Often when people think of Neoprene, they think of people in their black wetsuits going under the water. Though, a lot of people don’t know about Neoprene, like it’s a synthetic rubber created in the 1930s by a scientist at Dupont named Elmer K. Bolton. However, today Neoprene is used for many types of products and has many uses. Here are 5 benefits of neoprene.
Cold Resistant - Neoprene is famous for being the main material used for wetsuits, and one of the reasons for this is Neoprene’s cold resistance. There are two types of Neoprene, which are closed cell and open cell foams. Open cell foam Neoprene is softer and closed cell foam Neoprene is harder. Wetsuits use the closed cell foam version of Neoprene. What this means is this type of Neoprene is totally enclosed by its walls, which doesn’t let it connect with other cells. When a wetsuit is made with closed cell foam Neoprene, it’s subjected to a gas such as nitrogen, which makes the Neoprene tighter. The result is the wetsuit will be tighter against the skin. When it’s finally worn as a wetsuit, the Neoprene will contain small bubbles of nitrogen gas which will reduce heat, making it tighter when the skin comes in contact with water. Neoprene won’t prevent the wearer from getting wet, but will retain the wearer’s body heat when he or she is in contact with water.
Corrosion Proof - Neoprene is great to wear and use, because it’s corrosion proof. Resilient to a wide range of environmental factors, Neoprene is a solid barrier between the weather and elements. Neoprene is resistant to both warm and cold temperatures. Why is that? That is because Neoprene won’t physically degrade but instead stiffen. It’s also a flame resistant material. Being that Neoprene doesn’t absorb moisture, it’s great to wear outdoors. Neoprene is great at keeping the wearer warm.
Flexibility - One of the most simple and great uses of neoprene is its flexibility. We have mentioned it’s great for wetsuits, but it can also be great for stretchy pants, gloves, and even socks for special events. If a person engages in aquatic sports, Neoprene socks are often worn to keep your feet from getting overly wet as well as their flexibility. Neoprene can stretch five to six times their original length.
Alternative To Traditional Rubber- Neoprene has many similarities to traditional rubber, but it has qualities that set it apart. Neoprene has a resistance to weathering that traditional rubber doesn’t have. It’s also a stronger material than traditional rubber, with its high tensile strength, and resistance to oil, flame, oxygen, and different ozone conditions. It’s also more fire resistant than traditional rubber. Why is Neoprene often considered a better alternative to traditional rubber? Due to all this, Neoprene can last outdoors longer than traditional rubber, and won’t crack. This makes Neoprene a popular choice for manufacturers of sporting clothes.
Changing Standards- Neoprene isn’t woven, but formed. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber textile. The fact it’s formed, and not woven, means there’s more options of the shapes and sizes Neoprene can come in. However, this has been a bit of a mixed bag, as Neoprene traditionally has come from a petroleum base. This means Neoprene has been traditionally an environmentally unfriendly material. However, today that is changing with many Neoprene producers making their Neoprene from a Limestone base, which is environmentally more sound. Neoprene producers are starting to even meet environmental certifications these days, like the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, by reducing harmful chemicals and glues in their production process.
Neoprene is a useful material, and ultimately a good alternative to other types of materials due to its strong qualities. Neoprene is more than simply wetsuits and has many uses worth looking at. It’s good for textile products both above and below water.
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