Nitrile Rubber (NBR)

Nitrile Rubber is a copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile used as a general purpose, oil resistant polymer in varying applications

The resistance of Nitrile Rubber to oil becomes more prevalent with the increase of nitrile in its make-up.  This makes it the ideal copolymer for rubber seals and gaskets in the transport sector. 

It is also widely used within printing rolls and hoses in a variety of industries.

What is Nitrile Rubber?

This material is also known as Nitrile-Butadiene, Acrylonitrile Butadiene or Buna-N.  NBR is a copolymer made by reaction of butadiene and acrylonitrile.

Typically, NBR has a service temperature range between -40F and 275 F

In addition to oil, it displays excellent resistance to fuel, solvents, mineral and vegetable oils and hydraulic fluid.   This characteristic may be coupled with a moderate ability to resist the exposure to ozone.

Applications

If an application demands resilience to petrol-chemical fluid, gasoline and/or grease, NBR is well suited for use as a rubber material.  It is widely used if a customer requires a sealing type product as a result of this but also its wide temperature range.

Over 50% of the O-rings manufactured globally are made of NBR and this is a result of their use in many transport applications.  Industrial and automotive industries use the material as part of their fuel and oil handling hoses, tubes, grommets and anti-vibration components.