Silicone Rubber Gaskets
Wayne Rubber manufactures custom silicone rubber gaskets for food processing, medical equipment, high-temperature applications, and outdoor environments. Available in FDA-compliant, medical-grade, and industrial silicone compounds — compression molded, injection molded, and die-cut to your exact specifications.
Why Silicone for Gaskets?
Silicone rubber (VMQ) is the material of choice when an application demands extreme temperature range, FDA compliance, or long-term resistance to ozone and UV — simultaneously. No other common elastomer matches silicone’s ability to remain flexible and maintain a reliable seal from −75°F to +450°F (−59°C to +232°C). For high-temperature gaskets in ovens, industrial equipment, and exhaust-adjacent sealing applications, silicone is frequently the only viable option.
Silicone’s inert chemistry — it contains no plasticizers, is odorless and tasteless, and does not support bacterial or fungal growth — makes it the dominant gasket material in food processing, medical device, and pharmaceutical applications where FDA or USP compliance is required.
Silicone’s primary limitation is relatively poor abrasion and tear resistance compared to EPDM or nitrile, and poor resistance to petroleum-based oils and fuels — for oil-wetted dynamic sealing, nitrile (NBR) or FKM are the appropriate choices. Silicone also has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than most elastomers, so gland fill should be designed at the lower end of the 65–85% target range to allow for expansion at operating temperature.
For applications requiring both fuel resistance and wide temperature range, fluorosilicone (FVMQ) is the upgraded silicone-based option. Use our Chemical Resistance Guide to confirm silicone’s compatibility with your specific media.
Silicone Gasket Material Specifications
Standard VMQ silicone compound properties for gasket applications. Wayne Rubber compounds silicone in-house and can formulate outside these ranges for specialty requirements including platinum-cured medical grades, electrically conductive silicone, and extreme low-temperature compounds.
| Property | Standard Value / Range |
|---|---|
| Temperature Range | −75°F to +450°F (−59°C to +232°C) Specialty low-temp grades to −103°F; high-temp grades intermittent to +500°F |
| Hardness (Durometer) | 25 to 80 Shore A Standard grade: 40–70 Shore A depending on application |
| Tensile Strength | 600 – 1,500 psi (lower than NBR/EPDM) |
| Elongation at Break | 100% – 700% (grade-dependent) |
| Compression Set | Good (peroxide-cured); Excellent (platinum-cured / low-CS grades) |
| Colors Available | Red/orange, white, gray, black, translucent; custom colors available |
| ASTM Designation | ASTM D-2000 Class M2GE / FC (grade-dependent) |
| FDA Compliance | Available — FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 (food contact) and 21 CFR 177.2590 |
| USP Class VI | Available — medical-grade platinum-cured silicone upon request |
| Ozone / UV / Weather | Excellent |
| Oil / Fuel Resistance | Poor — not recommended for petroleum-based fluid contact |
| Electrical Insulation | Excellent — suitable for electrical enclosure sealing |
Silicone Gasket Grades & Formulations
Silicone rubber spans a wider range of specialty grades than most elastomers. Wayne Rubber’s in-house compounding capability allows us to supply the right grade for your specific environment rather than defaulting to a single commercial compound.
General-purpose silicone for industrial sealing, high-temperature gasketing, and outdoor applications where physical properties are secondary to temperature performance. Most cost-effective silicone option.
Higher physical properties and lower compression set than commercial grade. Meets ZZ-R-765 Class 2A. Used where gasket creep or long-term sealing force retention is required under sustained compression.
Peroxide-free, low-volatile silicone compliant with FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 for food contact. Odorless, tasteless, and fungus resistant. Standard colors: white, red/orange, translucent. Required for food processing and beverage equipment.
Platinum-cured silicone meeting USP Class VI biocompatibility requirements. Used in medical devices, pharmaceutical processing equipment, and implantable or fluid-contact applications requiring validated purity.
Formulated for reliable sealing at temperatures as low as −103°F (−75°C). Used in cryogenic equipment, aerospace altitude sealing, and cold-chain processing where standard silicone would lose flexibility.
