Compatibility study of viton, NBR 70 and EPDM O-rings with selected solvents

Abstract

The major part of O-rings is caoutchouc, which is not resistant to several solvents, acids, oils, or bases, and this can cause structural deviations in sealing. The present work shows a compatibility study of O-rings to solvents at laboratory scale. The tested O-rings are the following ones: Viton, NBR 70 and EPDM, and the applied solvents are levulinic acid (LA), formic acid (FA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), lactic acid (LAA), gamma-valerolactone (GVL) and acetonitrile (AC). Based on the measured geometric parameters of O-rings and the weight increments obtained in different solvents, we set up a compatibility table from which we can suggest the proper O-ring for a given solvent or vice versa: which type of O-ring is compatible with which solvent. This work offers a supplementary table to the O-ring handbook, which can contribute to proper selection of O-ring and solvent pairs in the future.