According to the main purpose of rubber formulation design, formulations can be divided into basic, performance and practical formulations.

The basic formula, also known as the standard formula, is generally designed for the purpose of identification of raw rubber and compound. When there is a new type of rubber and compatibilizer, so as to test its basic processing performance and physical and mechanical properties. The principle of its design is to use the traditional and classic fit quantity for comparison; the formula should be simplified as much as possible, with better reproducibility.

Natural rubber (NR), isoprene rubber (IR) and chloroprene rubber (CR) and other self-reinforcing rubber base formula can be used without reinforcing fillers (reinforcing agent) of pure rubber with, and for non-self-reinforcing synthetic rubber (such as styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, etc.) of the pure rubber with, its physical and mechanical properties of the lower and no utility, so to add a reinforcing filler (reinforcing agent).

Performance formulation is also known as technical formulation. In order to achieve a certain performance requirements and the design of the formula, its purpose is to meet the performance requirements of the product and process requirements, to improve certain characteristics.

Performance formula can be based on the basis of the basic formula to consider the full range of performance with a view to meeting the requirements of the product conditions prevail. Usually when the development of products for the test formula is the performance of the formula, is the formula designers use the most of a formula.

Practical formula, also known as production formula, is designed for a specific product formula.

Practical formula to fully consider the use of performance, process performance, cost, equipment conditions and other factors, the final selection of practical formulations should be able to meet the conditions of industrial production, so that the product performance, cost, production process to achieve the best balance.

Developed in the laboratory under the conditions of the formula, the test results are not necessarily the final result, often put into production may produce some process difficulties, such as short coking time, press out the performance is not good, calendering viscous rollers, etc., which requires no change in the basic performance of the conditions, to further adjust the formula.

Sometimes have to take a slight reduction in physical and mechanical properties and the use of performance methods to adjust the process performance, that is to say, in the physical and mechanical properties, the use of performance, process performance and economy between the compromise, but the bottom line is to meet the minimum requirements. Rubber process performance, although it is an important factor, but is not absolutely the only factor, often determined by the conditions of technological development.

The continuous improvement of production processes and production equipment technology will expand the adaptability of the rubber, for example, accurate temperature control and the establishment of automated continuous production processes, it is possible to process the rubber previously considered unsatisfactory process performance. In any case, however, specific production conditions and current process requirements must be taken into account when studying and applying a particular formulation.