Abrasion Resistance

The ability of a material to withstand the loss of surface due to friction.

Accelerated Aging

Simulated aging tests used to predict the life-cycles of materials and adhesives undergoing natural aging. Test normally use heat, UV radiation and moisture either alon or in combination.

Acid resistance

Withstands the corrosive action of acids

Acrylic adhesive

A plastic glue. Offers good resistance to UV radiation and extreme temperatures. Is most often applied as a solution in either water or a solvent. Adhesive is applied in a thin film and the solution evaporated off in an oven.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

Abbreviated to ABS. ABS is a tough, heat and impact resistant thermoplastic. It is often used for appliances, electrical housing, luggage, sporting goods, pipe fittings and automotive parts.

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials

ASTM D 1056

Classification system for cellular elastomeric materials. Uses code letters to designate grade and performace.

Boardy

A foam or rubber with a stiff or rigid feel normally associated with products with a low compression modulus making them less useful as a seal.

Bonding

The process of combining two or more materials either by using adhesives or heat.

Capped ABS

A combination of regrind and virgin material co-extruded to give the surface finish of virgin material but at a lower cost through the use of reclaimed material.

Carcass

The unwanted material surrounding a gasket which has been kiss cut.

Cellular Rubber

Rubber or other product with a cellular structure as opposed to a solid material. Cells can either be open/interconnecting or a closed/not connected

Clean Peel

Also called easy peal. An adhesive tape that can be removed from a surface leaving no residue of adhesive. Often used in protective films and transit protection products.

Clickability

The ability of open cell, soft foams to recover from the pinching effects of die cutting

Closed cells

Cells demonstrating a closed structure, with non interconnecting pores. Closed cell materials generally have higher compressive strength and dimensional stability and a lower moisture adsorption coefficient than open cell ones.

Coil

A roll of material cut from a log. Often narrow in nature.

Combustion Modified Foam

A flexible polyurethane foam manufactured using additives such as chlorine, bromine and phosphorus chemistry to reduce the ease of ignition.

Compression Set

The deformation remaining in a material after it has been subjected to and released from a specific compressive load for a defined period of time and temperature. Compression set is used for the purpose of evaluating the suitability of rubber and foams for use in sealing applications.

Compressibility

The percentage loss of thickness of a material when subjected to a known load for a specified period of time and temperature.

Conformability

The ability of a material to conform, especially to a mould.

Density

A measurement of mass per unit expressed as kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m3) or pounds per cubic foot (pcf)

Die Cutting

The stamping out of foam, rubber, plastics, cardboard and other materials into parts. Often associated with high volume production. Tools are often knife blades embedded into wooden boards although steel blades and boards can be specified for harder materials.

Durometer

An instrument that measures the hardness of a material through making an indentation.

Durometer Hardness

A material's resistance to permanent indentation. The hardness of a material is determined by how far the Durometer foot penertrates into the sample. May also be referred to as Shore Hardness.

Elastomer

Polymers which resist and recover from deformation produced by force and behave in a similar way to natural rubbers. Sponge rubber will sometimes be referred to as elastomeric.

Elongation

The percentage of the original length that a test sample will stretch to before breaking.

EPDM

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer. A polymer good at resisting the effects of weathering and high temperature. EPDM rubbers are used extensively in outdoor applications due to their ability to withstand the effects of sunlight, ozone and oxidants. EPDM also resists the effects of animal and vegetable oil, water, steam and oxygenated solvents.

Expanded Polystyrene

Abbreviated to EPS. EPS is a closed cell thermoset plastic and are used for packaging and insulation products. Supplied in granules it is blow moulded into sheets or shapes.

Expanded Rubber

Closed cell rubber material produced from solid rubber.

Flame Lamination

Also call Flame Bonding. The process of bonding one material to another by melting one surface and pressing the liquefied face onto the other material before it cools.

FMVSS

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. The most common element of this standard is FMVSS302 which deals with the flammability of materials when used in automotive interiors. Includes a vertical burn test, where pass or failure of a material is determined by the distance that the flame travels and the time taken for it to travel.

Foam

A lightweight cellular material created by introducing gas bubbles into a reacting polymer.

Furniture Foam

A lightweight foam, usually polyurethane that meets the BS5852 fire rating.

Friable

A term used to indicate the crumbling, flaking, powdering effect when the surface of a material is rubbed.

Gasket

A mechanical seal, usually a deformable material clamped between stationary faces to make an effective seal. Gaskets are used to prevent the passage of gases, liquids etc.

High Impact Polystyrene

Abbreviated to HIPS.  A hard, flexible material with good impact resistance

International Standards Orgnaization

Abbreviated to ISO. Established in 1947 and based in Switzerland the organisation promotes the standardisation of worldwide commercial and industrial standards.

Kiss-Cut

Die cutting material so that it remains attached in sheet or roll form. Most often this is the method for producing high numbers of gaskets which are die cut but left attached to the release liner for ease of use.

Latex

Latex is a general term applied to both natural and synthetic varieties. Natural Latex is a milky white fluid produced by the cells of various seed plants and is the source of rubber. It is not uncommon for people to be allergic to the protein in the naturally occurring product.

Laminating

The process of combining two or more materials either by using adhesives or heat.

Log

A roll of material at a specified thickness, width and length.

Log Cutting

Also known as Lathe Cutting. A process whereby wider logs of material are cut into narrower widths by large diameter circular cutting blades.

