A rubber sheet—such as a soft rubber sheet, hard rubber sheet, or “diamond” rubber sheet—might not be a typical product for the average consumer, but for those who pay close attention, you’ll notice that rubber is everywhere. It’s used in one way or another in most settings. What is rubber used for? From the various gaskets within your automobiles to the floor that protects your basement and gym floors, a rubber roll can go a long way (literally!). In the following section, we will examine the 10 ways in which rubber sheets are commonly used. We aim to shed light on the many uses of rubber.

What Are 10 Uses of Rubber?

10 uses of rubber are tires, gaskets, shoes, tire-derived fuels, drum pads, cleaning tools, pet-care flooring, traction surfaces, protective padding, and toys. Importantly, these aren’t the only 10 uses of rubber. Rubber is used in many more applications. But to better understand why rubber is used for the above 10 objects, continue reading below.

Dating back to 1736, the discovery of rubber quickly prompted the growth and promulgation of the rubber industry. Now, rubber sheet manufacturing is a global enterprise, with many rubber sheeting suppliers vying for the spotlight. This shouldn’t be a surprise. Rubber’s unique physical and chemical properties give rubber products additional characteristics that unlock new avenues of potential. Elasticity is perhaps the most defining trait of a vulcanized rubber sheet, and this one characteristic makes sheeting rubber very useful in a plethora of situations. As the industry has grown and as rubber has becoming increasingly accessible, what is rubber used for has increased accordingly. But, your question remains: What is rubber used for? Here are some common uses of rubber:

1. Tires: When it comes to modern rubber products, the tire manufacturing industry predominates the rubber industry. With the vast number of cars in modern society, rubber is essential to providing our automobiles with the durability, traction, and resilience they need. In the United States alone, about 250 million passenger and commercial car tires are used yearly. That is close to one tire per person—whether or not you drive.
2. Gaskets: Crucial to most modern machinery is this simple layer of protection. Gaskets are placed between two hard surfaces to protect them from inadvertently damaging each other during use. Gaskets are used in cars, in plumbing systems, in most window frames, and so on. A gasket can be cut from a rubber sheet for to accommodate many rubber uses.
3. Shoes: With the Nike revolution in the late 70’s and 80’s, rubber shoes became a mainstay item in closets around the world. Rubber shoes are resilient; they are water resistant; and they are affordable. Of course, we can’t forget rain boots and fishing waders, objects which owe their benefits to rubber’s natural water-resistance. This quality is why a waterproof rubber sheet is so easy to come by.
4. Tire-Derived Fuels: A major use of scrap tires is the creation of fuel. Tire-derived-fuel (TDF) is a fuel derived from scrap tires of all kinds. Scrap tires are used as fuel either shredded or whole, depending on the type of combustion unit. TDF is the oldest and most developed market for scrap tires. While this isn’t the most environmentally-friendly use of rubber, it’s one that’s prevalent.
5. Drum Pads: Because of rubber’s elasticity, a rubber sheet for drum pads makes a lot of sense. To give you a better idea of rubber’s elasticity—a rubber sheet composed of natural rubber can be stretched to sizes of up to ten times its original area. It is this degree of elasticity that has allowed rubber to become a popular choice among drum pad manufacturers.

Silicone – Commercial Grade Blue – 60A – 1/4″ 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.

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