- In the world of manufacturing and maintenance, the unassuming white rubber gasket plays a pivotal role in ensuring seamless operations across various industries. This humble component, characterized by its adaptable nature and reliable performance, is often taken for granted despite its significant contributions to modern infrastructure.
Also, Viton has the widest range of resistance to chemicals. It’s resistant to several chemicals like silicone oil & grease, mineral & vegetable oil, aliphatic, chlorinated hydrocarbons, methanol fuels, and so many more.
Nitrile rubber offers good durability for general use, while the flexibility of the spring behind the sealing lip keeps the oil seal firmly in place against the moving part.
The basic principle of sealing is straightforward – the flexible lip is held against the rotating part (usually the shaft) whilst the casing (or O.D.) is pressed into the housing or bore and holds the seal in place. The sealing lip needs some form of lubrication to avoid overheating and is usually energized by means of a garter spring.
The edge of the metal is finely ground after seal manufacture in a centerless grinder to enable an interference fit in the oil seal housing. A slight chamfer on the outer diameter (OD) of the seal is desirable for easy assembly. The sealing lip is prepared by buffing, grinding or cutting away the rubber flash which occurs at the sealing edge. A fine sealing edge creates sufficient pressure on the shaft to minimise spring load, leading to lower friction whilst maintaining effective seal performance. The garter spring plays an important role in the efficiency of the oil seal. If its tension is too high, heat will be generated between the sealing lip and the shaft, and result in rapid wear of the lip. If too low, the spring will be ineffective and the sealing lip will be worn away leading to leakage of the fluid.
Selecting the right oil seal involves comprehensively evaluating your application’s needs and conditions. Below are the key factors to consider when choosing an oil seal:
A more comprehensive study of aeration by Dinzburg8 showed that even a minimal level of aeration of an aggressive European SF oil led to protection of a VDF/HFP/TFE compound, but to severe deterioration of an HNBR compound. He notes that aeration increases the severity of aging in oil for silicone and acrylic elastomers, while decreasing the severity for FKM elastomers.
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There are four general motor oil types: