Selecting the Right Material for Your Bespoke Rubber Hoses

4th April, 2025

Rubber hoses are used both in household and industrial settings because of their durable and versatile nature, typically for the transportation and circulation of liquids and gases. Choosing the most appropriate material for your rubber hose is dependent on your needs, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.

This guide will help you understand which type of rubber is best for your hose, exploring a range of the most common rubber materials, their properties, benefits and ideal usage scenarios.

Types of Materials

There are a variety of materials which can be used for your rubber hose, but this depends on your needs, your industry and the purpose of the hose. Typical materials for rubber hoses include neoprene, silicone, nitrile and EPDM, all of which have varying properties, benefits and ideal industry usage.

Neoprene Rubber

Neoprene is a man-made synthetic rubber, an oil-resistant alternative to natural rubber. Chloroprene makes up between 65% and 75% of neoprene’s total weight and makes a flexible but strong material that is damage resistant from sun, ozone, weather, extreme temperature and flexing or twisting. Neoprene does not degrade as fast as natural rubber, making it a great material for use in hoses. The operational temperature of neoprene ranges from -40°C to 120°C, making it a durable rubber often used in the following industries: construction, marine, mass transportation, automotive and cable and wire.

Silicone Rubber

Another potential material to select for your rubber hose is silicone, an inorganic polymer consisting of silicone and oxygen but can be modified by additives including fluorine, phenyl and vinyl, to enhance its properties and meet specific needs and requirements. Silicone rubber boasts a range of benefits and is a great option for your rubber material. Its operational temperature spans between -60°C and 200°C and even in high-temperature environments, silicone maintains its structure and performance, reducing the risk of hose failure and increasing overall safety. An ideal material for many industrial applications, silicone is weatherproof, non-toxic, resistant to ozone, extreme environmental conditions, radiation, moisture and chemicals, and can be used in insulators, rubber diaphragms and impact absorbers.

Nitrile Rubber

Nitrile, also known as Buna N or NBR, is a synthetic rubber made from acrylonitrile and butadiene, making it one of the strongest oil-resistant rubber compounds available. Also fuel resistant, nitrile is suitable for manufacturing products that will come into contact with oils, fuels, alcohols, hydraulic fluids and chemicals. Nitrile rubber is durable, temperature and water resistant, and has an operating temperature ranging from -40°C and 120°C. The resistance properties of nitrile make it an ideal potential material for indoor use and there is huge demand for the material across the automotive, engineering and industrial sectors.

EPDM Rubber

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, more commonly known as EPDM, is a highly resilient and flexible material, with an operational temperature of -30°C to 140°C. EPDM is commonly used for outdoor applications because it performs at optimal in extreme weather conditions, withstands freezing temperatures and high temperatures, and exposure to ozone and UV. The material is also steam resistant, environmentally stable, chemical resistant and abrasion resistant. EPDM can be used in outdoor applications like roofing, window and door seals, for tubing in solar panel heat collectors and for steam hoses. The lifetime of a rubber hose consisting of EPDM will depend on a range of factors like the application, exposure conditions and maintenance, but typically, will last 20 years. This material is in use across the automotive, industrial, HVAC and construction industries.

Other Rubber

There are a varying range of other available materials for you to choose from for your bespoke rubber hoses.

Natural rubber, obtained from latex, has great resilience, is tear resistant and can withstand low temperatures, with an operating temperature ranging between -60°C and 75°C. The exceptional tensile strength of natural rubber allows it to stretch or compress but return to its original shape without permanent deformation, unlike other materials. Natural rubber is often used in the industrial and marine sectors.

Another option is Viton rubber, a material with high-temperature stability (operating between -20°C and 200°C), low compression set and resistance to chemicals, oil and ozone. This heat and chemical resistance make it a durable material choice for many industries, including aerospace, automotive and chemical processing, as well as in the food industry.

Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) is amongst the most commonly used rubber options and often as a replacement to natural rubber, because of its abrasion-resistance. It is commonly used in the automotive industry as a result of this property, but it can replace natural rubber in many products. SBR is resistant to extreme heat, with a working temperature range of -25°C to 100°C and is a cost-effective option compared to other materials.

Ready to select the best material for your bespoke rubber hose?

Aquaseal Rubber specialise in hand-made hoses, made to order to meet your needs. All of our rubber hoses are made in-house, either by using a mandrel or using the rubber extrusion method. We provide a diverse selection of high-quality materials thoughtfully selected to ensure the perfect fit for your rubber hose, no matter its purpose. Whether you need durability, flexibility, or resistance to specific conditions, our materials are designed to meet your exact requirements with reliability and performance in mind.