Loop Splitter

A machine capable of continuously splitting rubber and foam into long lengths. The process involves the joining together a number of buns/blocks of material into a loop before splitting.

Low Tack Tape

An adhesive tape specially formulated to make the removal easy. Most commonly used in masking tapes.

Natural Rubber

Also called Natural Polyisoprene and abbreviated to NR. NR has excellent mechanical properties and has high resilience, high wear and tear properties and an excellent resistance to cold flow. When exposed to petroleum derivatives, ozone, sunlight and oxygen, NR and it's heat aging properties are inferior to may synthetics.

Needle Punched Felt

A non-woven material normally made from wool but can be polyester or cotton. The material is air layed and then given structure by punching through with needles to create a mechanical bond between the fibres.

Neoprene

Also called Chloroprene and abbreviated to CR. CR has excellent resistance to oil, petrol, sunlight, ozone and oxidation. Chemically inert, making it an excellent general purpose rubber most well known as wet suit or diving suit material. Neoprene is actually a Dupont trade name.

Nitrile

Abbreviated to NBR. A synthetic rubber co polymer of Acrylonitrile and Butadiene. Nitriles have an exceptional resistance to petroleum based oils and hydrocarbon fuels over a wide temperature range of -40F to +250F.

Open Cell

A cell not totally closed by it's walls connecting other cells.

Pattern Coating

An adhesive film applied with alternating bands of adhesive and non-adhesive.

Polycarbonate

Transparent material with high impact resistance, dimensional stability and resistance to heat.

Polyethylene Terephthalate Copolymer

Abbreviated to PETG. Transparent material with a high gloss level. Similar to polycarbonate in resistance to impact. Easily thermoformable.

Polypropylene

A semi rigid plastic which can be moulded or extruded and is found in almost every market where plastics are used. Most common usage is in flexible packaging and bottles.

Plasticiser

A material incorporated in rubber and other polymer formulations that will alter hardness, flexibility, plasticity and other properties.

Polymer

A chain of identical molecules - monomers - that form the basis of most plastics and adhesives.

Polyvinyl Chloride

Abbreviated to PVC. Often presented as a soft flexible open cell foam.

Plasticiser's are used to soften the foam, therefore if adhesive is required it must be acrylic. Foam must be compressed by a predetermined percentage to form a waterseal.

Pressure Sensitive Adhesive

An adhesive tape that can be applied to a substrate using a light pressure. Adhesion can also be improved if the tape is also warmed to room temperature.

Regrind

The product of grinding thermoset plastics into small grains which is then re-introduced to the extrusion process to reduce the amount of prime material used as a cost reduction exercise.

Release Liner

Coated paper applied to adhesive coated products and tapes to protect them before use. Release liners are most common where tapes and products are wound into coils or logs. The release liner prevents the tape sticking to the next wrap.

Reticulated Foam

A flexible polyurethane foam characterised by there skeletal structure with few or no membranes between the connecting cells. Reticulated Foams are generally used as filters or in acoustic panels.

Rubber Based Adhesives

Also know as Hot Melt Adhesives. Made from natural or synthetic materials they are good at initial tack but have low resistance to aging and temperature.

SAE

Society of Automotive Engineers.

Self Extinguishing

The ability of a material to self extinguish once the flame has been removed

Shoddy Felt

Cotton fibres bonded with a resin to form a non-woven felt used for sound insulation and gap filling in automotive applications. Also used in furniture.

Silicone Rubber

Silicone Rubber has an excellent dry heat resistance ranging from -80F to +400F. It is also inert and are suitable for food, medical, electrical and filter applications. They have a poor mechanical performance and should not be used in dynamic sealing applications.

Slitting

The process where buns/blocks are cut into thinner sheets

Slot die coating

The process where liquid adhesive is extruded onto a substrate or release liner. The process allows for quicker change overs in adhesive types and offers more control over coat weight.

Sponger Rubber

A cellular structure produced by adding a blowing agent or gasifying substance to a compound whilst it cures in a mould. Can be either closed or partially closed cell.

Styrene Butadiene Rubber

Abbreviated to SBR. SBR has a similar resistance to solvents and chemicals as natural rubber.

Substrate

The material to which an adhesive tape is applied

Synthetic Rubber

As opposed to natural rubber which is secreted by certain tropical trees, synthetic rubber is manufactured from petroleum and natural gas. It has excellent elasticity, resilience and toughness making it ideal for tyres. It can be machined and formed and is also waterproof.

Tack

Stickiness

Tensile Strength

The maximum force applied whilst stretching a material to failure.

Thermoplastic

A material that can be repeatedly heated and cooled, moulded and re-moulded, showing limited signs of degradation. Materials of this type are used extensively in vacuum forming.

Thermosetting

A material that cannot be re-melted or remoulded without causing permanently altering the original characteristics.

Underwriters Laboratories

Abbreviated to UL. An American organisation that provides a worldwide service assuring users of product conformance to applicable standards.

UL94

Underwriter's Laboratory's fire spread rating. Materials rated to UL94 will be referred to as having a yellow card.

Water Absorption

Tests showing how much water is absorbed by materials when submerged in water, often under pressure.

Very High Bond Tape

Abbreviated to VHB. As the name suggests this is a tape with a high bond characteristics frequently used for fixing signs and labels in automotive applications. VHB is a 3M trademark.

Voids

The undesirable formation of large cavities in block materials caused by the blowing or polymerisation processes being out of balance.