Rubber Material Guide for Industrial Sealing

Rubber gaskets (including O-rings, X-rings, and flat gaskets) are small components that play a critical role in ensuring equipment safety, stability, and leak-free performance. Incorrect material selection may cause swelling, hardening, cracking, leakage, or even equipment shutdown. This guide provides practical industry knowledge to help engineers and buyers choose the correct sealing material efficiently.

1.1 NBR (Nitrile Butadiene Rubber)

• Best for oils, hydraulic fluids, diesel.
• Temperature: -40°C ~ +120°C.
• Cost-effective and widely used in machinery and automotive parts.
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1.2 EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer)

• Excellent for water, steam, outdoor sealing, and brake fluids.
• Temperature: -50°C ~ +150°C.
• Strong resistance to ozone, UV, and aging.
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1.3 FKM / Viton

• High performance in chemicals, fuels, solvents, and high temperatures.
• Temperature: -20°C ~ +250°C.
• Widely used in aerospace, automotive, and chemical industries.
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1.4 Silicone (VMQ)

• Food-grade, medical-grade, flexible and clean.
• Temperature: -60°C ~ +200°C.
• Not recommended for high pressure or oil environments.
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1.5 HNBR (Hydrogenated NBR)

• Enhanced toughness, oil resistance, and temperature resistance.
• Temperature: -40°C ~ +150°C.
• Ideal for automotive systems and heavy-duty equipment.
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1.6 FFKM (Perfluoroelastomer)

• Top-level chemical resistance and extreme temperature performance.
• Temperature: -25°C ~ +320°C.
• Used in semiconductor, aerospace, and high-end chemical plants.
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2.1 Food & Beverage Industry

• Recommended: Silicone, EPDM
• Requirements: FDA / LFGB, odorless, safe, heat-resistant.
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2.2 Automotive Industry

• Recommended: NBR, HNBR, FKM
• Focus: Oil resistance, fuel resistance, high temperature durability.
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2.3 Water Systems & Plumbing

• Recommended: EPDM, NBR (for cold water)
• Focus: Anti-aging, anti-chlorine, stable in hot water.
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2.4 Chemical Processing & Corrosive Environments

• Recommended: FKM, FFKM
• Focus: Resistance to acids, solvents, fuels, strong chemicals.
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1. Incorrectly judging material based on color.
2. Choosing cheap material for high-spec applications.
3. Ignoring working temperature and pressure.
4. Not considering the actual medium (oil / water / gas / chemical).
5. Overlooking compression set performance.

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• Prioritize the medium → then temperature → then hardness.
• EPDM for water systems; NBR for oil systems.
• Use FKM/FFKM for high temperature or chemical environments; Silicone for food-grade applications.