Combines silicone’s temperature range with fuel and solvent resistance. Used in aerospace fuel systems, military applications, and turbine engine sealing where standard silicone’s oil resistance is insufficient. Learn more →
Silicone Gasket Manufacturing Methods
Compression & Transfer Molding
The primary manufacturing method for custom-profiled silicone gaskets. Compression molding is suited for flat or simple cross-section gaskets in medium-to-high volumes. Transfer molding offers greater dimensional control for complex profiles, over-molded inserts, and thicker sections — ideal for industrial equipment and appliance gaskets.
Liquid Injection Molding (LIM)
Used for high-precision medical and food-grade silicone parts where minimal flash, tight dimensional tolerances, and cleanroom-compatible production are required. LIM uses liquid silicone rubber (LSR) rather than solid gum stock, enabling complex geometry and very consistent part-to-part repeatability at volume.
Die-Cut from Sheet Stock
Silicone sheet is available in standard thicknesses from 0.010″ to 1.0″ and durometers from 25 to 80 Shore A. Die-cutting is the most cost-effective method for flat gaskets, prototype quantities, and low-volume specialty profiles. PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive) backing is available for peel-and-stick installation. Colors include red/orange, black, gray, white, and translucent.
Sponge & Closed-Cell Silicone
Silicone sponge compresses under low closure force to seal irregular or uneven surfaces — particularly valuable in enclosure doors, panel gaskets, and HVAC equipment where bolted flange loads are minimal. Closed-cell grades are preferred for outdoor and weather-sealing applications where water ingress through the foam structure must be prevented.
Silicone Gasket Applications by Industry
Silicone’s unique combination of extreme temperature range, FDA compliance, and inert chemistry gives it a footprint across industries that no other single elastomer can match.
Silicone vs. Other Gasket Materials
Silicone is rarely the cheapest option, but it is often the only option when temperature range, FDA compliance, and long-term stability are all required simultaneously. This comparison helps confirm whether silicone is the correct specification for your application.
| Property | Silicone (VMQ) | EPDM | Nitrile (NBR) | FKM (Viton) | Neoprene (CR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. Service Temp. | +450°F (+232°C) | +300°F (+149°C) | +250°F (+121°C) | +400°F (+204°C) | +250°F (+121°C) |
| Min. Service Temp. | −75°F (−59°C) | −65°F (−54°C) | −40°F (−40°C) | −15°F (−26°C) | −40°F (−40°C) |
| FDA Compliance | ✓ Excellent availability | ✓ Available | ✓ Available | ✓ Available | ▶ Limited |
| Ozone & UV | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Excellent | ✗ Poor | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Good |
| Petroleum Oil Resistance | ✗ Poor | ✗ Poor | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Excellent | ▶ Good |
| Abrasion Resistance | ✗ Poor | ▶ Good | ✓ Excellent | ▶ Good | ▶ Good |
| Relative Cost | Medium – High | Low – Medium | Low | High | Medium |
Silicone Gasket Manufacturing at Wayne Rubber
In-House Silicone Compounding
Wayne Rubber mixes silicone compounds in-house across commercial, specification, FDA, and specialty grades. This means we can tailor hardness, compression set, color, and compliance characteristics to your specification — including custom-color silicone and non-standard durometers — without relying on a third-party compounder. See our full silicone rubber material page for compound data.
Custom Engineering Support
Our engineering team reviews your application environment, regulatory requirements, and dimensional specifications before recommending the appropriate silicone grade and manufacturing method. For food and medical applications especially, getting the compound specification right from the start avoids costly material qualification re-runs.
Compression, Transfer & Injection Molding
All three major rubber molding processes are available in-house. The right process depends on your gasket geometry, volume, and tolerance requirements. Wayne Rubber’s engineering team will recommend the most cost-effective approach and provide tooling for your custom profile. More on our manufacturing capabilities.
Quality & Compliance Documentation
Every silicone gasket batch is inspected against dimensional and material specifications before shipment. For FDA and USP Class VI applications, we provide full material certification and compliance documentation. We support ASTM, ISO, AMS, and MIL test standards and can supply material data sheets, certificates of conformance, and test reports.
Request a Quote for Custom Silicone Gaskets
Send us your drawing, describe your application and regulatory requirements, and Wayne Rubber will recommend the right silicone grade and manufacturing approach.