What are O-Rings Made of?
O-Rings
O-Rings can be made out of a variety of materials, most commonly rubber and elastomers. Different materials have different properties, with some being more elastic and others being more tear resistant, in addition to other qualities. We offer O-Rings made from high-quality nitrile, silicone, and viton.
- Nitrile (Buna-N):
- Temperature Range: -65° Fahrenheit to 300° Fahrenheit.
- Suited for: General purpose seals such as petroleum oils, water, and some hydraulic fluids. Nitrile is also resistant against tears and abrasions.
- Weaknesses: Nitrile can have problems when exposed to automotive brake fluid, ketones, nitro and halogenated hydrocarbons, and phosphate ester hydraulic fluids. While this material is ozone and weather resistant, the resistance is not infallible, but it can be supported through compounding.
- Applications: Buna-N functions well in applications that have limited temperature and resistance requirements.
- Silicone:
- Temperature Range: -120° Fahrenheit to 450° Fahrenheit.
- Suited for: Silicone exhibits poor tear resistance, abrasion, and tensile strength. Their poor abrasion resistance means that they are better suited for static applications rather than dynamic. Silicone o-rings do not perform well with water, steam, and petroleum fluids.
- Applications: High temperature fuel injection ports.
- Viton:
- Temperature Range: -15° Fahrenheit to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Suited for: Viton is an all-around material that can handle a number of applications, and is especially useful in diverse sealing jobs that involve movement. It is also suited for petroleum oils, silicone fluids and gases, acids, and some halogenated hydrocarbons like carbon tetrachloride.
- Weaknesses: Viton is not recommended for Skydrol, esters, amines, and ethers with low molecular weight and hot hydrofluoric acids.
- Applications: Viton o-rings are very versatile, and are used in many different automotive, appliance, and chemical processing industries.