An Essential Guide to High Temperature Rubber

Certain rubber materials, such as viton/FKM, silicone rubber and EPDM, are used across a range of applications because of their ability to withstand these extreme heat and high temperatures in outdoor and harsh industrial environments.

At Aquaseal Rubber, we manufacture a range of bespoke high temperature rubber products for applications across several industries. Our team can help you in understanding rubber products and extreme heat to ensure you select the best type of high temperature rubber for your application. Work with our expert rubber manufacturers UK and global businesses choose to manufacture bespoke components to meet their bespoke requirements.

This essential guide to high temperature rubber explores what high temperature rubber is, what happens to it under extreme heat, common materials and the benefits of choosing custom-fabricated high temperature rubber for your project.

What is high temperature rubber?

High temperature rubber is a type of specialised synthetic elastomers designed to maintain flexibility, elasticity and mechanical integrity in extreme environments.

Manufactured through the synthetic rubber production process, several high temperature rubber compounds exist to withstand continuous operating temperatures ranging from 150°C to over 300°C. This ensures valuable applications which operate under high pressure are protected from component failure by maintaining flexibility, shape and physical integrity.

High temperature rubber is applied across numerous industries, including:

• Automotive: the uses of rubber in automotive are vast, with high temperature rubber used in engine seals, gaskets, hoses, turbocharger components and ignition systems that are exposed to continuous heat and aggressive fluids. This maintains flexibility, sealing performance and durability under extreme temperatures to prevent leaks, reduce maintenance and improve reliability and safety.
• Aerospace: high temperature rubber is used in aircraft engine seals, fuel system components and environmental control systems, with other uses of rubber in aerospace including vibration isolators and fire-resistant seals. This rubber withstands extreme heat, pressure and harsh operating environments while maintaining critical sealing and mechanical properties to support aerospace safety and performance.
• Manufacturing: found in industrial seals, conveyor belts, rollers, expansion joints, moulds and rubber gaskets within high-heat production processes, high temperature rubber is used in manufacturing because it is resistant to heat, wear, chemicals and ageing. This helps to minimise equipment downtime, extend component lifespan and maintain reliable operations in demanding industrial environments.
• Food processing: high temperature food grade rubber is used in oven seals, steam hoses, conveyor systems, pumps, valves and processing equipment which are frequently used in heating and cleaning cycles. Since food grade rubber must maintain hygienic performance and ensure product safety and compliance with food industry and health and safety standards, this high temperature rubber resists heat, steam and cleaning chemicals.

What happens to rubber under heat?

Depending on your application, the rubber materials you choose must be suited to strict, bespoke requirements. Since heat causes rubber to deteriorate, not selecting the right material can have a detrimental impact on operations and poses a serious risk to anyone working on-site.

In hot conditions, rubber can experience:

• Hardening: since prolonged exposure to high temperatures accelerates ageing of rubber, using materials with insufficient heat resistance can alter the molecular structure and cause it to harden. This reduces flexibility and can compromise sealing, cushioning and overall performance.
• Cracking: excessive heat can make unsuitable rubber brittle, causing cracks to form under mechanical stress or repeated movement. These cracks can lead to leaks, component failure and reduced service life.
• Initial softening then losing elasticity: as some rubber compounds initially soften when exposed to high temperatures, this degradation over time can cause a permanent loss of elasticity and resilience, preventing the rubber form returning to its original shape.
• Overall degradation: prolonged exposure to temperatures outside of a rubber’s operating limits can accelerate chemical and physical deterioration, resulting in reduced strength, poor performance, shorter lifespan and an increased risk of premature failure.

Choosing a high temperature rubber for your application can prevent damage because it utilises materials with strong molecular structures that resist breaking down, melting or becoming brittle under extreme heat. By maintaining elasticity, it preserves tight seals and prevents irreversible structural damage caused by thermal stress.

Common high temperature rubber materials

For applications operating in conditions where temperatures can reach upwards of 300°C, it is essential to ensure that the correct high temperature rubber materials are used to ensure safe and optimal operations.

Certain rubber materials are better suited to these conditions and therefore are strong options for applications which require high temperature rubber.

Silicone

Silicone is one of the most widely used high temperature rubber materials in areas such as static seals and food or pharma processing because it offers extreme thermal stability – which helps extend component lifespan in demanding environments – and remains flexible and stable across a broad temperature range, starting at -60°C.

It can handle continuous temperatures up to 230°C, with specialised grades able to reach 300°C, and offers excellent resistance to UV, ozone, weathering and ageing. This makes it ideal for use in several industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and food-grade applications.

Viton

Viton, or FKM (fluoroelastomers), is commonly used in high temperature applications where components are exposed to fuels, oils, solvents and aggressive chemicals. Designed for harsh industrial environments, viton handles continuous temperatures ranging from -20°C to 250°C, depending on the grade.

Viton maintains excellent sealing performance, with the combination of heat and chemical resistance making it a preferred choice for automotive, aerospace and industrial sealing applications.

EPDM

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) is a type of synthetic rubber that remains highly flexible in extreme heat, operating safely in temperatures up to 150°C. It is often used and excels in outdoor applications because of its strength in varied weather conditions and has strong resistance to heat, steam, hot water and ozone.

Although EPDM is not suitable for prolonged contact with petroleum oils or fuels, it still performs exceptionally well in cooling systems, HVAC equipment and outdoor industrial applications. Its durability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness make it a popular high temperature rubber for sealing insulation applications.

The benefits of custom-fabricated high temperature rubber

Selecting the right high temperature rubber with specific materials is critical if you are looking to prevent deformation of rubber used under high temperatures and pressures, or if your application requires compression recovery.

There are many benefits of choosing bespoke rubber products, especially if you opt for custom-fabricated high temperature rubber, which can prevent deformation and degradation in extreme heat.

These benefits include:

• Extreme thermal resistance: custom-fabricated high temperature rubber is engineered to maintain its properties across demanding environments and temperature ranges, ensuring the rubber does not melt, harden or degrade prematurely.
• Superior flexibility and elasticity: tailored rubber compounds retain their flexibility and elastic recovery even after prolonged exposure to heat, which ensures consistent sealing performance and resistance in dynamic applications.
• Electrical insulation: many high temperature rubber materials provide excellent electrical insulation while also withstanding intense heat, making them well suited to electrical and electronic applications where thermal stability and electrical safety are essential.
• Chemical and environmental durability: by aligning rubber to your application’s bespoke requirements, components can be selected to resist oils, fuels, solvents, steam, UV exposure, ozone and weathering alongside high temperatures. This reduces material degradation to ensure reliable performance in harsh conditions.
• Safety and industry compliance: meeting certain regulations, especially in automotive, aerospace, manufacturing and food processing industries, is essential, and custom-fabricated high temperature rubber can be manufacturers to meet these specific standards.

Aquaseal Rubber manufactures high temperature rubber

Finding the right high temperature rubber material to meet the bespoke requirements of your application is essential, regardless of the industry you operate in. If you believe that you need a custom-fabricated type of rubber to enhance operations safely, working with expert rubber manufacturers UK and global businesses rely on is essential.

At Aquaseal Rubber, we can manufacture high temperature rubber in a range of materials and our team is ready to produce components that align directly with your specific requirements.

Contact us to see how we can support your project and discuss your high temperature rubber needs today.