How Much Do You Know About O-Ring?

O-Rings are manufactured worldwide and are the most common type of seal used to contain fluids. They usually consist of an annular ring (the technical term for the shape is ring) and are made from a variety of flexible elastomers such as neoprene or silicone. o-rings are widely used to seal joints and connections in hydraulic and pneumatic systems, but their use extends far beyond the industrial sector. Here, we cover O-Ring sizes and applications, as well as O-Ring designs.

What is an O-Ring?

An O-Ring is a ring-shaped seal with a circular cross-section, resembling a doughnut. They are basically rubber rings used as seals and O-Rings are one of the most widely used seals in machinery and equipment because they are inexpensive, easy to produce, reliable and easy to install. The materials used to manufacture O-Rings are mainly elastomers. For this reason, O-Rings are also known as rubber O-Rings or rubber rings. O-Rings can also be manufactured from LSR, other thermoplastic materials, FKM (Viton O-Rings) and metal, both solid and hollow.

Rear Resistance Colorful FKM Rubber O-ring

O-Ring applications

In the transport, aviation and even aerospace industries, O-rings are a key component in preventing chemical exposure, limiting vibration and protecting occupants from extreme external temperatures. In the medical field, special FDA-grade O-rings are required for syringes, pumps, filtration equipment and various connectors.

For the distribution of food and beverages, O-rings need to be specially manufactured to the highest level of hygiene. Of course, in the industrial market, O-rings are key fixtures in valves, fittings, connectors, air pumps and storage tanks. These types of O-rings need to be able to withstand extreme temperatures, hazardous chemicals and high pressures, so they are often made from special compounds designed for each unique application.

Rubber O-ring

O-Ring Sizes

O-rings come in a variety of sizes. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Aerospace Standard 568 (AS568) specifies the inside diameters, cross-sections, tolerances, and size identification codes (dash numbers) for O-rings used in sealing applications and for straight thread tube fitting boss gaskets. British Standard (BS) which are imperial sizes or metric sizes. Typical dimensions of an O-ring are internal dimension (id), outer dimension (od) and thickness / cross section (cs).

Metric O-rings are usually defined by the internal dimension x the cross section. Typical part number for a metric O-ring - ID x CS [material & shore hardness] 2x1N70 = defines this O-ring as 2mm id with 1mm cross section made from Nitrile rubber which is 70Sh. BS O-rings are defined by a standard reference.

NBR Colourful rubber O ring

O-Ring Design

When examining basic O-rings, the term design may seem inappropriate as O-rings are circles made from elastomers. In reality, several considerations need to be evaluated when producing O-rings, including internal diameter (ID) and cross-section (CS) diameter, material hardness, durability and shape. Each of these factors is used to select the correct O-Ring for the application.

Steps in designing an O-Ring

Select a material with the characteristics and features of the application.

A key factor in selecting an O-Ring is its ability to withstand the conditions to which it must be subjected. The main concern is the application temperature, which can destroy the elasticity of the O-ring by increasing the crosslink density.

Different O-Ring materials can be used with certain liquids and gases as some can withstand chemicals and oils, while others are not designed for these conditions. At the design stage it is important to consider and carefully check the type of gas or liquid that the O-ring may be subjected to.

The hardness of the O-Ring must be appropriate for the application. O-Ring hardness varies from the softness of a rubber band to the hardened wheels of a shopping cart or conveyor belt.

A major factor in the design of an O-Ring is the size of the recess or gland in which it is placed. The deciding factor when selecting the right O-ring is the cross-sectional (CS) size of the O-ring.

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