Caring for Your Sorbothane®: A Quick Guide
Sorbothane® is a viscoelastic material used in numerous industries as a solution to a wide variety of challenges. It’s a trusted, highly effective vibration-damping material that helps improve consumer products, protect manufacturing methods, and ease everyday life. However, to keep it in its best condition, it’s necessary to take proper steps to take care of your Sorbothane and ensure the longest life possible.
Protect your Sorbothane from damage and degradation with these easy maintenance tips.
Recommended Cleaning Process for Sorbothane
Sorbothane’s unique texture tends to attract dust and dirt, requiring occasional cleaning. Cleaning Sorbothane is a fairly simple but essential process that must be followed properly to avoid damaging the material.
- Rinse Sorbothane thoroughly with warm water and mild soap. Do not soak it.
- Allow the material to air dry completely.
- Wipe lightly with alcohol. Do not soak it.
- Allow the material to air dry completely.
It’s important not to soak Sorbothane in water, as it can potentially damage the integrity of the material by changing its shape and performance. Also, soaking Sorbothane in alcohol can degrade the material and ultimately shorten the fatigue life, as it’s chemical resistant but not immune to solvents.
Sorbothane’s Chemical Interactions
Generally, Sorbothane has a very high chemical resistance, similar to other polyurethanes. However, we’d recommend avoiding gasoline, alcohol, and plastics solvents. Additionally, Sorbothane should generally be kept away from strong oxidizing agents, as they can cause potentially hazardous decomposition products.
Approved Storage Conditions for Sorbothane
When properly stored, Sorbothane has a shelf life of three years from its ship date. If you want to maintain Sorbothane as an anti-vibration product, it’s recommended to follow these approved storage conditions:
- Ideal Temperature Range – Store Sorbothane in a location between 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 26 degrees Celsius).
- Proper Humidity – Keep Sorbothane around 50% relative humidity.
- Specific Atmospheric Conditions – The area you store Sorbothane should maintain fewer than 10 ppm of toluene, naphtha, alcohol, gasoline, or other plastic deteriorating solvents
- Storage – Set Sorbothane on a flat surface, spaced as shipping in its original packaging. To lengthen fatigue lifetime, do not stack it.
For additional storage information, refer to Sorbothane’s guide on storage conditions.
Adhesive Recommendations
It’s sometimes necessary to use adhesives with Sorbothane to apply it to non-porous materials or when a very durable connection is required. When selecting an adhesive, be sure to follow our recommendations. Specifically, solvents in many glues will most likely degrade Sorbothane. Several adhesives will also break down upon exposure to trace amounts of free plasticizers found in Sorbothane.
Sorbothane Adhesive Recommendations
In house, Sorbothane, Inc. uses Loctite 401 and 3M Scotch-Weld EC100 for gluing. However, for commercial and consumer use, we recommend a few other adhesives:
- Lord Corporation 7659 – This one-part polyurethane adhesive can be applied lightly with a roller. Allow solvents to evaporate before bonding the two contact surfaces.
- 7542A/B by Lord Corporation – Available for purchase online, this two-part polyurethane adhesive is environmentally friendly, non-flammable, and resistant to weathering, chemicals, sunlight, and humidity.
- Cyanoacrylates – Sometimes trademarked as Crazy Glues or Super Glues, many brands of cyanoacrylates bond well with Sorbothane. These usually bond fast – in 30 seconds or less. But not all are the same. Avoid rigid types that can crack when flexed. Go with a flexible formula instead.
Sorbothane’s Operating Circumstances
Sorbothane can operate and maintain a superior damping coefficient in a temperature range from -20 to over 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also be purchased with a fire retardant to meet the Underwriters Laboratory 94 V2 Standard.
Sorbothane’s ability to act as a vibration absorption material and dissipate energy as heat allows it to maintain a high level of durability and reliability.
Learn More About Sorbothane Care
Taking care of your Sorbothane, storing it properly, and putting it to use in ideal conditions are vital in extending its fatigue life as long as possible. Check our material properties data sheets for more detailed technical information.
Interested in vibration and noise control solutions? Explore our anti-vibration products and find the right vibration solution for you.