Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires. It is typically spun into ropes or fabric sheets that can be used as such, or as an ingredient in composite material components.
An O-ring, also known as a packing or a toric joint, is a mechanical gasket in the shape of a torus; it is a loop of elastomer with a round cross-section, designed to be seated in a groove and compressed during assembly between two or more parts, forming a seal at the interface.
EPDM rubber is a type of synthetic rubber that is used in many applications.
Polybutadiene [butadiene rubber, BR] is a synthetic rubber. It offers high elasticity, high resistance to wear, good strength even without fillers, and excellent abrasion resistance when filled and vulcanized. "Polybutadiene" is a collective name for homopolymers formed from the polymerization of the monomer 1,3-butadiene. The IUPAC refers to polybutadiene as "poly(buta-1,3-diene)". Historically, an early generation of synthetic polybutadiene rubber produced in Germany by Bayer using sodium as a catalyst was known as "Buna rubber". Polybutadiene is typically crosslinked with sulphur, however, it has also been shown that it can be UV cured when bis-benzophenone additives are incorporated into the formulation.
Nitrile rubber, also known as nitrile butadiene rubber, NBR, Buna-N, and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, is a synthetic rubber derived from acrylonitrile (ACN) and butadiene. Trade names include Perbunan, Nipol, Krynac and Europrene. This rubber is unusual in being resistant to oil, fuel, and other chemicals.
The Yokohama Rubber Company, Limited is a Japanese manufacturing company based in Hiratsuka, Japan. The company was founded and began on October 13, 1917, in a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and BFGoodrich. In 1969, the company expanded to the United States as Yokohama Tire Corporation. It primarily produces tires, rims and golf equipment.
FKM is a family of fluorocarbon-based fluoroelastomer materials defined by ASTM International standard D1418, and ISO standard 1629. It is commonly called fluorine rubber or fluoro-rubber. FKM is an abbreviation of Fluorine Kautschuk Material. All FKMs contain vinylidene fluoride as the common monomer, to which different other monomers are added for specific types and functionalities, fitting the desired application.
Polymer engineering is generally an engineering field that designs, analyses, and modifies polymer materials. Polymer engineering covers aspects of the petrochemical industry, polymerization, structure and characterization of polymers, properties of polymers, compounding and processing of polymers and description of major polymers, structure property relations and applications.
Gates Industrial Corporation plc, based in Denver, Colorado, is a manufacturer of power transmission belts and fluid power products, which are used in diverse industrial and automotive applications. The company employs over 15,000 and has sales and manufacturing operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
Thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) are a type of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) that undergo vulcanization processes during manufacturing, giving elastomeric properties to the final product. Vulcanization involves the cross-linking of polymer chains, leading to increased strength, durability, and flexibility. Their thermoplastic nature allows TPVs, unlike traditional vulcanized rubbers, to be melted and reprocessed multiple times. Across the automotive, household appliance, electrical, construction, and healthcare sectors, nearly 100 TPV grades are used globally.
Dunlop is a brand of tyre originally produced by the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company from the end of the 19th century, taking its name from John Boyd Dunlop. The brand is used for many other products made from rubber or with rubber components and some with a looser connection to rubber.
OMNOVA Solutions, Inc. is a global manufacturer of laminates, performance films and coated fabrics. OMNOVA was founded in 1999 when GenCorp, Inc. spun off its Decorative & Building Products and Performance Chemicals businesses into a separate, publicly traded company. OMNOVA's world headquarters is located in Beachwood, Ohio; with additional sales, manufacturing and distribution locations throughout Europe and Asia.
UTEX Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of sealing products.
Hutchinson is a French multinational Group known as the third-largest manufacturer of non-tire rubber in the world. It was founded in 1853 by Hiram Hutchinson in Châlette-sur-Loing, France.
Ansell Limited is an Australian company which makes gloves and other personal protection equipment, primarily from latex and rubber. The products are designed for healthcare professionals, industrial workers, and end consumers.
Technetics Group is one of six operating divisions of Enpro Industries, Inc., a producer of engineered industrial products for the processing and general manufacturing industries, worldwide.
Henry Christian Louis Dunker was a Swedish businessman and industrialist in Helsingborg, Sweden. His father was the founder of Helsingsborgs Gummifabrik AB, also known as Tretorn AB, a manufacturer of rubber products which Dunker established as an international business. At the time of his death in 1962, Dunker was Sweden's wealthiest man. His fortune was donated to the improvement of the city of Helsingborg.
Dunker Culture House is a museum and art centre located in Helsingborg, Sweden. It is the museum of Helsingborg cultural heritage and its theme is to trace history from the ice age to the modern day.
The Ensinger Group is a manufacturer engaged in the development and manufacture of compounds, semi-finished products, technical parts, composite materials and profiles made of engineering and high-performance plastics. The family-owned enterprise is represented in major industrial regions with manufacturing facilities or sales offices. The main office is located in Nufringen/Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The Northern Rubber Company was a manufacturer of Indian rubber products founded in Retford, Nottinghamshire in 1871. Its assets were sold and acquired multiple times, but there is a direct link from The Northern Rubber Company to aerospace components manufacturer Icon Aerospace Technology, which was acquired by US firm IPS in 2020 and which still manufactures engineering components on the Thrumpton Lane site in Retford.
