NEWBIE ALERT! I'm a layman and I need help figuring what material I'm describing...

[thatman]

I'm trying to take a product idea I have a reality. I know what kind of material I want and can describe it (poorly). I'm talking to a contract manufacturer about doing the injection molding of this (silicone-like material), but they don't advise on design or material.

The item is a band (similar to a livestrong wristband) but with elasticity.
It needs to fit snugly on a cylinder with diameter 55mm and still be able to stretch to 130mm.

​Ideal Size of the band, at rest
Diameter (inside): 54mm
Wall thickness: 2-3mm
Height: 20mm

Shore A 25-40 (I think... rubber band or slightly firmer)
Waterproof
Can handle the cylinder ranging from 0C to 80C
Inexpensive (can't be made of gold)
Withstand impact from a 1m fall
- Bonus if it also acts as a shock absorber for the cylinder it's wrapped around
Food-grade
Bonus if antibacterial/antimicrobial but not important
Bonus if dishwasher safe

[chrisprocess]

Something in the Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) family comes to mind for this type application

https://materials.ulprospector.com/en/nav/plastics/generics/53/thermoplastic-elastomer-tpe

From my understanding a Thermoplastic Vulcanizate (TPV), such as a Santoprene, can withstand higher temperatures than other types TPE's. This may be suitable for your application.
Good chemical resistance (dishwasher safe), low to no water absorption (water proof), Shore A hardness 38, great for flexible grips or seals. What you might find underneath the hood of your car.

Not sure if there's a food-grade Santoprene but I recommend contacting a a material supplier they could easily point you in the right direction!

[MTUHusky]

Look into a piece of software called "CES Material Selecter". It is an amazing program that has a huge database of materials that can be organized into charts and criteria related to what you need it to do. Its expensive software but a lot of universities have the software and the professors and students usually like to help people out with ideas so you might be able to get a full analysis for free or cheap (buy a student lunch). Using software like this gives you more options really as it will suggest any material that fits your criteria, not just plastics.

Husky