O-rings perform crucial functions in so many industrial, household, automobile, offshore, and aerospace applications, as well as many others. But the conditions under which the o-ring must function are different for all of these industries, which means that the same o-ring won’t perform the same across all of them. Certain industrial applications, for instance, may expose an o-ring to extreme heat or caustic chemicals, while offshore applications may expose them to extreme pressure or corrosive seawater.
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This is why o-rings, vital as they are, can be made from a range of materials. These can be placed into some general categories, including rubber or thermoset o-rings and thermoplastics. As you may expect or already know, these classifications refer to different production processes, which are determined by the type of material used for the o-ring. Below, we provide details on some of the common materials used for o-rings and how they can benefit from a properly-applied coating from Coating Systems.
Thermosets
Thermoset is the term used to refer to a material that has been cured from a “pre-polymer” or resin. That it is cured means that it cannot return to that liquid state. A commonly known thermoset used to make o-rings is nitrile, which some people may know as the material used to make non-latex gloves for chemical and medical labs. Nitrile is a relatively affordable a widely functional material for its flexibility and resistance to greases. Depending on how its made, nitrile offers a range of other useful qualities that make it a great choice for industrial applications.
An appropriate coating will depend a bit on what kind of thermoset substrate your o-rings are made of. Coating Systems provides reliable coatings for a massive variety of substrates, so let us take care of that for you.
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Thermoplastics
Thermoplastics, unlike thermosets, become pliable beyond a certain temperature. This is how they are formed, but it also means they can become less reliable in high-temperature applications. But where thermoplastics may like some resistance to heat, they more than make up for in a number of other categories. Polyurethane o-rings, for instance, offer great abrasion, tearing, extrusion, aging, ozone, mineral and silicone greases, and more.
Let Coating Systems Handle Your Coating Needs
Whether your business uses a high volume of thermoplastic seals, thermosets, or other kinds of seals, Coating Systems has a coating solution for you. We partner with companies like Whitford, Du Pont, Cerakote, Arkema, McLube, Kluber, Henkel Acheson, and more to bring you reliable coatings. With coating from Coating Systems, your o-rings will be easier to install, easier to identify, and, more importantly, they’ll hold up longer. For coating solutions you can count on, call Coating Systems.
