Body Glove Neoprene

You will find Body Glove neoprene products on this web page offered by some of the best Body Glove neoprene suppliers and loads of information to assist you to decide which products are best for your needs.

Body Glove Neoprene

Neoprene is the popular term for neoprene polychloroprene, which is is an extremely versatile synthetic rubber with more than 75 years of proven performance in a broad range of industrial applications. It was first developed as an oil-resistant substitute for natural rubber. Neoprene is noted for a unique combination of properties, which has led to its use in thousands of applications in diverse environments.

Neoprene has a balanced combination of properties. One of the many uses of neoprene is the manufacture of wetsuits as in the Body Glove wetsuit range. One of the reasons neoprene is used for making wetsuits because it resists degradation from sunlight, ozone and all weather conditions and therefore is highly water-resistant. Neoprene also performs well in contact with oils and many chemicals and remains useful over a wide temperature range.

Furthermore neoprene displays outstanding physical toughness with an outstanding resistance to damage caused by flexing and twisting, which is so necessary to a diver in a wetsuit. Neoprene also resists burning inherently better than exclusively hydrocarbon rubbers.

The basic chemical composition of Neoprene synthetic rubber is polychloroprene. The polymer structure can be modified by copolymerizing chloroprene with sulfur and/or 2,3 dichloro 1,3-butadiene to yield a family of materials with a broad spectrum of chemical and physical properties. By proper selection and formulation of these polymers, the compounder can achieve optimum performance for a given end-use. Neoprene is available as a solid and as a liquid dispersion.

One of the most popular and commonly-known uses of neoprene is in the manufacture of wetsuits. The neoprene traps water between the wetsuit and the wearer's skin in a wetsuit. Body heat then warms the water against the skin, which acts to reduce heat loss from the body. This in turn allows the wearer to stay in colder water for a longer time and still be comfortable. Neoprene rubber is also fairly buoyant in water. Many sports enthusiasts use neoprene wetsuits, including scuba divers, surfers, and windsurfers.

Neoprene wetsuits come in a variety of thicknesses, from very thin wetsuits of about 1/16 inch (about 1.6 mm) used to prevent abrasions and sunburns in tropical water to thick suits that are about 1/4 inch (about 6.4 mm) used in cold water. Not surprisingly, the thicker the neoprene in a wetsuit, the more insulating it is. While the black head-to-toe wetsuit commonly seen on television is the image most people have of neoprene wetsuits, they come in a wide range of colours, sizes and styles.

Outside of the water, neoprene rubber has a number of other uses. Neoprene is resistant to many chemicals and oil, making it particularly useful for protective gloves and similar articles. Neoprene is used in some situations where abrasion can be a problem as well. It is often used as a protective cover for items such as cellular telephones. It is also lightweight.

All of these factors were taken into consideration in the selection of neoprene for the manufacture of wetsuits and other aquatic products such as those sold by Body Glove.