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Rubber Properties
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) |
Designation2 |
Composition |
General Properties1 |
General Chemical Resistance3 |
| Resistent to: |
Attacked by: |
| Neoprene |
CR |
Chloroprene |
Good Weathering Resistance. Flame retarding. Moderate resistance to pertroleum-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 |
Excellent ozone, chemical, and aging resistance. Poor resistance to pertoleum-based fluids. |
Animal and vegetable oils, ozone, strong and oxidizing chemicals. |
Mineral oils and solvents, aromatic hydrocarbons. |
| Buna-N |
NBR |
Nitrile-butadiene |
Excellent resistance to pertoleum-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 |
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 |
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 |
Very good weathering resistance. Excellent dialectric 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 |
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. |
| Isoprene, Polyisoprene |
IR |
Isoprene, synthetic |
Similar to natural rubber. |
Similar to natural rubber. |
Similar to natural rubber. |
| Hypalon |
CSM |
Chloro-sulfonyl- polyethylene |
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. |
| Acrylic, Poly Acrylate |
ABR, ACM |
Acrylate-butadiene, copolymer of acrylic ester and acrylic halide |
Excellent resistance to high temperature, oil and air, ozone, and weathering. Poor low temperature properties. Not recommended for water service. |
Ozone, extreme pressure, lubricants, hot oils, petroleum solvents, animal and vegetable fats. |
Water, alcohols, glycols, alkali, esters, aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons, phenol. |
| Urethane |
AU, EU |
Polyethylene-apdate, Poly (oxy-1, 4, butylene) ether |
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. |
| Chlorinated- polyethylene |
CPE |
Chlorinated- polyethylene |
Excellent ozone and weathering resistance; good heat resistance. Moderate resistance to petroleum-based fluids. |
|
|
| Viton ® 4, Fluoro-elastomer |
FPM |
Hexaflouropropylene- vinylidene flouride |
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. |
| Butadiene rubber |
BR |
Polybutadiene |
Excellent abrasion resistance and low temperature properties. High resilience. |
Similar to SBR |
Similar to SBR |
| Kalrez ® 4 |
AFMU |
Tetraflouroethylene- flouronitrosomethane- perflourobutyric acid |
Excellent chemical resistance. Excellent high and low temperature properties. |
|
|
| Hydrin, Herchlor |
CO |
Polychloromethyl oxirane |
Excellent oil and ozone resistance. Good flame resistance and low permeability to gases. Fair low temperature properties. |
Similar to nitrile with ozone resistance. |
Ketones, esters, aldehydes, chlorinated and nitro hydrocarbons. |
| ECH, Hydrin, Herchlor |
ECO |
Ethylene oxide and chloromethyl oxirane |
Good low temperature properties. Excellent oil and ozone resistance. Fair flame resistance. Low permeability to gases. |
Similar to nitrile with ozone resistance. |
Ketones, esters, aldehydes, chlorinated and nitro hydrocarbons. |
| Fluoro-silicone |
FSi |
Flourocarbon |
|
Moderate or oxidizing chemicals, ozone, aromatic chlorinated solvents, bases. |
Brake fluids, hydrazine, ketones. |
Footnotes
- From the "Sheet Rubber Handbook - Gasket and Packing Materials" publication
#IP-40 of the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).
- ASTM D 1418-79
- 1979 Yearbook of the Los Angeles Rubber Group, Inc.
- "Viton" and "Kalrez" are registered trademarks of E.I. Dupont, Inc.
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