Do ‘O’-Rings Need Lubrication?: A Guide to Compatible Lubricants

Caring for ‘O’-rings is essential to ensuring their longevity and effectiveness throughout their use. A key aspect of ‘O’-ring maintenance is lubricating ‘O’-rings, though it is important to know how to do so effectively and which lubricants are most suitable. For expert guidance, we at TRP Polymer Solutions have provided advice below to answer the question ‘do ‘O’-rings need lubrication?’ and many more aspects of effective ‘O’-ring maintenance.

Why lubricate ‘O’-rings?

The answer to the question ‘do ‘O’-rings need lubrication?’ is a definite ‘yes’. But what exactly does lubrication do for ‘O’-rings? Below are some of the many benefits of lubricating ‘O’-rings:

• Protecting the ‘O’-ring from damage – Lubrication protects the ‘O’-ring against wear and tear due to friction throughout its use, ensuring its longevity.
• Protecting your application – Lubrication not only protects the ‘O’-ring but also your system itself from scuffing damage or abrasion through friction. Your application will also be protected from water damage as well as atmospheric degradation.
• Easier fitting – In addition to making the installation of an ‘O’-ring easier, lubrication also helps them fit into place more securely where the O-ring joins the mated part.
• Averting blown seals – Lubrication prevents your system from suffering the effects of a blown seal.
• Sealing pneumatic applications – Lubrication can help to seal pneumatic applications that require dynamic service.
• Low temperature applications – Lubrication can significantly improve the low temperature sealing properties of a material.
• Vacuum applications – Within vacuum applications lubrication can significantly improve the leakage rate.

As a result, you should ensure you always lubricate them to protect your ‘O’-rings, increase their lifespan and provide your application with the various other benefits mentioned above.

What lubricants are suitable for ‘O’-rings?

Choosing the right lubricant for ‘O’-rings is important as some are suitable while many others increase the risk of potential complications. Many common choices that are used for ‘O’-rings, such as polymers or ester-based grease products, are not suitable for use as ‘O’-ring lubricants as they can cause damage to the ring and pose health and safety concerns.

Some of the most common lubricants for ‘O’-rings that you should take care to avoid include:

• Solvents – These contain high Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are likely to be flammable or otherwise pose considerable health risks.
• Petroleum-based products – These can cause ‘O’-rings to dry out, swell or degrade.
• Soap and water – This combination is safer than the above-mentioned lubricants, but is relatively ineffective and can interfere with your application if in a damp area.

Instead, we recommend using lubricants based on synthetic compounds, such as silicone-based lubricants, as these are most compatible for use with organic rubber materials. They have many benefits over the aforementioned lubricants, as lubricants based on synthetic compounds:

• Perform better over a wide range of conditions.
• Pose no health risks or contamination through touch.
• Are waterproof.
• Reduce friction significantly.
• Have low volatility.
• High-temperature stability.
• Low-temperature fluidity.

It is important that the grease used is compatible with the elastomer chosen. For example using fluorinated greases in contact with FFKM can cause fluid absorption, so it’s generally recommended not to use fluorinated greases with FFKM. A more common example is that silicone greases and oils should not be used with silicone O-Rings, as absorption and swelling will take place. In the event of uncertainty TRP are able to test elastomers with greases and lubricants to establish suitability.

How to lubricate ‘O’-rings

Lubricating ‘O’-rings is a simple process that significantly increases their longevity and durability. The best time to lubricate an ‘O’-ring is prior to installation. From there, there are three common ways of lubricating an ‘O’-ring:

• Dipping the ‘O’-ring into lubricant in a container
• Brushing or using your fingers to directly and evenly spread the lubricant
• Dispensing the lubricant into the O-ring packaging directly and spreading it evenly

The main aspect to bear in mind is not to be heavy-handed with the lubricant, as ‘O’-rings only require a small, thin amount of lubricant to protect them. Typically a lubricated O-ring will have a thin transparent layer all the way around without an excess of grease in any area. If you are making repairs to your system, you should first wipe the ‘O’-ring clean, and then re-lubricate for continued upkeep.

If it’s undesirable to lubricate an O-Ring for an application then TRP manufactures low friction and self lubricating O-Rings. Although these are not as efficient as using a liquid lubricant they can be suitable for some applications with less stringent requirements.

Durable ‘O’-rings at TRP Polymer

Keeping your ‘O’-rings lubricated can help to significantly increase their life and protect them from damage, making it an essential step of their upkeep. However, choosing ‘O’-rings that are built to last is a wise investment to keep your system well-maintained and running efficiently for longer.

At TRP Polymer, we can provide you with custom-made ‘O’-rings that are designed specifically for your system’s requirements. We can design custom materials specifically to resist heat and chemical wear and keep your system running impeccably. These include our high-temperature ‘O’-rings, FFKM ‘O’-rings and seals and high-performance elastomer ‘O’-Rings, all designed for high resistance and longevity.

For more information on our products and how TRP can assist your business, please contact us. Our technical team is ready to provide expert advice and solutions tailored to your needs.