Plastics, Rubbers And Ceramics
Plastics and Rubbers
Many plastics and rubbers are made on a rolling mill. This is sometimes referred to as a calendar mill. Many plastics used in automotive brake pads are rolled on a rolling mill. There are many types of plastics that are rolled, such as polyurethane and polypropylene. The rubber is mixed in the rolling mill. The rubber can be pure rubber or any polyurethane type of rubber. Because polyurethane rubber can be in a non-liquid state, it is best to mix it with a rolling mill or calendar mill with many passes.
Ceramics
Ceramic can be used for many purposes such as corrosion resistant, high tensile products. Ceramic is made into a powder and sometimes put through a rolling mill to make a ceramic sheet or product. Ceramic can handle considerably higher temperatures than metal. Sometimes ceramic is mixed with metals and plastics where heat and strength are needed. Fiberglass plastics, as an example, are a mixture of glass fiber and plastic resin. This type of material is made in many different forms, depending upon the purpose, which could be acid resistant, heat resistant, light weight, and low cost. Many ceramics are molded, but some are put through a rolling mill to make a sheet.
Ceramic may even include pure powder carbon. American Steel Products Company has been successful in rolling powdered carbon for the electronic industry. Powdered carbon strip is used in electronics as a high temperature conductor of electrons. Carbon strip is rolled down to a thickness of .001” with a tolerance of ± .00008”.
