Rubber is a common elastic substance, used everywhere from gloves to gaskets. Like an old T-shirt that has seen many runs through the dryer, rubber shrinks when exposed to heat. You can easily shrink rubber using hot water or by blowing hot air onto it.
Does rubber shrink when heated?
Polymers like rubber shrink on heating as their molecular chains curl up, and water shrinks when warmed from its freezing point to around 4°C. After that, though, it behaves normally, and expands on warming.
How do you reshape rubber seals?
- Fill a pot up with hot water. Place the pot of water on the stove top. ...
- Drop the rubber seal into the pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the seal with tongs. ...
- Install the rubber seal to check the fit. ...
- Use a heat gun to shrink rubber seals that need to shrink in place.
Can you shrink a silicone gasket?
Just like preparing pasta, all it takes to shrink silicone is a pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice water. If your item can be separated from its component, such as a mobile phone case or a stretchy bracelet, it can be shrunk.2020-04-24
Is there any way to shrink a rubber O ring?
Boiling Water Rubber Shrinkage Pour water into a large pot and set it over high heat on the stove. After the water boils, place the rubber item into the boiling water. If you are shrinking a small object such as a seal, gasket, or o-ring, leave it in the water for one minute before removing it with a pair of tongs.
How do you fix a stretched O ring?
- Fill a pot up with hot water. Place the pot of water on the stove top. ...
- Drop the rubber seal into the pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the seal with tongs. ...
- Install the rubber seal to check the fit. ...
- Use a heat gun to shrink rubber seals that need to shrink in place.