Rubber Baseboard

Rubber Baseboard

Rubber baseboard is a molded rubber product used to cover the joint that is formed when a wall meets the floor. As an alternative to the more popular wood and even plastic materials such as vinyl, rubber can be used as a more durable and, oftentimes, more economical material choice. As a highly versatile and abrasion-resistant material, rubber can be both practical and aesthetic, as it is able to be formed with decorative patterns. While the most common application of rubber baseboard is in residential and commercial industries, industrial manufacturers may also utilize rubber baseboard in their warehouse and plant facilities. As a result, it is most often used in construction and architectural applications. Some less common uses of baseboard include baseboard radiators, in which the radiators are installed either within the baseboards or in front of the baseboards. In addition to simply a means of covering the joint, rubber baseboards also help to cover uneven flooring and to protect the wall from abrasion cause by furniture, human contact and machinery. Some varying types of rubber that can be used to mold baseboard include silicone, neoprene, EPDM, Buna-N and natural rubber. However, silicone rubber baseboard is probably the most widely used.

Rubber baseboard is most often formed through injection molding processes, although it can also be compression molded. Since silicon is the most common material, the liquid silicone rubber injection molding process is utilized, referred to as liquid injection molding (LIM). The liquid silicon injection molding process involves proportioning, mixing and dispensing the two components of liquid silicone rubber. To begin, liquid silicone rubber is pumped through tubing to the vulcanization equipment. There are two components, one of which contains a platinum-based catalyst. The two components are first mixed then transferred to the cooled metering section of the equipment before LIM can begin. From the cooled metering section, the liquid silicone rubber compound is pushed through cooled sprue and runner systems into the heated cavity where vulcanization occurs. After vulcanization, the rubber can be cast molded, which starts with the liquid silicon rubber being poured into an open mold, containing a hollow cavity of the desired shape. The liquid silicone rubber is then allowed to solidify in the mold by reducing heat. For other rubber materials, compression molding is necessary. In compression molding, raw rubber materials are placed into a heated mold cavity and pressure is applied until excess material comes out, at which time the mold is removed to set in open air.