» The Different O’Ring Types and Their Properties

The Different O’Ring Types and Their Properties

Last modified on October 5th, 2024

I have bought quite a few o’rings. I was forever having to look up, to find out what was the most suitable type of o’ring for an item I was repairing. O’Rings come in a multitude of different sizes. They are made from various different materials, each with their own different properties. This can make it difficult to find and choose the best o’ring for the job in hand.

To this end, I decided to put a list together. Hopefully, to make it quick and easy to identify what type of o’ring needed to get the job done…

Topics:

O’Ring Types & Their Properties:
O’Ring Types (Summary of Abbreviations, Names & Use):
Image Gallery:

O’Ring Types & Their Properties:

The table below lists the most popular o’rings and shows what each of their properties are. With this table. You should be able to choose which type of o’ring you need.

Table of O’Ring Types & Their Properties:
With mobile devices, it may be best viewed in landscape…

O’Ring Types & Their Properties (The Best O’Rings for your Application)
Properties	– Legend –
	X Don’t use.		X Poor.				✔ Good		✔ Great
	Common O’Rings								Specialist
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
	CR Neoprene	EPDM Ethylene	FKM Viton®	FVMQ	IIR Butyl	NBR Nitrile	P Polyester	S Silicone	FFKM	PTFE Teflon®
Cost	++	+	+++	++++	++	+	++	++	+++++	+++
Water		✔				x✔	x	x
Sunlight (UV)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	x	✔	✔	✔	✔
Steam		✔	x✔		✔	x✔	x	x✔	✔
Cold	x✔	✔✔	x		✔	✔	✔	✔	x
Heat	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	x✔	✔	✔
Air				✔		✔	✔
Brake Fluid	x	✔	x	✔	✔	x	x	x
Hydraulic		x				✔	✔	x
Oil	x✔	x	✔	✔	x	✔	✔	x✔	✔
Fuel	x	x	✔	✔	x	x		x		✔
Silicone Oils		✔	✔		✔	✔		x
Acid	x✔	✔	✔	?		x	x	x✔	✔	✔
Acetone	x		x	x		x
Alcohol		✔			✔	✔	x
Alkalis		✔								✔
Chemical	x✔	✔	✔			x✔	x	x✔	✔	✔
Hydrocarbons	x	x	✔	✔	x	x			✔
Ketones	x	✔	x	x	✔	x	x	x
Methanol						x
Refrigerants	✔					x
Solvents		x		✔						✔
Ozone	✔	x	✔	✔	x✔	x	✔	✔	✔	✔
Tear	✔	✔✔	x✔		✔	x	✔✔	x	x
Abrasion	✔	✔✔	✔	x	x✔	✔	✔	x	✔	✔
Hardness (Shore A) (Shore D)	50 to 80	40 to 90	50 to 95	50 to 80	30 to 90	40 to 90	70 to 90			55 to 60
Temperature Range °F	-40 to +250	-60 to +350	-15 to +420	-45 to +225	-50 to +250	-40 to +250	-45 to +200	-100 to +450	0 to +572	-260 to +300
Temperature Range °C	-50 to 200	-50 to +150	-25 to 210	-60 to 110	-60 to +125	-40 to +121	-50 to +110	-60 to +230	0 to +300	-200 to +260

Note: The information contained here is only a guide. It was gathered from various manufacturer’s data sheets, where each manufacturer may have used a different blend of material. This may give a slight difference in any material properties. Please read the manufacturer’s data sheets for more detail.

O’Ring Types (Summary of Abbreviations, Names & Use):

This table gives more detail on the o’ring naming conventions. Abbreviations, brand names and their potential uses.

Table of O’Ring Types (Summary of Abbreviations, Names & Use):
With mobile devices, it may be best viewed in landscape…

O’Ring Types (Summary of Abbreviations, Names & Use)
Type		Notes
Type		Abbr	Chemical Term & Trade Name	Summary Use
1	CR Neoprene	CR	Neoprene/Chloroprene, Polychloroprene, Neoprene®	Air conditioning and refrigeration.
2	EPDM Ethylene	EP, EPR, EPM	Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer	Medical devices, food, water household appliances.
3	FKM Viton®	V, FKM, FEPM	Fluorocarbon, Viton®	Chemical processing and automotive, aerospace, oil & gas applications.
4	FVMQ	L	Fluorosilicone	Static sealing, aerospace automotive & chemical.
5	IIR	Butyl	Isobutylene-Isoprene, Butyl®	Hot water, many acids, weathering, high pressure and vacuum. Not compatible with miner oil, fuels, or chlorinated hydrcarbons
6	NBR Nitrile	N, Buna-N	Nitrile Butadiene Rubber, Acrylonitrile Butadiene, BunaN®	General purpose. Fuel tanks, oil & gas, aerospace. Good short term resilience
7	P Polyester	AU, EU	Polyurethane	Hydraulic fittings, valves, cylinders and pneumatic tools.
8	S Silicone	VMQ, PMQ, PVMQ, MQ	Silicone	Static applications, medical devices, food storage, electronics
9	FFKM	Parfluor	Perfluoroelastomers	Clean applications, semiconductors, medical. Good wear resistance
10	PTFE	Teflon	Polytetrafluoroethylene, Teflon®	Chemical applications, aerospace, food, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications

Note: The information contained here is only a guide. It was gathered from various manufacturer’s data sheets. This may give a slight difference in any material properties. Please read the manufacturer’s data sheets for more detail.

Image Gallery:

– click or tap any image to view full size –