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Selecting the proper compound is the first step in designing a seal for your application. Operating temperature range, fluid contact, type of seal whether static or dynamic are some of the criteria you must consider when selecting a compound. There are 36 different types of elastomer compounds available to select from and majority of those have several different grades and types. Below is a list of the more common elastomers with their general uses and temperature range.
| Common Name | ASTM D1418 Designation | Chemical Name | Uses |
| Nitrile, Buna | NBR | Acrylonitrile-Butadiene | -40°F to 212°F/250°F, Good with oils, solvents, water, hydraulic fluids. Good compression set, tensile strength and abrasion resistance. |
| Ethylene Propylene, EP | EPDM, EPM | Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, Ethylene Propylene Monomer | -55°F to 250°F, Exceptionally good weather aging and ozone resistance. Excellent water and chemical resistance, gas permeability and aging due to exposure to steam. Good in ketones and alcohols. |
| Viton® | FKM | Fluorocarbon | -15°F to 400°F, Excellent weathering, ozone and heat resistance. Resistance to wide range of oils and solvents, specially all aliphatic, aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons, acids, animal and vegetable oils. |
| Silicone | PVMQ PVMQ | Silicone | -65°F to 450°F, Excellent heat resistance and extreme low temperature properties. Low compression set and good resilience. Moderate solvent resistance. Good release characteristics. |
| Fluorosilicone | FVMQ | Fluorosilicone | -100°F to 350°F, Excellent weathering, ozone and heat resistance. Good for special applications where general resistance to oxidizing chemicals, aromatic and chlorinated solvent bases are required. |
| Neoprene® | CR | Chloroprene | -40°F to 250°F, Good weather and ozone resistance. High resilience with low compression set. Flame resistance. Animal and Vegetable oil resistance. |
| Hydrogenated Nitrile, HSN | HNBR | Hydrogenated Acrylonitrile-Butadiene | -65°F to 300°F, Excellent weather resistance. Good resistance to ozone. Better wear resistance than standard Nitrile. Excellent abrasion, compression set, tensile strength and tear properties. Good resistance to heat aging up to 300°F and for short periods up to 350°F. Generally used for Laundry and dishwashing detergents and air conditioning refrigerant. |
| Styrene Butadiene | SBR | Styrene Butadiene | 0°F to 225°F, Low cost non-oil resistant material. Good water resistance and resilience up to 70 durometer. Satisfactory for most moderate chemical and wet or dry organic acids. |
| Natural Rubber | NR | cis-polyisoprene | -76°F to 212°F, Can be compounded to maintain good flexibility to -76°F. Low cost. Outstanding strength, low fatigue. Good creep and stress relaxation resistance. |
| Isoprene | IR | cis-polyisoprene, synthetic | Essentially the same as natural rubber except it may be weaker. |
| Butyl | IIR | Isobutene-Isoprene | -50°F to 250°F, Excellent weather, ozone, heat and chemical resistance. Excellent impermeability to gases. |
| Aflas® | FEPM | Tetrafluoroethylene-Propylene (TFE/P) | -5°F to 445°F, Excellent heat resistance up to 446↑8F. Good chemical resistance including strong acids and bases. Excellent oil resistance and electrical resistivity. |
| Polyurethane | AU, EU | Polyester-urethane, polyether-Urethane | -60°F to 180°F, Extreme abrasion and extrusion resistance. Used in high pressure applications up to 5000psi. Good weathering and ozone resistance. High tear and wear resistance. Good for hydrocarbon fuels, mineral oils, CO2. |