EPDM plastic is a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and non-conjugated dienes. It began commercial production in 1963. The annual consumption is 800,000 tons.

The main characteristics of EPDM are its excellent resistance to oxidation, ozone and corrosion. Since EPDM belongs to the polyolefin family, it has good vulcanization characteristics. Among all rubbers, EPDM has a low specific gravity. It can absorb a large amount of fillers and oils without affecting the characteristics. Therefore, low-cost rubber compounds can be made.

Characteristics

EPDM is a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and non-conjugated dienes. Diene has a special structure. Only one of the two bonds can be copolymerized. The unsaturated double bond is mainly used as a crosslink. The other unsaturated will not become the main polymer chain, but only a side chain. The main polymer chain of EPDM is saturated. This feature makes EPDM resistant to heat, light, oxygen, and especially ozone. EPDM is essentially non-polar, resistant to polar solutions and chemicals, has low water absorption, and has good insulation properties.

In the production process of EPDM, its characteristics can be adjusted by changing the number of three monomers, ethylene-propylene ratio, molecular weight and its distribution, and the method of vulcanization.

It has outstanding aging resistance, electrical insulation performance and ozone resistance. EPDM can be filled with a large amount of oil and carbon black, and the product price is relatively low. EPDM has good chemical stability, and its elasticity and oil resistance are close to those of styrene-butadiene rubber. EPDM has a wide range of uses. It can be used as tire side, rubber strips and inner tubes, as well as automobile parts, and can also be used as wire and cable sheaths and high-voltage and high-voltage insulation materials. It can also be used to manufacture light-colored products such as shoes and sanitary products.