Vulcanized O-rings are an ideal choice for applications requiring fixed sealing or environments that might expose these products to wear, chemicals, or heat. They’re common components within systems and equipment for industries ranging from aerospace, automotive, transportation, and construction to electronics, power generation, medical, and food processing. In this blog, you’ll learn more about how manufacturers create and use vulcanized O-rings and why they’re so beneficial to applications in diverse industries.
How Are Vulcanized O-Rings Made?
Manufacturers make O-rings from rubber by cutting cord stock and then fusing its two ends together. To do so, they start by applying uncured material in its liquid form to each end. The cord stock then goes into a heated mold with its ends touching. The pressure and heat between them cause the ends to cure together, generating a chemical bond of great strength due to the cross-links formed between the material’s long-chain molecules. Vulcanized O-rings are manufacturable in non-standard sizes from a range of elastomer options.
Cutting Techniques for Vulcanized O-Rings
Two cutting options for vulcanized O-ring preparation are the bevel cut and the butt cut. In bevel cutting, manufacturers typically cut the cord stock at a 45º angle prior to aligning and fusing its ends together. The idea behind this technique is to improve joint strength by increasing the available bonding surface area. With butt cutting, manufacturers will instead create a straight-edged cut, making perpendicular cuts on the cord ends as compared to the cord length. Once manufacturers align the ends and vulcanize the material, the process generates vulcanized O-rings.
Whether a manufacturer chooses a bevel cut or butt cut to create vulcanized O-rings is dependent on the selected material, the intended end-use for the O-ring, and the necessary seal strength — balanced with the desired ease of manufacturability. These choices will impact the dependability and performance of the vulcanized O-ring in providing a secure seal.
What Are the Benefits of Vulcanized O-Rings?
Vulcanized O-rings are advantageous for their:
- Sizing flexibility: One of the primary benefits of vulcanized O-rings is that they’re the perfect choice when a standard-sized O-ring won’t enable an ideal fit. Vulcanized O-rings give you an option when you’re looking for an oversized O-ring.
- Insulative capacity: Vulcanized O-rings can serve as good insulators against fluctuating temperatures and electrical currents, possessing a low dielectric constant.
What Materials Are Vulcanized O-Rings Made From?
Consisting of materials like natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or various polymers, vulcanized O-rings are often fabricated from:
- Aflas
- Buna (Nitrile)
- Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)
- Fluorosilicone
- Neo/EPDM blend
- Neoprene
- Silicone
- Viton® (FKM)
High-Quality Vulcanized O-Rings at Arizona Sealing Devices
Vulcanized O-rings provide a reliable, tight seal between mechanical components. At Arizona Sealing Devices, Inc., we offer an array of sealing solutions in all shapes, sizes, and materials to handle the challenges of diverse and demanding industries. Our extensive product selection includes O-rings, gaskets, caps, plugs, and seal kits for meeting our clients’ widely varied project requirements.
Our qualified sealing experts can help you find high-quality vulcanized O-rings that match your specifications for durability, dependability, performance, environment, and regulatory compliance. Contact us for more information on the vulcanized O-rings we offer, or request a quote on one of our sealing product options today.