitive adhesive) backed formats. The thickness of acoustic gaskets ranges from 1mm up to 100mm thick without lamination/PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) and thicknesses more than 100mm with lamination/PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive).

Acoustic foam gaskets, like all foam gaskets, rubber gaskets, sponge gaskets, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber gaskets and mil. spec. gaskets, have many uses in a variety of environments. More specifically, acoustic foam gaskets are typically employed in applications concerning noise reduction, thermal insulation and/or vibration control (such as in the automotive assembly industry). Furthermore, acoustic foam gaskets can be supplied in either plain or self-adhesive backed format, where the PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) can be applied to one or multiple sides.

Polyurethane foam gaskets:

Polyurethane foam is a type of open cell flexible foam material that is commonly incorporated in the manufacturing process of gaskets, seals and spacers. It is an economical and affordable product, best suited for applications including, but not limited to, cushioning, dust, sealing moisture, thermal & acoustic or sound insulation. We have this material available with PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) backing as an option.

For technical data on A.J. Rubber & Sponge Ltds. polyurethane foam gaskets, please click on the following link:

AJ702-2 spec sheet

Microcellular urethane foam gaskets:

Microcellular urethane foams are foam materials that offer excellent compression set resistance in addition to being very resilient, producing a gasket seal that absolutely will not break down over extended use. The aforementioned characteristics of microcellular urethane foam allow this foam gasket material to be used in a wide range of industry applications and will perform well under the following temperature range: -40°C -90°C (-40°F to 194°F).

Cross-linked polyethylene foam gaskets:

Cross-linked polyethylene foam is another very common foam material used for the fabrication and manufacturing of seals and gaskets. Cross-linked polyethylene foam has great thermal insulating properties as well as excellent chemical resistance, making it ideal for a wide range of applications. Other characteristics of cross-linked polyethylene foam include a surface that is smooth, excellent consistency throughout the material, gauge control, resistance to high temperature & low water absorption.

For technical data on A.J. Rubber & Sponge Ltds. cross-linked polyethylene foam gaskets, please click on the following link:

AJ199 spec sheet