Rubber Gaskets and Types of Rubber Used

Gaskets are used in a wide variety of applications in a diverse range of environments, so factors like those listed above must be accounted for. Gasket types include o-rings, which are the most common type of gasket made of synthetic rubber, and account for a large portion of rubber gasket use. However, many other basic gasket seals are made out of rubber for commercial and industrial use on pipes, wood, and other applications. Many types of synthetic rubbers are used to manufacture rubber gaskets, primarily due to the multitude of different environments faced by different applications. Some rubbers will be needed to withstand both extreme cold as well as extreme heat, while others will be exposed to chemicals that may act as corrosives and could pose dangers to many types of rubber. This makes heat and cold resistance, weatherability, and a lack of absorption a premium for gasket rubber, but toughness, flexibility, and friction properties are not to be discounted. Let’s take a look at all the different types of rubber used in the production of rubber gaskets-

Types of Synthetic Rubbers Used in Gaskets

The following list of materials is intended to represent some of the more common types of rubber used in rubber gasket production.

Nitrile rubber, or Buna-N, is a general purpose rubber with a good temperature range (-65 to 300 degrees F). It has good wear resistance and will not easily crack.

Ethylene Propylene (EPR) works well with hydraulic fluids that are corrosive and dangerous when exposed to human skin. Because of its high resistance to corrosive fluids, it is generally well-suited to applications that experience some amount of contact with other types of liquids.

Fluorocarbon, often sold under the trade name Viton, is another all purpose rubber that has a higher temperature range than nitrile rubber. It can be used in many diverse applications such as oils, fluids and gases, as well as certain types of acids.

Neoprene has a low temperature range and can be used in applications where temperatures dip as low as -65 degrees F. For this reason, it is often used with refrigerants in refrigeration and air conditioner units. Unfortunately, neoprene sometimes features lead components. For that reason it is important to take precautions when handling or using neoprene to prevent human health issues.

Polyurethane is another rubber with a low temperature limit, although it has worse upper echelon heat resistance capability than neoprene. It is used in some of the coldest environments because even when chilled or frozen it will not grow brittle and tear or crack.