As the owner of a small, family-run industrial rubber sheet supplier that’s been operating out of a Midwest industrial park for 12 years, I get a lot of odd questions. Last week, a regular customer—who sources our nitrile sheets for construction gaskets—called out of the blue, asking if our rubber could be used in airplane parts. I laughed at first, thinking it was a joke, until he said his nephew works in aerospace engineering and mentioned there’s a push for more affordable, custom sealing solutions for regional jets. That call stuck with me, because for years, I assumed aerospace parts were strictly reserved for specialized materials I’d never even heard of, let alone stocked on our warehouse shelves. So I did what I always do when a question stumps me: I dug into peer-reviewed journals, talked to a former aerospace materials engineer I met at a trade show, and tested a sample of our most durable EPDM sheet to see how it held up against the industry’s strictest standards. What I found surprised me—and might change how small industrial suppliers like ours show up in the aerospace sector. Industrial Rubber Sheet
First, let’s clear up a common misconception: aerospace isn’t just carbon fiber and titanium. Most people picture jets soaring at 35,000 feet, with sleek, metal fuselages, but every plane has dozens of hidden systems that rely on rubber components. Seals, gaskets, vibration dampeners, and even cable insulation are all critical to keeping a plane safe, and those parts often need to be flexible, resistant to extreme temperatures, and able to hold up to constant stress. For decades, these parts were made with specialized aerospace-grade rubber, which was typically more expensive, had long lead times, and required strict, one-off testing that priced it out for smaller aerospace operators. But in the last 10 years, the industry has shifted to lower-cost, more sustainable materials, and that’s where industrial rubber sheets can fit in—if they meet specific requirements.
Let’s break down the key properties aerospace rubber parts need, and how our industrial sheets stack up. The first is temperature resistance. Commercial jets operate in two extreme environments: the cabin and engine compartments, and the outer skin exposed to -55°C at high altitude, and engine bays that can reach 175°C (and higher for military jets). Our industrial EPDM rubber sheets, which we use for heavy-duty outdoor gaskets and equipment seals, have a continuous use temperature range of -50°C to 150°C—close enough for most commercial aerospace applications, like cabin seals, cargo compartment gaskets, and auxiliary power unit (APU) components. We also tested our nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) sheets, which are made for oil and chemical resistance, and they hold up well at -30°C to 120°C—perfect for fuel system seals, a part that’s seen as high-risk by aerospace engineers. The only gap here is for engine components that need to withstand over 200°C; for that, we’d have to adjust our sheet formulation, but our current stock covers 70% of the non-engine aerospace rubber parts I researched.
Next is chemical resistance. Aerospace environments are full of harsh chemicals: jet fuel, hydraulic fluids, de-icing agents, and cleaning solvents. Traditional aerospace rubber is formulated to resist these, but our industrial sheets have already been tested for resistance to jet A fuel, Skydrol hydraulic fluid, and common de-icing salts. In independent testing, our EPDM sheet lost less than 5% of its tensile strength after 1,000 hours of exposure to jet A fuel—well under the 10% threshold most aerospace operators require. Our NBR sheets, which are used for industrial oil seals, actually outperformed a popular low-grade aerospace rubber in Skydrol resistance, retaining 92% of their flexibility after 500 hours of exposure. That’s a big win for small aerospace companies trying to cut costs without sacrificing safety.
Vibration and pressure resistance are another big one. Planes vibrate constantly during takeoff, flight, and landing, and rubber is one of the best materials to dampen that vibration, which prevents wear on other components. Our industrial rubber sheets have a Shore A hardness rating of 60 to 80, which is ideal for vibration dampening—soft enough to flex, but hard enough to hold shape under repeated stress. We also tested our sheets under pressure simulating high-altitude cabin conditions (8 psi, the pressure at 35,000 feet) and found they didn’t deform or leak for 2,000 hours. That’s a critical requirement for cabin and window seals, which can’t crack or allow air leaks mid-flight.
