Simultaneously, beyond basic performance and reliability, today’s industrial equipment often comes with specialized seal requirements. For example, some seals must perform with minimum drag in low-friction applications, while other seals need extra flexibility to account for heat expansion of interconnected parts. These unique challenges will typically further complicate your material selection process.
At Panova, our diverse manufacturing experience combined with our expertise in materials science has allowed us to develop truly optimized rubber seal solutions for a wide range of industrial applications. We will carefully consider all of your specific sealing requirements and performance demands to choose the ideal rubber material for the job.
Questions to Ask for Choosing the Right Rubber for Your Industrial Seals
Of course, there is no single ideal rubber material for all industrial sealing applications. Even ignoring basic production requirements such as the cost and availability of the materials, different rubbers come with significantly different advantages and disadvantages in real-world use. You have to carefully consider those material strengths and weaknesses alongside your unique sealing requirements and operational conditions to arrive at the best, highest-performance end product.
To that end, here are some of the most important questions you should ask:
Physical and Mechanical Properties
- How strong does the material need to be from a mechanical perspective to reliably perform with your equipment?
- Will your seals have to hold up to mechanical stress, high loads, high pressures, or other harsh physical conditions that demand a high-strength rubber material?
- Do the mated components being sealed have any special material compatibility requirements or performance attributes? (For example, aluminum expands at a faster rate than steel when heated, sometimes requiring a more flexible seal material.)
Thermal Properties and High-Temp Performance
- Will your seals be operating in extreme temperature environments? (Note that thermally optimizing your seals for high-temperature use may demand a different rubber than low-temperature applications. Likewise, seals that have to perform at both ends of the thermal spectrum may require a different rubber solution.)
- Will the rubber have to hold up to constant heating and cooling cycles, or will temperatures remain relatively stable?
Flammability
- Beyond high-temperature operation, will the seal ever be exposed to an open flame, requiring a material that doesn’t burn or scorch?
Chemical Resistance
- Will your seals be in contact with industrial chemicals, oils, and solvents which can cause conventional rubber materials to break down over time?
Electrical Properties
- Does your application require a conductive gasket/seal solution, or standard insulative rubber materials?
An Overview of the Most Common Industrial Seal Materials:
Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Industrial Seals
Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) seals operate effectively within a temperature range of approximately -40°C to 110°C. The material offers good resistance to oils, fuels, greases, and other petroleum-based products common in industrial sealing applications. Mechanically, NBR offers good resistance to abrasion and tearing, along with relatively high tensile strength. Some of the most common applications therefore include industrial fuel system seals, including gaskets and O-rings.
Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Industrial Seals
Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) seals operate effectively within a temperature range of approximately -50°C and 150°C. These seals exhibit excellent resistance to water, steam, and polar substances, along with good resistance to acids; however, they offer lower resistance to many oils, gasoline, and other solvents. EPDM material offers good mechanical flexibility and tearing resilience, although its moderate tensile strength doesn’t make it the most durable solution.
Silicone Industrial Seals
Silicone rubber (VMQ) seals operate effectively within a temperate range of approximately -60°C to 200°C, with special grades capable of withstanding up to 300°C. This relatively wide temperature range is one of the stand-out material advantages. Silicone industrial seals offer good resistance to water, oxygen, and certain chemicals, but limited resistance to many relatively common industrial oils and fuels. VMQ seals also provide excellent flexibility even at low temperatures, though the material has relatively low tensile strength and poor tear resistance, making it unsuitable for many high-stress sealing applications.
Fluorocarbon Rubber Industrial Seals
Fluorocarbon rubber (FKM/Viton®) seals operate effectively within a temperature range of approximately -20°C to 200°C, with special grades enduring up to 300°C. The material offers an excellent temperature range like silicone seals, combined with excellent resistance to oils, fuels, solvents, and many common industrial chemicals. Fluorocarbon seals also exhibit high tensile strength and excellent compression set resistance, though only moderate abrasion resistance. Due to the material’s superior resistance to ozone, weathering, and high temperatures, it’s a common high-performance seal solution for chemical processing seals, aerospace applications, automotive fuel systems, and various industrial machinery.
Neoprene Industrial Seals
Neoprene (CR) seals operate effectively within a temperature range of approximately -40°C to +120°C. The material offers only moderate resistance to oils, petroleum products, and many common industrial chemicals. A major advantage of neoprene is that it balances tensile strength, resilience, and abrasion resistance effectively, combined with good resistance to ozone, sunlight, and weathering. These unique mechanical properties make it a good seal material for industrial gaskets, hoses, corrosion-resistant coatings, and some automotive applications.
Polyurethane Industrial Seals
Polyurethane (PU) seals operate effectively within a temperature range of approximately -35°C to 80°C, with special grades reliably performing up to 120°C. The material offers good resistance to oils, fuels, and some industrial solvents, but relatively poor resistance to acids and alkalis. Also, although it has good resistance to ozone and weathering, PU is susceptible to hydrolysis in water. In terms of mechanical properties, polyurethane seals offer excellent abrasion resistance, high tensile strength, and good load-bearing capacity. That makes the polyurethane suitable for many heavy-duty industrial seal applications such as main shaft seals, axles, wheel assemblies, and other high-wear components.
Quality Industrial Seals and Other Premium Rubber Products Since 1977
Since 1977, Panova has remained one of the leading industrial seal manufacturers for OEMs, parts distributors, and suppliers worldwide. Backed by decades of diverse manufacturing experience and expertise in materials science, we can help you achieve the ideal sealing solution needed for your unique application.
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