An industrial washer and an industrial gasket are the same thing, although a washer made of rubber is only one type of gasket, which is particularly ideal for wet environments. Most rubber products now are synthetic, although there is a natural rubber substance that comes from the rubber tree. However, developing rubber in a lab is much easier as well as more prudent when creating products with specific chemical characteristics. The process of creating synthetic rubber allows for alterations to make the substance perfect for its application. Rubber is an excellent material for gaskets and/or washers for a multitude of reasons.
A rubber washer is shaped like a flat doughnut and is used as a seal in between various pieces of industrial hardware, such as with a flange combining two pieces of pipe or between a screw and the surface it is penetrating. Its thickness and size depend on the application. The rubber substance is water-proof, which is partly why it is a great choice for wet applications such as water treatment piping and medical applications involving fluid. Because of their durability, flexibility and water-proof characteristics they are used instead of metal gaskets for use in swimming pools, air conditioning systems, pressure washers, boats ad other applications where moisture is involved. Viton gaskets are a particularly popular type of rubber washer used on the market today.
Leaking pipes or tubing systems can be detrimental to the environment through which they are passing through as well as the employees who are in the area. This is particularly true in chemical processing plants and medical fluid tubing with patients. In this sense, rubber washers are vital to create an impenetrable seal to keep the substance within the tubes inside the tubes, which rubber washers are very good at. They can not, however, handle extreme temperature changes, which should always be kept in mind when purchasing a gasket for an application. Every material used to make washers have their upsides as well as their downsides.
