Material Reference
The chart below is intended to help in the
material selection stage of designing rubber
parts / products. Rubber compounding is a very
broad and technical field, since basic rubbers
or elastomers are mixed with various chemicals
and ingredients (and even with each other) to
obtain desired physical properties.
A wide variety of basic polymers
(rubbers) are available, and a literally
infinite array of compounds exhibiting unique
physical properties as well as chemical, fluid,
and temperature resistances are possible. This
chart, therefore, deals only with very general
features of the most common basic rubber or
elastomer compounds, but more specific
information is available upon request.
Common
Name(s) |
Designation (2) |
Composition |
Min/Max Temp Operating Range (F) (5)
|
General Properties(1) |
General Chemical Resistance (3) |
| Resistant
to: |
Attacked by: |
| Neoprene |
CR |
Chloroprene |
-30 F / 212
F |
Good
Weathering Resistance. Flame retarding.
Moderate resistance to petroleum-based
fluids. |
Moderate
chemicals and acids, ozone, oils, fats,
greases, many oils, and solvents. |
Strong
oxidizing acids, esters, ketones,
chlorinated, aromatic and nitro
hydrocarbons. |
| EPDM |
EPDM, EPM |
Ethylene-propylene- diene;
Ethylene-propylene |
-40 F / 300
F |
Excellent
ozone, chemical, and aging resistance.
Poor resistance to petroleum-based
fluids. |
Animal and
vegetable oils, ozone, strong and
oxidizing chemicals. |
Mineral oils
and solvents, aromatic hydrocarbons. |
| Buna-N |
NBR |
Nitrile-butadiene |
-30 F / 250
F |
Excellent
resistance to petroleum-based fluids.
Good physical properties. |
Many
hydrocarbons, fats, oils, greases,
hydraulic fluids, chemicals. |
Ozone
(except PVC blends), ketones, esters,
aldehydes, chlorinated and nitro
hydrocarbons. |
| Silicone |
Q, Si |
Polysiloxane |
-80 F / 420
F |
Excellent
high and low temperature properties.
Fair physical properties. |
Moderate or
oxidizing chemicals, ozone, concentrated
sodium hydroxide. |
Many
solvents, oils, concentrated acids,
dilute sodium hydroxide. |
| SBR |
SBR |
Styrene-butadiene |
-20 F / 212F
|
Good
physical properties and abrasion
resistance. Poor resistance to
petroleum-based fluids. |
Most
moderate chemicals, wet or dry, organic
acids, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes. |
Ozone,
strong acids, fats, oils, greases, most
hydrocarbons. |
| Butyl |
IIR |
Isobutene-isoprene |
-60 F / 250
F |
Very good
weathering resistance. Excellent
dielectric properties. Low permeability
to air. Good physical properties. Poor
resistance to petroleum-based fluids. |
Animal and
vegetable fats, oils, greases, ozone,
strong and oxidizing chemicals. |
Petroleum,
solvents, coal tar solvents, aromatic
hydrocarbons. |
| Natural, Gum
Rubber |
NR |
Isoprene,
natural |
-60 F / 220
F |
Excellent
physical properties including abrasion
and low temperature resistance. Poor
resistance to petroleum-based fluids. |
Most
moderate chemicals, wet or dry, organic
acids, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes. |
Ozone,
strong acids, fats, oils, greases, most
hydrocarbons. |
| Hypalon (4) |
CSM |
Chloro-sulfonyl- polyethylene |
-40 F / 320
F |
Excellent
ozone, weathering, and acid resistance.
Good and abrasion and heat resistance.
Fair resistance to petroleum-based
fluids. |
Similar to
Neoprene with improved acid resistance. |
Concentrated oxidizing acids, esters,
ketones, chlorinated, aromatic, and
nitro hydrocarbons. |
| Urethane |
AU, EU |
Polyethylene-apdate, Poly (oxy-1, 4,
butylene) ether |
-40 F / 175
F |
Good aging
and excellent abrasion, tear, and
solvent resistance. Poor high
temperature properties. |
Ozone,
hydrocarbons, moderate chemicals, fats,
oils, greases. |
Concentrated
acids, ketones, esters, chlorinated and
nitro hydrocarbons. |
| Viton ® (4),
Fluoro-elastomer |
FPM |
Hexaflouropropylene- vinylidene fluoride |
- 10 F / 400
F |
Excellent
oil and air resistance both at low and
high temperatures. Very good chemical
resistance. |
All
aliphatic, aromatic and halogenated
hydrocarbons, acids, animal and
vegetable oils. |
Ketones, low
molecular weight esters and nitro
containing compounds. |
|
Fluoro-silicone |
FSi |
Fluorocarbon |
-60 F / 350
F |
Offers
superior heat resistance. resistant to
cold, oils and solvents of fluorinated
rubber. Good for special applications
where general resistance to oxidizing
chemicals, aromatic and chlorinated
solvent bases are required. Narrower
Temp range than silicone but better
fluid resistance |
Moderate or
oxidizing chemicals, ozone, aromatic
chlorinated solvents, bases. |
Brake
fluids, hydrazine, ketones. |
| Hydrogenated
Nitrile |
HNBR |
Hydrogenated
Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber |
-22 F / 300
F |
Excellent
heat and oil resistance, improved fuel
and ozone resistance (approximately 5X)
over Nitrile Good abrasion resistance.
Decreased elasticity at low temperatures
with hydrogenation over standard
nitrile. |
Many
hydrocarbons, transmission fluids,
refrigerants, diluted acids, hydraulic
fluids, silicone oils, vegetable and
animal fats and oils, water and steam. |
Chlorated
hydrocarbons, keytones, strong acids. |
| Carboxylated
Nitrile |
XNBR |
Carboxylated
Nitrile |
-20 F / 250
F |
Excellent
Abrasion and Tear Resistance, Fair Ozone
and Steam Resistance. Poor to Fair
Sunlight and Outdoors. Good to Excellent
Oil Resistance. |
Many
hydrocarbons, fats, oils, greases,
hydraulic fluids, chemicals. |
Ozone
(except PVC blends), ketones, esters,
aldehydes, chlorinated and nitro
hydrocarbons. |
|
