Oil resistance
NBR, HNBR, ACM and selected CR compounds are common starting points. Assess the actual lubricant or fuel.
RUBRINGS / TECHNICAL LIBRARY
Rubber types & elastomer classification
Explore 22 rubber and thermoplastic families, their abbreviations and the properties that guide material selection.
A library of material families.
General-purpose rubbers include NR, SBR and BR. Special-purpose families address requirements such as oil resistance, weathering or temperature. SBS, TPU and TPO are thermoplastic families. This library explains materials; it is not a list of stocked compounds.
| Code | Rubber / polymer | Family | Selection context |
|---|---|---|---|
| NR | Natural rubber | General purpose | Elasticity and resilience; consider weathering and oil exposure. |
| SBR | Styrene butadiene rubber | General purpose | General rubber components; assess abrasion, aging and the actual medium. |
| BR / PBR | Polybutadiene rubber | General purpose | Resilience and low-temperature flexibility in appropriate formulations. |
| ACM | Polyacrylate rubber | Special purpose | Selected hot-oil duties; verify low-temperature and water exposure. |
| OT / EOT | Polysulphide rubber | Special purpose | Specialised sealing and fuel-related duties; confirm the grade designation. |
| CO / ECO | Epichlorohydrin rubber | Special purpose | Selected oil and fuel environments with permeability requirements. |
| CPE / CM | Chlorinated polyethylene | Special purpose | Weathering, heat and selected chemical exposure; compound-dependent. |
| IIR | Butyl rubber | Special purpose | Low gas permeability; verify compatibility with oils and fuels. |
| CSM | Chlorosulfonated polyethylene | Special purpose | Weathering and selected chemical environments. |
| CR | Polychloroprene / neoprene | Special purpose | A balance of weather resistance and selected oil-sealing properties. |
| NBR | Acrylonitrile butadiene / nitrile | Special purpose | A common starting point for mineral oils and industrial sealing. |
| XNBR | Carboxylated nitrile rubber | Special purpose | Selected wear-intensive applications; confirm compound and friction. |
| HNBR | Hydrogenated nitrile rubber | Special purpose | Oil resistance with improved heat and ozone performance versus conventional nitrile. |
| EPDM | Ethylene propylene diene rubber | Special purpose | Water, weather and selected cleaning media; not a general petroleum-oil choice. |
| VMQ | Vinyl methyl silicone | Special purpose | Temperature flexibility in selected static seals; check tear and abrasion. |
| FVMQ | Fluorosilicone rubber | Special purpose | Selected fuel exposure and low-temperature service; check dynamic duty. |
| FKM | Fluorocarbon rubber | Special purpose | Many oils and fuels at elevated temperature; verify specific chemical compatibility. |
| FFKM | Perfluoroelastomer | Special purpose | Specialised chemical and thermal duties requiring a specific compound assessment. |
| AU | Polyester urethane rubber | Special purpose | Selected wear and mechanical duties; assess hydrolysis and temperature. |
| SBS | Styrene butadiene styrene | Thermoplastic | A thermoplastic elastomer family; properties depend on formulation. |
| TPU | Thermoplastic polyurethane | Thermoplastic | Selected flexible, abrasion-resistant components; grade and medium matter. |
| TPO | Thermoplastic polyolefin | Thermoplastic | Flexible thermoplastic compounds; confirm grade-specific mechanical requirements. |
Group by the property you need.
Heat & chemical exposure
FKM, FFKM and FVMQ serve different duties. No family name guarantees compatibility with every chemical.
Heat & oil together
Compare HNBR, FKM, ACM and AEM using compound-specific evidence. A heat rating in air does not establish a rating in oil.
Gas permeability
IIR is commonly considered where low gas permeability matters. Verify the gas, pressure and temperature.
Backbone & aging
NR, SBR and BR have unsaturation that affects aging. EPR/EPDM and other families differ in backbone and cure chemistry; use a compound assessment rather than a simple saturated/unsaturated label.
Weather & water
EPDM and selected CR or CSM compounds may be considered. Confirm the medium and required documentation.
Viton™ is a trade name associated with certain fluoroelastomers; not every FKM compound is a Viton™ grade. Family names and colour do not establish compound identity.
View typical rubber properties ↗Build your enquiry brief