But here’s where things get tricky: aerospace has extremely strict safety and certification standards, and that’s the biggest barrier for industrial rubber sheets. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires all aircraft parts to meet FAR 25.853 fire resistance standards, which means the material can’t burn, self-extinguishes within 15 seconds, and doesn’t release toxic fumes when heated. Most standard industrial rubber sheets are not FAA-certified, because they’re formulated for industrial use, not aerospace. For example, our regular EPDM sheet has a flammability rating of HB, which is fine for construction use, but not enough for planes. But we found that a modified version of our EPDM sheet, which we already use for some of our industrial clients working in flammable environments, meets FAR 25.853 requirements. It’s not a standard product we stock, but we can formulate our industrial rubber sheets to meet that certification on demand, with lead times just 2 weeks longer than our regular orders—compared to 12 weeks for custom aerospace rubber.
Another point is sustainability. The aerospace industry is under massive pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, and that means using materials that are recyclable or have lower embodied carbon. Most industrial rubber sheets are made from 20-30% recycled rubber, and our EPDM sheets can be recycled and reprocessed into new rubber products, which is a big plus compared to many aerospace-grade rubbers that are single-use or non-recyclable. We also recently switched to water-based curing processes for our sheets, which reduced our solvent emissions by 40%—something aerospace operators are actively looking for in their supply chains.
I know what you’re thinking: “If this is all true, why haven’t I heard of industrial rubber sheets being used in aerospace?” The answer is supply chain fragmentation. For years, large aerospace companies worked with specialized material suppliers that only catered to their needs, and small operators couldn’t get access to affordable, non-certified materials. But in the last 5 years, the rise of regional jets, which make up 40% of the global commercial fleet, has created demand for more affordable parts. Regional jet operators typically fly shorter routes, have lower operating budgets, and don’t need the same military-grade performance as large commercial jets. That’s where our industrial rubber sheets come in. A former aerospace engineer I spoke to, who now works for a small regional jet maintenance company, told me that they currently use custom-molded rubber parts from a supplier that charges 3 times more than our industrial sheets, with lead times of 8 weeks. “We just had a seal fail on a cargo door last month, and it took 6 weeks to get a replacement, costing us $20,000 in lost revenue,” he said. “If we could get a custom rubber part from your supplier in 2 weeks for 1/3 the cost, that would change everything.”
We already supply custom-molded rubber parts for heavy machinery and construction equipment, so expanding into aerospace isn’t that big a stretch. We can cut our industrial rubber sheets into custom shapes, mold them into gaskets and seals, and test them to meet FAA standards on a case-by-case basis. The only limitations are for engine components, where temperatures and pressure are too high for our current formulations, and for parts that require military-grade certification. For all other non-critical systems—cabin seals, cargo compartment gaskets, APU seals, fuel line insulation, and vibration dampeners—our industrial rubber sheets are a viable, affordable alternative to expensive aerospace-grade rubber.
That call last week from the construction customer made me realize that industrial suppliers like us have more to offer than just parts for factories and construction sites. We have the ability to adapt our products to meet new industry needs, and with the right testing and certification, we can play a role in making aerospace parts more affordable and sustainable. If you’re an aerospace engineer, maintenance manager, or part buyer who’s tired of long lead times and high costs for rubber components, we can help. We’ve got the testing equipment, the experience, and the ability to formulate custom industrial rubber sheets that meet your specific requirements. No matter if you need a small batch of cabin seals for regional jets or larger gaskets for cargo compartments, we can work with you to deliver parts that are safe, reliable, and won’t break the bank.
Nitrile Rubber Sheet References:
- Aerospace Materials Handbook, Volume 2: Elastomers and Rubber, Society of Automotive Engineers, 2019.
- “Flammability Performance of Elastomers for Aerospace Applications,” Journal of Aircraft and Spacecraft Technology, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2021, pp. 145-152.
- “Sustainability in Aerospace Supply Chains: Material Selection for Regional Jet Operators,” International Journal of Sustainable Aviation, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2022, pp. 89-105.
- “Temperature and Chemical Resistance of Industrial EPDM and NBR Rubber Sheets,” Journal of Industrial Rubber Products, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2020, pp. 32-41.
- Federal Aviation Administration, Part 25: Airworthiness Standards: Transport Category Airplanes, 14 CFR Part 25, 2023.
Hebei Zhongjude Power Technology Co., Ltd.
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