Rubber O rings are a form of gasket or seal that features a round cross-section. They are commonly used to prevent leaks of either fluids or gases from occurring in products, systems, or machinery and find use across a variety of industries. Because of their low cost, simple production process, ease of installation, and pressure resistance, they have found application in a lot of common products, such as automobiles and engines. The aerospace industry useso-ringsin many types of rockets and aircraft applications.
This article will review information on the types of o-rings and material options available, along with their suitability for different applications.
Selection Factors
The fact that o-rings can function in so many applications is largely attributable to the fact that there is a wide range of materials available from which they may be fabricated.This range of selection allows the designer to consider the properties of the material and select a suitable option based on how well that material performs against the expected operating conditions of the application. The factors that are usually considered when selecting a material for an o-ring include:
The material’s compressibility or hardness (durometer)
The performance against environmental and operational conditions, including:
Oils
Solvents
Acids
Bases
Steam
Fuels
Corrosive chemicals
The abrasion performance of the material
The permeability of the material (permeation)
The cost of the material
