Nitrile and Neoprene Differences

In the world of sealants and fasteners, there are two chemical components that are well worth paying attention to: nitrile and neoprene. Wouldn’t you know it, we’re here today in order to help educate you on the differences between the two. Here at Foam Sealant, we believe in the power of knowledge and how that knowledge can be employed by our customers in order to help them make the proper purchases for their needs. Let’s jump right into our discussion of nitrile and neoprene. Let’s lay out the differences between the two chemical structures while pointing out their primary differences.

Nitrile Vs Neoprene – Primary Differences & Benefits 

When you are talking about synthetic rubber, for just about any application, you are likely going to end up discussing the two ‘n’ rubbers – nitrile and neoprene. While these two rubber options aren’t typically household names, they are familiar to those that work with sealants on a regular basis. With that being said, our goal here is to educate individuals on the key differences between the two chemical structures so that they may make the appropriate purchase. Let’s begin.

1. What is nitrile rubber? We’ll start our discussion by focusing on nitrile rubber. Also known by the name acrylonitrile butadiene, nitrile rubber is a synthetic rubber that is used in a wide variety of applications. Most commonly, you’ll see nitrile rubber utilised in the aerospace and automotive industries.
2. Neoprene rub Used in a variety of household situations. You’ll commonly find neoprene as the primary chemical in wetsuits, laptop sleeves, limb braces and even special electrical insulation. Neoprene rubber is the more common of the two synthetic rubbers that we are discussing today.
3. What do these rubbers have in common? With both nitrile and neoprene being a synthetic rubber, there is a lot of common ground right from the get-go. You’ll commonly find both neoprene and nitrile to be used in the automotive world. You’ll also find these two rubbers to be used relatively interchangeably depending on the context.
4. What are the differences between nitrile and neoprene? While they are similar in some ways, nitrile and neoprene are also fairly different. Neoprene is not going to be resistant to petrol while nitrile weathers the chemical better. Neoprene, conversely, is better when dealing with refrigerants so you’ll often find neoprene used in AC units. Typically, though, the biggest difference is that neoprene is a more expensive rubber than nitrile.

For all of your sealing solutions, contact Foam Sealant. We’ve been in the industry since 1997, offering world-class products to customers throughout Australia and New Zealand.