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.

 
 
 
 
 
Common Designation (2) Composition Min/Max Temp Operating Range (F) (5) General Properties(1) General Chemical Resistance (3)  
Name(s) 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, 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 -15 F / 356 F Excellent chemical, and aging resistance. Poor resistance to petroleum-based fluids. Animal and vegetable oils, strong and oxidizing chemicals. Mineral oils and solvents, aromatic hydrocarbons.  
Buna-N NBR Nitrile-butadiene -40 F / 320 F Excellent resistance to petroleum-based fluids. Good physical properties. Many hydrocarbons, fats, oils, greases, hydraulic fluids, chemicals. Ketones, esters, aldehydes, chlorinated and nitro 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,  strong and oxidizing chemicals. Petroleum, solvents, coal tar solvents, aromatic hydrocarbons.  
Viton ® (4), Fluoro-elastomer FKM Hexaflouropropylene- vinylidene fluoride – 10 F / 356 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.  

Viton® A

FKMA vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene – 10 F / 356 F   High resistance to extreme temperatures, most fluids for industrial use, thermal cycles Ketones, low molecular weight esters and nitro containing compounds.  

Viton® B

FKMB vinylidene, hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene – 10 F / 356 F The vulconisates keep their technical characteristics better than standard FKM after heat exposure and ageing   Ketones, low molecular weight esters and nitro containing compounds.  

Viton® G

FKMG   – 10 F / 356 F   High resistance to extreme temperature, optimum resistance to chemical products Ketones, low molecular weight esters and nitro containing compounds.  
Hydrogenated Nitrile HNBR Hydrogenated Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber -20 / 250 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.  

Viton® is a registered trade mark of DuPont Dow Elastomers