A Metallocene EPDM Rubber for Use in Automotive and Industrial Sponge Applications

EPDM continues to be one of the most widely used and fastest growing synthetic rubbers.  Its unique properties lend to widespread usage in specialty and general-purpose applications including automotive, building and construction, wire and cable, and sheeting.  Advances in metallocene polymerization platform technology over the past decade provide the ability to design high performance polymers that meet the increasingly difficult application and processing needs of today’s demanding markets and further expand the opportunities available to rubber compounders.  This technology enables the development of new grades with tailored properties as a result of the precise control over the molecular architecture allowed by this catalyst platform.

In automotive and industrial sponge applications, current market trends focus on cost and performance optimization, with an emphasis on matching the proper EPDM grade with the specific application requirements.  This paper reviews the performance of a metallocene EPDM rubber grade in various sponge applications.  Designed for extrusion applications, this grade features a medium molecular weight, low ethylene and high diene content, and a uniform composition distribution.  This grade offers an attractive balance of processing, mechanical, and elastomeric properties for various sponge applications, moldings and profiles.