Industry has grown accustomed to seeing rubber in its traditional color, black. It is everywhere: on the soles of shoes, vehicle tires, roadways, as well as any number of electrical or technological applications. What most people do not know is that there are many different color variations available for elastomers. Take silicone rubber for example. Silicone rubber is popularly used in many different industrial and commercial applications and also comes in a variety of colors to suit the different requirements of the field using it. Colored silicone can range from white silicone to black silicone rubber and everything in between such as red silicone and gray silicone. Translucent silicone is the color that silicone originally comes in and most suppliers should have these translucent options available. There is an array of aesthetic reasons for selecting any one of the colors described below. But it is also important to keep in mind that there is also a functional reason for the selection too.
Silicone – Premium Grade – Gray – 60A
Silicone – Commercial Grade White – 50A – 1/16″ x 36″
- White silicone sheet rubber features a smooth surface texture
- Has a good level of resistance against fungus
- Can be used outdoors thanks to durability against UV and ozone
- If you need a custom seal or gasket made out of this white silicone rubber, we encourage you to send in a drawing of the parts needed
Non-Marking, Professional Aesthetic: While other rubbers often come in a standard black, we offer a white colored alternative. White nitrile is meant to give an application a sleek, modern, and professional appearance while functioning the way a proper nitrile elastomer is supposed to. Even more importantly, a white elastomer is a non-marking material that will not leave any marks or stains on the objects it comes into contact with. The white colored nitrile is suitable for use in cosmetics, grocery stores, and medical applications where white is better suited for aesthetics than black.
Oil-Resistant Rubber: Nitrile, or Buna-N rubber as it was originally known, was developed to be an oil-resistant alternative to natural rubber back in the years after World War I. Nitrile material is still used today whenever good oil and grease resistance is needed. White nitrile can resist organic and synthetic oils. While other types of elastomers can degrade when exposed to oils and greases, nitrile rubber can keep its form and integrity, making sure that it does its part to keep your application functioning.
White Silicone
Functional: Our FDA grade products are made of white silicone. Most commonly used in applications where food and consumables are present and are highly resistant to a wide temperature range and harsh environments. In fact, any elastomers that are to be used with food and drink consumables are mandated by law to comply with the regulations laid out by the Food and Drug Administration, per their code 21 CFR 177.2600.
Aesthetic: The most important requirement when packaging, preparing, or cooking food is cleanliness. The white color gives an aesthetic draw to the degree of cleanliness of colored silicone because it makes it increasingly obvious when contaminants are present. By making contaminants more visually apparent white silicone is increasing cleanliness in the presence of food and consumables.
Silicone – Commercial Grade Red/Orange – 50A – 1/4″ x 36″
Black Silicone
Functional: Used in many industrial applications, black silicone rubber is the go-to colored silicone for any and every purpose imaginable. These products are resistant to a wide temperature range, and used commonly in gasketing applications.
Aesthetic: Black, as previously mentioned, is a color that society has grown used to seeing for rubber products. It is aesthetically pleasing and is easy for people to recognize its purpose because its color is so familiar. Additionally, the color black can match and fit in with the vast majority of possible settings and applications.
Red Silicone
Functional: Red colored silicone products come in both premium grade and commercial grade options. These products are often ideal for gasketing solutions in harsh environments; however, the commercial grade option is the more cost effective route.
Aesthetic: Red silicone products may be useful in these applications because their colors may help them to stand out from other parts in vehicles or other machinery where gaskets may be needed. This is especially useful for industrial settings because people may need to be able to identify the rubber part with ease when the need arises.
Silicone – Commercial Grade Blue – 60A – 1/32″ x 36″
- Color variation comes from regular blue to light blue
- Also available in a lower silicone shore hardness of 50A
- Can be exposed to UV and ozone due to resistance factors
- Features a great level of resistance to fungus and certain chemicals
- For fabricating these silicone sheets into custom gaskets, you can provide drawings for a price quote
60A Silicone Shore Hardness: Thanks to a 60A durometer rating, this commercial silicone is durable enough to be used in applications that may involve physical abrasions. A rating of 60A gives the material a better ability to resist physical indentation on its body. This helps to ensure that the blue silicone sheets last for longer periods of time. This material is meant to favor physical durability over flexibility, so use it in application that require some more rigidity from your rubber parts.
Temperature Resistant Rubber: In most cases, extreme temperature conditions can damage a rubber. That is not the case with silicone rubber. This high quality commercial silicone rubber can operate in temperatures that range from -103 F to 450 F. Silicone is regularly used in a wide variety of applications that involve either very cold or very hot temperatures. These blue silicone sheets will help you identify parts based on their chemical compound. Since most other rubbr sheets (e.g. neoprene, epdm) are not blue, your staff can easily pick out material based on color.
Silicone – Commercial Grade Brown – 50A – 1/16″ x 36″
Silicone – Commercial Grade Black – 50A – 1/16″ x 36″
- A hard to find black silicone sheet rubber
- Resistant to fungus and some chemicals
- This black silicone material can resist UV and ozone
- Stocked in popular gauges: 1/32″, 1/16″, 1/8″, and 1/4″
- Flexible silicone sheets are meant for commercial grade applications
Flexible Rubber Sheet: This silicone (50 Durometer) elastomer is well suited for use in applications that require a more flexible material instead of a rigid one. A low durometer rating indicates that the rubber is less resistant to physical indentation, but much more pliable for the purposes of flexibility. Additionally, a lower durometer elastomer is less dense and more pliable that has a high durometer.
High Temperature Material: Silicone rubber is the go-to elastomer for any applications that involve extreme temperatures. This particular black silicone sheet has an operating temperature range of -103 F to 450 F. You can employ this flexible silicone sheet in very cold settings and very hot settings without having to worry about it suffering from immediate damage.
Gray Silicone
Functional: When a silicone sheet rubber product comes in the color of gray, chances are good that you are looking at a premium grade product. In terms of function, it operates the same as other premium grade silicone elastomers. As a premium grade rubber, gray colored silicone is great for sealing and gasketing in harsh environments.
Aesthetic: Gray silicone is aesthetically useful simply for its unique gray color. In some applications, the gray elastomer can stand out from other parts.
Translucent Silicone
Functional: The most appealing aspect of translucent silicone is its ability to allow light to pass through it. While it is not completely transparent, these products are ideal for high temperature applications where a non-marking elastomer is required. The ability for light to pass through these translucent colored silicone products makes them highly useful in any application where tubing is involved. This helps for any plugs or stoppages in a tube to be easily resolved without having to disassemble an entire piece of equipment.
Aesthetic: In any application that is aesthetically sensitive, translucent silicone is the perfect solution. It is the rubber product that mimics the look of plastics but retains the complex qualities of a silicone sheet rubber. It should be noted that silicone rubber comes in a translucent appearance in its original form.
Here at Rubber-Cal, Inc. we take pride in having the best colored silicone products available at price ranges to fit every application and budget. Whether you are looking for white, black, or any color in between, you can rest assured that with our products you are getting the best deal for your hard earned money. To learn more about our colored silicone products and how your requirements may affect your selections
