Silicone O-rings are a popular and cost-effective sealing option due to their resistance to weathering, ozone, acids, and heat. However, they have poor tensile and shear strength and low waterproof characteristics. They are suitable for general purpose sealing but not for rotary clamp applications or exposure to steam or oil.
The ubiquitous silicone O-ring is undoubtedly one of the most used sealing elements today and with good reason. Inexpensive, effective, and simple to use, the silicone O-ring is a sealing industry standard with a multitude of potential applications. The silicone rubber compounds used in the production of silicone O-rings give the finished products an impressive range of positive working characteristics such as excellent resistance to weathering, ozone, acids and heat. The material does, however, have a couple of weaknesses, including poor tensile and shear strength and low waterproof characteristics. Despite these negative points, silicone O-rings are an appropriate choice of general purpose sealant when used within the design parameters.
There is a wide variety of materials used to manufacture O-rings, each of which imparts a specific set of beneficial characteristics to the products. Silicone compounds are one of the materials used to produce a range of general purpose O-rings with good to medium strength. Silicone rubbers are typically combinations of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in combination with a silicone-based polymer. They exhibit excellent resistance to many environmental elements and are generally non-reactive and stable. Silicone O-rings are also quite cheap to manufacture, making them cost-effective.
On the upside, silicone O-rings exhibit excellent weathering characteristics with outstanding ozone resistance. Resistance to heat exposure is also one of the strengths of silicone O-rings; minimum and maximum operating temperatures are between –120°F (-84°C) and 450°F (232°C), respectively. They are also able to withstand environments characterized by chemical exposure, including those with specific alkaline and acidic elements. The fact that silicone rubber compounds can be formulated to include inert fillers that have no adverse impact on the performance of the final product also makes silicone O rings some of the most cost-effective options available.
The disadvantage of using silicone O-rings centers on their poor overall mechanical performance. They do not resist shear forces well and as such are not suitable for rotary clamp applications. Also, the silicone rubbers used in O-rings do not possess high abrasion resistance or tensile strength values. Silicone O-rings are also not suitable for applications with exposure to steam or oil and are quite permeable. However, they still provide excellent general purpose sealing options and offer a viable alternative to the more expensive PTFE, nitrile and fluorocarbon varieties.
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