Neoprene is a type of plastic that is a type of synthetic rubber. It is used for a variety of purposes, including the production of wetsuits and other water-repelling products. The water-repelling properties of the material make it ideal for use as a gasket sealer. Neoprene gaskets have many benefits, but may cost more than other gasket types. Some people may wonder what the differences are between neoprene and polyethylene gaskets.
Closed cell foam is a type of foam that has closed cells rather than open cells in the foam. Usually, this means that the foam cannot absorb water or other materials, because the cells are completely closed. So where a sponge-like foam can absorb water or other liquids, a closed cell foam will simply repel the water and absorb nothing.
Polyethylene foam is a type of closed-cell foam used for many different applications. Sometimes called PE foam, Polyethylene foam is the slightly squishy, yet hard, foam that is often seen in packaging and insulation. The main applications for PE foam include packaging, aerospace insulation and vibration control, flotation devices, insulation, athletic equipment, and appliance insulation. PE foam is often the foam of choice because the closed-cell construction makes it resistant to water, mold, mildew, and other moisture-based contaminants. The foam is also ideal for absorbing shock and vibrations, and is highly effective as an insulator. Below is a list of some of the places you might find PE foam in everyday life:
Hydraulic cylinder seals play a crucial role in various types of machinery, and are usually constructed from thermoplastics, elastomers, or thermoplastic elastomers such as rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polyurethane. When it comes to selecting the most appropriate material for the sealing element in hydraulic cylinders, there are several conditions that are important to consider. These include temperature, system pressure, media, surface roughness, system tolerances and sliding speed. Let’s take a look at the most important of these (Temperature, Pressure, Media, and Speed) and how they impact the decision of which material to use in order to get the best performance from hydraulic cylinder seals.
Plastic tubing is used in almost any industry. It is used to transport water, heat, and other materials to important destinations. Perhaps the most important application of plastic tubing is when it is used in the medical field. In those cases, ensuring that equipment is functioning and performing properly can truly be a case of life or death. Medical staff must be absolutely sure that their materials are going to perform safely and not pose a health risk to the patients or the environment in which they are used.
Many people remember 1986 by the neon colored leggings, popping Glass Tiger cassettes into new Walkmans and going to see Top Gun numerous times. But what sticks out in everyone’s mind about this year was the random disasters. 4 months in, the Chernobyl plant in the Ukraine exploded, creating the worst nuclear disaster of all time, and the US Challenger exploded a minute after take off. I was too young to remember any of this, being -8 months at the time, but the lasting effects of these accidents are still felt, even by those who weren’t around. While the Soviet Union was dealing with a catastrophic explosion and deadly radiation penetrating their cities, the United States was mourning the passing of seven fallen astronauts.
This last April, British environmentalist and adventurer David de Rothschild set sail in a catamaran he had constructed entirely from recycled PET bottles. As a statement to the growing global problem of ocean pollution and the need for higher recycling standards, de Rothschild planned to sail to what Planet Green Bottle calls ‘Plastic Soup’, a floating mass of plastic waste nearly the size of Texas suspended in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This British adventure-seeker may have found the most creative way yet to call attention to this pending environmental risk, but plastic engineers and manufacturers have been working towards a solution in more conventional ways for many years. Polyethylene terephthalate, or ‘PET’, is a petroleum-based resin and may be broken down and recycled almost indefinitely. The addition of dies, fiberglass and other composite materials reduce PET’s recyclability, but the majority of PET materials, such as the beverage bottles out of which Mr. de Rothschild constructed his boat, are recycled at a cost relative or lower than that of purchasing virgin materials. Still, many water bottles, soda bottles and other beverage containers never make it to the recycling bin, ending up in landfills, or worse: the Pacific’s Plastic Soup.
Vacuum forming is a simpler process than injection molding, involving less equipment for the production of parts and requiring less tooling. Vacuum forming companies offer services that are economical yet still give customers the desired design flexibility for a wide range of plastic products because of low-cost tooling modifications. If you are looking for a cost-effective process for creating three-dimensional plastic products with sharp, precise details plus the option for trim and other visually appealing decoration, vacuum forming might just be the ticket. Known as a thermoforming process because it utilizes heat to make the plastic sheet or film pliable enough to form over and around a mold, vacuum forming serves industries such as food, cosmetics, medical, electronics, consumer products, toys, athletic equipment, appliance, automotive, office supplies, etc. The packaging industry deserves a separate mention because it relies heavily on vacuum formed items such as blister packs, inserts, trays and clamshells, all of which act to hold products in place as part of overall packaging protection, plus offer aesthetic appeal.
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