Rubber and Lubricant Compatibility

This paper is a review of some of the rubber-lubricant compatibility problems facing the rubber compounder, the oil seal designer, the seal user, and the lubricant supplier as the result of anticipated higher operating temperatures.

Lubricants are specified primarily with gears, bearings, or total system performance in mind, frequently with little consideration being given to their effect on seals. Rear axle lubricants are reviewed here in some detail along with their effects on various rubber compounds at elevated temperatures. Automatic transmission fluids and engine oil are also considered.

The solution to the high-temperature seal problem will be found not only in better seal compounds but also in better high-temperature lubricants which are less severe in their effect on rubber