Which Rubber Has The Best Oil & Fuel Resistance?

A common application for many rubber gaskets is sealing petrol, diesel, oils and greases. When an elastomer is to be used for sealing these fluids, choosing the right type is very important.

The various natural and synthetic rubbers vary significantly in their compatability with these types of media. For a good, long lasting gasket or seal, choosing the right rubber compound is critical.

The table below provides an overview of some of our various rubber gasket sheets compatability with oils and fuels. Please note, this is a general guide only. Other factors that affect seal performance include mechanical requirements (hardness, tensile strength), operating temperature range, cost resitrictions and dimension requirements (not all are available in all sizes).

If you'd like assistance in finding the right rubber for your individual application please do contact us. With a huge range of rubbers in stock and years of experience in producing all types of gaskets, O rings, seals and parts; we'll do our best to assist.

Rubber Elastomer Oil & Fuel Resistance Table.

Rubber Type Fuel Resistance OIl Resistance Abbreviation Butyl Rubber Poor Poor IIR EPDM Rubber Poor Poor EPDM, EPM Natural Rubber Poor Poor NR, IR Neoprene Rubber Poor / Fair Fair CR Nitrile Rubber Strong Excellent NBR Silicone Rubber Poor Poor / Fair SI Styrene Butadiene Rubber Poor Poor SBR Viton Rubber Excellent Excellent FKM

Nitrile Rubber (NBR) for Fuels and Oils.

We stock a wide range of Nitrile Rubber sizes. Our black Nitrile Rubber Sheet is available by the metre in a range of thicknesses. This rubber has a shore hardness of 60 Shore A and is the most common choice for making gaskets for sealing petrol, diesel or oils. 

We also use this same rubber for making our Nitrile Rubber Strip. This is available in a huge range of widths online. Custom sizes may also be produced on request.

We also stock White Nitrile Rubber Sheet. This FDA approved food-grade rubber sheet is also available by the metre.

For custom-made Nitrile gaskets, please contact us. We can make these to suit common flange dimensions or to your sketch or sample.

 

Nitrile Rubber (Black) 
1200mm Wide, Per Metre

 

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Nitrile Rubber Strip 
Various Sizes, Per Metre

 

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Nitrile Rubber (White) 
1200mm Wide, Per Metre

 

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Viton Rubber for Fuels and Oils.

As the table above illustrates, Viton Rubber (FKM) has excellent compatibility with both fuels and oils. However, given its high price, it is less commonly used. That said, demanding applications are solved with Viton gaskets every day. Oftentimes, these situations require an elastomer with excellent chemical resistance, physical properties and high temperature resistance.

If these requirements match those of your application Viton may be the solution. We stock Viton Rubber Gasket Sheet in a large range of sizes and can product all kinds of Viton gaskets and seals. For more information on these, or to request a quote, please do contact us.

 

Viton Rubber  
1200mm Wide, Per Metre

 

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Viton Rubber  
300mm Wide x 1200mm Long

 

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Viton Rubber  
600mm Wide x 1200mm Long

 

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More Information on Rubber Chemical Compatability.

Our full Rubber Chemical Resistance and Compatibility Guide provides information on over 500 types of chemicals, media or fluids. If you can't find the information you need, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We'll help whenever we can.