What are silicone O-rings for?

Silicone o-rings are excellent seal materials for static, high temperature applications. Featuring outstanding flex and fatigue life, ozone and UV radiation resistance, physiologically neutral and insulating properties, silicone o-rings are effective in a wide range of applications.

What is silicone O-ring used for?

Applications of Silicone O-rings

These applications include (but are not limited to) automotive manufacturing, aerospace, electronics, cooling systems, pressure cleaners and water processing equipment.

Are silicone O-rings better?

Silicone is made up of a backbone of silicon atoms with alternating oxygen atoms. These high energy silicon-oxygen bonds make silicone more resistant to heat than many other elastomeric materials. This inorganic backbone also makes silicone more resistant to fungus and gives it excellent weathering properties.

What are the benefits of O-rings?

They seal over a wide range of pressure, temperature and tolerance. Ease of service, no smearing or retightening. No critical torque on tightening, therefore unlikely to cause structural damage. O-rings normally require very little room and are light in weight.

Where can O-rings be used?

O-rings are very commonly found in pumps, cylinders, connectors and valves, helping to seal joins between separate parts and prevent leaking of fluids and gases. They're used with static, dynamic, hydraulic and pneumatic components, making them an especially versatile solution to a very widespread engineering issue.

What O-ring material is best for high pressure?

High-durometer o-rings are better suited for higher pressures and are more resistant to extrusion. Hard material yields higher pressure required to force the o-ring into extruding. The only drawback to a high durometer is the decreased squeeze of the o-ring.

What are O-ring hose washers used for?

An O-Ring is a mechanical gasket in the shape of doughnut-shaped ring. O-Rings are ideal for placement in a groove and compression during assembly between two or more parts. It is a loop of elastomer with a round cross-section which creates a seal at the interface.

What is a medical O-ring?

Medical grade o-rings are built for patient safety.

In order to effectively determine if a rubber material can be deemed medical grade, various testing must be done, including USP testing and ISO 10993. Materials for medical grade o-rings are chosen to promote patient safety.

Is Viton high pressure?

3. Remains Strong Under Pressure. Viton seals offer resistance to compression, especially at temperatures in which other rubber materials would become brittle.

Which is better silicone or Viton?

Both materials are well suited for use in the -30 to 205°C range. Silicone has an advantage in lower temperatures and Silicone has an advantage in higher temperatures. Marco offers specific compound formulations extending these ranges even futher as can be seen in the following compound comparison chart.

What are silicone O-rings made of?

Silicone O-rings rubber (VMQ)

Silicones are a group of elastomeric materials made of polymers containing silicium, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. Extreme temperature range and low temperature flexibility are characteristics of silicone compounds.

Is silicone like rubber?

Silicone is a form of synthetic rubber. Therefore, it also is a type of elastomer as rubber. The key difference between rubber and silicone is that the backbones of most of the rubber forms contain carbon-carbon bonds while the backbone of silicone contains silicon and oxygen.

Are O-rings plastic or rubber?

Some of the common types of O-ring materials include PTFE, Nitrile (Buna), Neoprene, EPDM Rubber and Fluorocarbon (Viton). Silicone and Kalrez® O-ring materials are also widely used, especially in high temperature applications.

What is a Class 6 O ring?

When biocompatability is an essential element of sealing design, then Molding Solution's USP Class VI o-rings are the essential answer. These o-rings are manufactured from some of the world's finest silicone rubber. They are molded to exacting standards.

What is a Viton O ring?

Viton® O-Rings

Viton is a brand of synthetic rubber and fluoropolymer elastomer commonly used in O-rings and other molded extruded goods. Viton is a registered trademark of DuPont and is sometimes generically referred to as FKM.

Is Viton USP Class VI?

USP Class VI compliant compounds are formulated with ingredients providing certifiable biocompatibility and low extractables for system toxicity and purity. USP Class VI materials are available in 70 durometer EPDM, Silicone, and Viton™.

Are washers and O rings the same thing?

An o-ring usually (but not always) has a round section and is made of a compressible material such as rubber, neoprene, silicon etc. A washer tends to have a square or rectangular section and is usually made of a harder material brass, copper, aluminium, steel etc.

Can you use O-ring instead of washer?

If a normal 1" washer is used, it will leak. To work properly, first a 1 1/16 O-ring has to be placed into the connector followed by a normal 1" diameter hose washer. The combination of the two work together to prevent leaking.

What is the difference between a gasket and an O-ring?

Gaskets are flat pieces of material used to make a seal between two flat surfaces, usually with a bolted joint. O-rings are round, ring-shaped pieces that must set in a groove to create a seal between two parts.

How tight should an O-ring be?

To provide an effective seal, the O-ring's inside diameter (I.D.) must be smaller than the piston groove diameter, so that the O-ring is slightly stretched, fitting snugly in the groove. This stretch should be between 1%-5% with 2% as the ideal in most applications. A stretch greater than 5% is not recommended.

What is the most durable O-ring material?

Fluorocarbon (Viton®)

Offering outstanding chemical and high-temperature resistance, fluorocarbon O-rings are among the most durable and versatile available. They are particularly valuable in aircraft engines and automotive fuel handling systems because they resist swell in high-octane and oxygenated fuels.

What is the number one cause of O-ring failures?

The most common causes of O-Ring failures include: Improper gland design, allowing for too much or too little compression, not enough for seal expansion and tolerance stack-up.