Nitrile vs Viton® - What is the Difference?

This article will explain the main differences between Nitrile vs Viton®. Two of the most commonly approved elastomers, Nitrile (popularly referred to as NBR or Buna-N) and Viton® (Fluorocarbon rubber). Both materials are a great choice for general industrial use, they offer excellent compression set resistance and have a versatile set of properties list of applications and properties.

Nitrile vs Viton®

However, both these seals have different properties, types of application and characteristics. When considering the use of Nitrile vs Viton®  here are some points to consider:

Nitrile Rubber

• Temperature: Nitrile is effective within a temperature range of -30°C to 100°C.
• General Suitability: Used for general purpose applications requiring resistance to aliphatic hydrocarbons, petroleum oils, water and hydraulic fluids.
• Environmental Properties: Nitrile vs Viton® is not resistant to degradation from weather and ozone exposure. Designed to resist most oils and lubricants, more importantly petroleum based lubricants, these seals have other benefits, such as superior abrasion and tear resistance, making them suitable for heavy duty industrial applications.
• Applications: A cost effective product, that works well with constrained temperatures and chemical resistance.

Viton® Rubber

• Temperature: Viton® seals can withstand temperatures up between -20°C to 210°C. Viton® seals are prone to failure below -15°C in dynamic applications, as they become inflexible and hard.
• General Suitability: Viton® is best suited for diverse sealing jobs that require high temperature and chemical resistance. Applications involving contact with petroleum oils, acids, silicone fluids and gases, halogenated hydrocarbons (trichloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride), aromatic hydrocarbons usually have seals and o rings made of Viton®.
• Environmental Properties: Viton® O-rings and seals have a wide range of chemical resistance (involving mineral acids, fuels, and oils) and this material is also highly resistant to oxidation, UV exposure, fungus, weather, ozone, and mould. This makes Viton® far superior to Nitrile in these regards. They are also designed to resist most oils and lubricants, more importantly petroleum-based lubricants.
• Applications: Viton® functions well in different automotive, chemical and appliance-processing industries.
• Cost: As an approximate guide, Viton® compound is ten to fifteen times more expensive than NBR. However, we stock both NBR and Viton O-rings and seals AS/BS, metric, French, German and other metric series at Polymax.

View our extensive Viton® and Nitrile range

As Viton® properties are quite different from nitrile rubber properties. It is crucial to consider the pros and cons of both materials, specifically in the context of their application. You can also consult our chemical compatibility guides or call Polymax on 01420 472000 for more information.

*Viton® is a registered trade mark of Du Pont Dow Elastomers

Viton O-rings are used in static and dynamic applications involving relative motion between parts.They are used in applications that have the possibility of friction. Viton O-rings exhibit chemical resistance and are the most suitable for use in pumps used for agricultural, disinfection, pest control, lawn care sprayers, and mold remediation. This is due to the resistance to hydrocarbons in some of the compounds. These applications are more suited to Viton O-rings because they can withstand sun exposure and other environmental conditions.

Characteristics of Viton O-rings

Viton O-rings exhibit the following characteristics:

• Excellent acid resistance
• Fair electrical properties
• Good abrasion resistance
• Fair cold resistance
• Fair water and steam resistance
• Fair-to-good tear resistance
• Good impermeability
• Good chemical resistance
• Excellent flame resistance
• Excellent heat resistance
• Good-to-excellent tensile strength
• Good-to-excellent set resistance
• Good-to-excellent dynamic resistance
• Excellent weather resistance
• Excellent ozone resistance
• Excellent oil resistance

Types of Viton O-rings

The various types of viton O-rings include:

Type A Viton O-Rings

These types of Viton O-rings are made from di-polymers of VF2/HFP. They are general-purpose O-rings utilized in the automotive and aerospace industry. Type A Viton O-rings have a composition including 66% fluorine content.

Type B Viton O-Rings

These types of Viton O-rings are made from terpolymers of VF2/HFP/TFE. They are most suitable for use in chemical processing plants as well as power/utility applications. They have a composition that includes 68% fluorine content.

Type F Viton O-Rings

Type F Viton O-rings are highly resistant to concentrated aqueous inorganic acids, steam, water, and oxygenated automotive fuels. These types of Viton O-rings contain a fluorine content of 70%.

Specialized Type Viton O-Rings

These specialized O-rings are copolymers of TFE/propylene and ethylene/TFE/PMVE. They are the most suitable for application in the automotive industry and also for oil exploration, ultra-harsh environments, and sealing requirements.

Applications of Viton O-Rings

Viton O-rings are utilized in very harsh environments where chemical interactions and temperature extremes are common. They are utilized in appliance processing, chemical, and automotive industries. Their use is not only limited to those areas of application but goes further to transportation businesses, petroleum refining, aerospace companies, and oil and gas exploration industries.

Benefits of Viton O-Rings

The benefits of Viton O-rings in industries include:

• They are the most hard-wearing O-rings.
• They are high-performance O-rings due to the Viton material and are also very durable, making them the top choice for many different applications.
• Viton O-rings are incredibly versatile for difficult applications
• Viton O-rings exhibit high operating temperature ranges and better resistance to degradation when exposed to weather and ozone.
• They are more chemically resistant and are capable of withstanding a range of chemicals like oils, silicone fluids and gasses, acids, and aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons.
• These O-rings are long-lasting, meaning they enjoy extended intervals between services. This, in turn, reduces the costs of maintenance and provides more reliable seals.
• Viton O-rings overcome most environmental challenges. They can maintain seals even in the presence of UV exposure, ozone, weather, fungus, oxidation, or mold.

Disadvantages of Viton O-Rings

The disadvantages of viton O-rings include:

Incompatibility

Viton O-rings are incompatible with ketones, including methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, ester solvents like ethyl acetate, organic acids like acetic acid, and amines.

Performance

Viton O-rings are not ideal for every application. For example, under excessively high temperatures, Fluoroelastomers can decompose and release hydrogen fluoride, which is toxic. It is also associated with ongoing irritation of the respiratory tract. At extremely low temperatures, Viton O-rings harden and become inflexible.

Choosing the Correct Viton™ O-Ring Supplier

To ensure you have the most productive outcome when purchasing Viton O-rings from a Viton O-ring supplier, it is important to compare several companies using our directory of Viton O-ring suppliers. Each Viton O-ring supplier has a business profile page highlighting their areas of experience and capabilities, along with a contact form to directly communicate with the supplier for more information or request a quote. Review each Viton O-ring business website using our patented website previewer to quickly learn what each business specializes in. Then, use our simple RFQ form to contact multiple Viton O-ring companies with the same form.