Components made from an FDA silicone can be found in an assortment of applications. The food-safe silicone can be found lining the window of your microwave oven or sealed around the lid of food containers. This FDA elastomer can also be found in laboratories as a component and in food factories as a workstation surface. As with other types of elastomers, food grade rubber possesses a combination of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties that predestine the material to excel in several applications.
What is it that makes FDA silicone rubber such a fitting material in the applications mentioned above? The answer actually lies within the properties of the elastomer itself. Silicone brings very unique traits to the task at hand. After all, there is a reason why the material has been used for various applications since it first came to the market decades ago. Check out some useful properties of the food-safe silicone rubber:
Silicone – PG FDA Grade – White – 60A
- Low Toxicity, Odor, and Taste: Silicone rubber (also called VMQ) inherently has a low toxicity, odor, and taste. When constructed conforming to the Code of Federal Regulations, a food grade rubber sheet makes certain that every consumable item that contacts the rubber is free from any kind of alteration or contamination. This is very important trait that any elastomer must have if it is to be considered a proper FDA elastomer.
- Wide Operating Temperature Range: Silicone rubber generally has one of the largest operating temperature ranges among the various elastomers. In the lower temperature ranges, FDA silicone remains relatively flexible in comparison to other elastomers. Other types of rubber normally tend to become brittle. In higher temperatures, the rubber maintains stability and does not bubble up or dry out. This is a crucial feature for the many gasket and seal components required of FDA silicone rubber in various food related applications. The processes of preparing, handling, and storing food and other consumables can widely vary in their respective ideal temperatures. Food-safe silicone is a material that can match any temperature conditions that it is put in.
Silicone – Premium FDA Grade White – 60A – 1/16″ x 36″
- Non-marking white rubber
- Exhibits a fair degree of flexibility
- Moderately resistant to physical indentation
- Has resistance to certain gases, liquids, and chemicals
- Food grade silicone is ideal for use as seals for food packaging and other FDA approved roles
FDA Approved: The FDA has exacting standards about the types of materials that can come in contact with consumables. This is ultimately for our safety. The materials used to make this food grade rubber have been approved by the FDA. Our rubber sheet silicone conforms to regulation 21 CFR 177.2600, which is an FDA regulation that establishes the standards for rubber articles intended for repeated contact with food. Using food grade silicone is a great way to ensure that foreign substances will not contaminate the food.
Great Temperature Range: Silicone rubber is the go-to elastomer for any tasks that involve extreme temperatures. This white rubber material can function in temperatures between -103° F and 500° F. So whether a silicone food grade gasket is used in below freezing temperatures or at extremely high boiling temperatures, it will retain its structural integrity and prevent damage to food material.
- Hygienic: In order for an elastomer to be considered “FDA-approved,” it must be appropriate for repeated use. In other words, an FDA elastomer must not harbor any kind of bacteria, mold, or any other potentially harmful contaminants in the material that may affect other products. Food grade rubber is a mold-resistant material and is water-repellant, making it much harder for the rubber to get logged with contaminating liquids. In general, rubbers of all kinds are good at resisting the harmful microbial development that moisture normally brings. An FDA silicone sheet is specifically meant to be able to prevent such harmful agents developing.
- Excellent Physical Properties: A low compression set and excellent flexibility and elongation are characteristics of all silicone elastomers, let alone the food-safe silicone version. FDA silicone is an easy elastomer to cut and manipulate as needed. The physical properties of the elastomer have allowed the FDA to deem it as an appropriate food grade rubber for use as gaskets, seals, and liners for food handling purposes, as well as among other uses.
Silicone CG Black – 50A
- 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.
The uses for FDA silicone sheets are not limited to gaskets and sealing material. It is not uncommon to see silicone rubber in the form of medical and laboratory components. The same types of properties and features that make FDA silicone so well suited to food handling applications are also very suitable for medical and laboratory settings. The scientific and medical fields can be just as sensitive as the food handling industry. With such big responsibility on them, they need a good and efficient rubber that is odorless, flexible, hygienic, temperature and chemical resistant. With its many physical and chemical properties, an FDA silicone product can function where its unmatched abilities of wide-range temperature stability and flexibility are needed.
Custom Fabricated Rubber Parts
Tapping Rubber Trees
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