Rubber Gaskets: Types, Materials & Applications Guide

What Is a Rubber Gasket?

Rubber gaskets are elastic mechanical seals that prevent leaks between two surfaces. A rubber gasket is cut or molded from an elastomeric material and fills in irregularities to connect two different surfaces when those surfaces cannot be made air or watertight. These surfaces include automotive cylinders, piping, fittings, door edges, tanks, and containers. Unlike liquid-applied sealants like caulking, rubber gaskets provide greater flexibility by allowing the two sides to be repeatedly separated and sealed. The sealing effect is produced by the parts exerting compressive forces on the gasket, which conforms to surface irregularities under bolt load and holds the seal through temperature cycles, pressure changes, and vibration.

Rubber gaskets and seals are the most widely used sealing components in industry, chosen for the chemical exposure, temperature range, and mechanical stresses of each application. Cannon Gasket has built a reputation by providing gasket manufacturing capabilities for all kinds of makes, specifications, and application scenarios for over four decades. You can rely on us for high-performance gasket requirements, timely delivery, and cost-effective pricing.

Types of Rubber Gaskets

With numerous applications and uses of rubber gaskets across various industries, from plumbing to internal combustion engines, it is essential to choose the right rubber gasket depending on the intended application. Rubber gaskets and seals are classified based on the monomers used in the polymer chain, and the type of polymer chain determines the base properties of the rubber compound.

• Buna-N/Nitrile Gaskets: Owing to their resistance to fuels, acids, oils, and petroleum-based solvents, these types of rubber gaskets are primarily used to seal automotive engine parts.
• EPDM Gaskets: These gaskets are resistant to acids and alkalis, aging, heat, oxidants, ozone, sunlight, steam, and water. They are color stable and highly durable with excellent dielectric properties.
• Neoprene Gaskets: Neoprene rubber is known for its flame retardant grades. These gaskets have improved resistance to oxidation, ozone, and oil in terms of weathering.
• Silicone Rubber: Silicone rubber is an elastomer that guarantees high performance. It is resistant to temperatures ranging from -75° F to +500°F, having excellent high- and low-temperature properties. It is also immune to the effects of aging, oxygen, ozone, UV light, water, and weathering.
• Natural Rubber Gaskets: Natural rubber gaskets are known for their resilience and fatigue resistance, providing immense flexibility for several use cases. Natural rubber gaskets are also ozone and oil-resistant.
• PTFE or Teflon Gaskets: PTFE gaskets are extensively used in chemical processing industries due to their high bonding energy, despite being technically plastic. They are particularly resistant to chemical reactions and corrosion.
• Butyl Gaskets: Butyl rubber's low unsaturation allows it to repel most chemicals, both gases and liquids, and when appropriately vulcanized it is highly resistant to aging. These are widely used in sealing equipment handling compressed air and gas processing.
• Viton: A high-performance rubber material resistant to chemicals and high temperatures, it has high tensile strength and a low compression set, making it an excellent choice for industrial applications.
• Styrene Butadiene Rubber: These gasket types have excellent tensile and impact strength, abrasion and heat resistance, and low-temperature flexibility.
• Food Grade Rubber: Gaskets made exclusively for the food industry are manufactured using FDA-approved materials and are safe to use. These have an inherent resistance to bacterial buildup.

These rubber gasket types, and the rubber seals made from them, are specified across industry, and understanding the available types of rubber seals and gaskets makes it easier to match the right material to each application.

Why Choose Rubber for a Gasket or Seal?

Engineers choose rubber over rigid gasket materials like metal, fiber, or graphite when a seal has to do more than fill a gap:

• Imperfect sealing surfaces. The low modulus of rubber lets it flow into surface scratches, pits, and flange irregularities at low clamping force.
• Vibration and thermal cycling. Elastomers dampen mechanical vibration that would crack a rigid gasket, and they compress and recover as mating surfaces expand and contract.
• Low bolt load and dielectric isolation. Rubber seals thin-wall housings and plastic flanges that cannot generate the force to crush a rigid gasket, and it electrically isolates dissimilar metals to prevent galvanic corrosion.

How to Choose the Right Rubber Gasket

When specifying a rubber gasket for a new application, work through a few questions in order:

• Operating temperature. Account for both the continuous service temperature and any short-term spikes.
• Fluid contact. Identify every liquid, gas, or vapor the gasket will touch. Petroleum points to Nitrile, steam and weather to EPDM, and aggressive chemicals to Viton.
• Regulatory requirements. FDA, NSF-61 for potable water, and USP Class VI for medical use all narrow the material selection.
• Durometer and thickness. Softer rubber seals better on rough surfaces, harder rubber handles higher bolt loads, and typical thickness runs from 1/32" to 1/4".

Working With Cannon Gasket

With decades of manufacturing precision expertise, Cannon Gasket is your one-stop shop for all things related to not only rubber gaskets but rubber washers, flat dryers, die-cut washers, and much more. We maintain inventory of common elastomers, including Nitrile, EPDM, Silicone, Viton, Neoprene, SBR, Polyurethane, and Fluorosilicone, in a range of durometers and thicknesses, and we fulfill non-metallic stamping needs through reliable domestic and international service. Our in-house tooling lets us respond to prototype runs, JIT replenishment, or high-volume production from our Fontana, California facility. To choose the right gasket for your unique needs, submit a drawing, CAD file, or physical sample and our engineering team will recommend the right compound for your operating environment.