Lubricating oil is kept from leaking thanks to rubber seals. Seals are essential in precise bearings because they cover gaps between fixed and moving elements. Rubber is also a popular choice in the aerospace and automotive industries since it provides an airtight and waterproof fit.
However, rubber is just one of several alternatives. Foam and plastic seals are two more types of sealing. Each choice has its own set of benefits, drawbacks, and applications. The five advantages of a rubber seal are summarized here.
1. Temperature Tolerance
Rubber seals can tolerate considerable temperature changes. Silicon rubber seals, for example, can endure temperatures as low as -100 degrees Celsius and as high as 310 degrees Celsius. Rubber seals are appropriate for applications with large temperature fluctuations due to their wide temperature range.
Rubber seals will continue to work despite temperature changes and will conform to the curves of the groove. The seals are extremely flexible and adjust to pressure without breaking apart. Rubber seals are also flexible at low temperatures.
2. Relative Durability
Rubber outlasts other materials and creates an impermeable airtight and waterproof seal. More significantly, rubber is elastic and offers resistance proportional to the pressure exerted. Rubber seals also keep their integrity for a more extended period.
Although there are limits to how long rubber seals can withstand pressure, they outperform alternative solutions and require less frequent replacement. Rubber seals will outlast polyurethane, polyacrylate, and FEP seals.
3. Extremely Malleable
Rubber is easily molded into various sizes and forms for use in a variety of applications. Rubber seals are commonly used as O, U, and V rings. Rotary oil seals, spring-installed seals, bearing isolators, and clearance seals are among the others.
Rubber seals are a common choice in many sectors due to their malleability. Custom rubber seals molded for specific grooves and glands and you can buy rubber sealing from manufacturers, and the material provides a versatile solution for a variety of circumstances.
4. Less Toxic
In most cases, rubber seals are non-toxic in the conditions in which they are used. Rubber will not damage the grooves or other components with which it comes into touch. It will also not decompose when sterilized with heat, ethylene oxide, electron beams, steam autoclaving, or gamma radiation.
Rubber seals are appropriate for the food, pharmaceutical, and medicine sectors due to their non-toxic nature and compliance with various sterilizing techniques. Furthermore, rubber does not affect odor or flavor.
5. Greater Compatibility
Rubber is compatible with a wide range of materials and can be used to supplement other substances to increase the seal's integrity. Rubber treatment can increase compression capacities, severe temperature tolerance, and overall durability, as well as avoid seal failure.
Rubber seals have diverse qualities to fit different applications and equipment, in addition to functioning with other sealant materials. Rubber seals and gaskets provide more complete solutions in their applications than other possibilities.
6. Various Grades And Colors
Rubber seals are available in variety of grades, including soft rubber, hard rubber, and everything in between. Some solutions, such as narrow gauge gasket sheets, are best suited for specific applications, while others are more universal.
Rubber seals are also available in a variety of colors. Some uses may necessitate a different hue for safety indications, although the color is mostly chosen for aesthetic appeal and commercial or retail use.