FAQ – Rubber O-Rings
What Rubber O-ring material should I use for my application?
Rubber O-Rings majorly are made in materials shown below, but we do make Rubber O-Rings in most of the available Elastomer/Rubber.
Material | Standard Temperature Range (°C) | Ozone | Compression | Weather Resistance | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EPDM | -40 to +135 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Water, Alkalis, Acids and Oxidants |
NITRILE / NBR / Buna N | -40 to +125 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Oils, Solvents, Gasoline, Petroleum based Fluids |
VMQ/ SILICONE | -65 to +200 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Food Contact Applications, Low Temperatures |
FKM/ VITON | -25 to +230 | 1 | 1 | 1 | High Temperature Resistance, High Chemical Resistance, Oil Resistance, Fuel Resistance |
CR/ CHLOROPRENE/ NEOPRENE | -40 to 120 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Good Weathering Resistance. Flame retarding. Moderate Resistance to petroleum based fluids. |
LDPE (Polyethylene) | -50 to +80 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Excellent for Dilute and concentrated acids, alcohols, bases and esters. |
PTFE (Teflon) | -240 to +210 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Non-reactive and ideal for use with most chemicals. |
FFKM/KALREZ | -45 to +330 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Excellent chemical resistance for more than 1800 different chemicals, including hydrocarbons, oils and fuels. |
Does Amber Group supply or Rubber O-rings meet the ASTM D2000 / SAE J200 specification?
Amber Group supplies O-Ring materials to meet most standard ASTM D2000/SAE J200 material specifications.
What is the Shelf Life of the Rubber O-Rings?
Please refer below for Shelf Life of Rubber O-ring, subject to it Storage and Handling.
Unlimited | FKM, FFKM, Silicone, Fluorosilicone, EPDM, Butyl, FEPM |
|---|---|
15 Years | NBR Buna-N, HNBR, Chloroprene, Hypalon, ACM Polyacrylate |
5 or 10 Years | Polyurethane depending on type |
3 Years | SBR |
Can I get Rubber O-ring in a different colour?
Amber Group uses standard colours for Rubber O-Ring materials. We can also develop custom material and colour ed Rubber O rings for your application.
| Polymer | Colour |
|---|---|
| NBR/EPDM/CR | Black |
| VMQ/SILICONE | Rust |
| FKM/Viton/FFKM/Kalrez | Brown/Green |
| TFE/P/Aflas | Black |
Why does the Rubber O-ring leak or Why does the Rubber O-ring fail?
Chemical Attack:
Depending upon the chemical in application, the Rubber O-Ring may crack, discolor, blisters or swell. Some chemicals do react with certain polymers and damage the Rubber O-Ring. Hence, right selection of Polymer material is important. It enables one to ensure the Rubber O-Ring is compatible with the application.
Compression Set or Recovery percentage:
The Rubber O-Ring has taken on permanent “set” which means it is unable to recover to its original shape after deforming stress. Selection of right polymer material and compound with low compression set or higher recovery percentage will extend the serviceability life as well as avoid leakage/ spillage.
Ozone Attack:
Tiny traces of ozone in the air attacks the double bonds in rubber chains leading to degradation and further to deeper cracks on the surface. Natural Rubber, SBR & Nitrile Rubber are more prone to degradation due to ozone attack.
High Temperature:
The Rubber O-Rings are often required to pass or sustain certain temperatures. Physical and chemical changes to the Polymer material at high temperatures can result in crack, permanent set. Selecting the right Polymer material that can sustain at elevated temperatures extends the serviceability life, and avoids leakage or spillage.
Installation Damage:
Damage caused while inserting the Rubber O-Ring is identified by notch or cut on the surface of the Rubber O-Ring. Correct methods or tools are required to install the Rubber O-Ring to avoid damages and prevent leakage or spillage.
