Rubber Properties

The chart below is intended to help in the material selection stage of designing rubber parts / products.
Rubber compounding is a very broad and technical field, since basic rubbers or elastomers are mixed
with various chemicals and ingredients (and even with each other) to obtain desired physical properties.
A wide variety of basic polymers (rubbers) are available, and a literally infinite array of compounds
exhibiting unique physical properties as well as chemical, fluid, and temperature resistances are possible.
This chart, therefore, deals only with very general features of the most common basic rubber or elastomer
compounds, but more specific information is available upon request.
Common
Name(s)

General Chemical Resistance3

1

Composition

General Properties

CR

Chloroprene

Good Weathering
Resistance. Flame
retarding. Moderate
resistance to pertroleumbased fluids.

EPDM

EPDM, EPM

Ethylene-propylenediene; Ethylenepropylene

Excellent ozone, chemical, Animal and vegetable

and aging resistance. Poor oils, ozone, strong and
resistance to pertoleumoxidizing chemicals.
based fluids.

Buna-N

NBR

Nitrile-butadiene

Excellent resistance to
pertoleum-based fluids.
Good physical properties.

Many hydrocarbons, fats, Ozone (except PVC

oils, greases, hydraulic
blends), ketones, esters,
fluids, chemicals.
aldehydes, chlorinated and
nitro hydrocarbons.

Silicone

Q, Si

Polysiloxane

Excellent high and low

temperature properties.
Fair physical properties.

Moderate or oxidizing
chemicals, ozone,
concentrated sodium
hydroxide.

Many solvents, oils,

concentrated acids, dilute
sodium hydroxide.

Good physical properties

and abrasion resistance.
Poor resistance to
petroleum-based fluids.

Most moderate
chemicals, wet or dry,
organic acids, alcohols,
ketones, aldehydes.

Ozone, strong acids, fats,

oils, greases, most
hydrocarbons.

Isobutene-isoprene

Very good weathering

resistance. Excellent
dialectric properties. Low
permeability to air. Good
physical properties. Poor
resistance to petroleumbased fluids.

Petroleum, solvents, coal

Animal and vegetable
fats, oils, greases, ozone, tar solvents, aromatic
hydrocarbons.
strong and oxidizing
chemicals.

Excellent physical
properties including
abrasion and low
temperature resistance.
Poor resistance to
petroleum-based fluids.

Most moderate
chemicals, wet or dry,
organic acids, alcohols,
ketones, aldehydes.

Similar to natural rubber.

Similar to natural rubber. Similar to natural rubber.

Neoprene

SBR

Butyl

Designation

SBR

IIR

Styrene-butadiene

Natural, Gum
Rubber

NR

Isoprene, natural

Isoprene,
Polyisoprene

IR

Isoprene, synthetic

Hypalon

CSM

Chloro-sulfonylpolyethylene

Resistent to:

Attacked by:

Moderate chemicals and

acids, ozone, oils, fats,
greases, many oils, and
solvents.

Strong oxidizing acids,

esters, ketones,
chlorinated, aromatic and
nitro hydrocarbons.

Excellent ozone,
Similar to Neoprene with
weathering, and acid
improved acid resistance.
resistance. Good and
abrasion and heat
resistance. Fair resistance
to petroleum-based fluids.

Mineral oils and solvents,

aromatic hydrocarbons.

Ozone, strong acids, fats,

oils, greases, most
hydrocarbons.

Concentrated oxidizing
acids, esters, ketones,
chlorinated, aromatic, and
nitro hydrocarbons.

ABR, ACM

Excellent resistance to high

temperature, oil and air,
ozone, and weathering.
Acrylate-butadiene,
Poor low temperature
copolymer of acrylic
ester and acrylic halide properties. Not
recommended for water
service.

AU, EU

Polyethylene-apdate,
Poly (oxy-1, 4,
butylene) ether

Good aging and excellent Ozone, hydrocarbons,

abrasion, tear, and solvent moderate chemicals,
resistance. Poor high
fats, oils, greases.
temperature properties.

CPE

Chlorinatedpolyethylene

Excellent ozone and

weathering resistance;
good heat resistance.
Moderate resistance to
petroleum-based fluids.

Viton 4,
Fluoroelastomer

FPM

Hexaflouropropylenevinylidene flouride

Butadiene
rubber

BR

Kalrez 4

AFMU

Acrylic, Poly
Acrylate

Urethane

Chlorinatedpolyethylene

Hydrin, Herchlor CO

ECH, Hydrin,
Herchlor

ECO

Fluoro-silicone

FSi

Ozone, extreme
pressure, lubricants, hot
oils, petroleum solvents,
animal and vegetable
fats.

Water, alcohols, glycols,

alkali, esters, aromatic and
halogenated hydrocarbons,
phenol.

Concentrated acids,
ketones, esters, chlorinated
and nitro hydrocarbons.

Excellent oil and air

resistance both at low and
high temperatures. Very
good chemical resistance.

All aliphatic, aromatic

and halogenated
hydrocarbons, acids,
animal and vegetable
oils.

Ketones, low molecular

weight esters and nitro
containing compounds.

Excellent abrasion
resistance and low
temperature properties.
High resilience.

Similar to SBR

Similar to SBR

Polybutadiene

Tetraflouroethyleneflouronitrosomethaneperflourobutyric acid

Excellent chemical
resistance. Excellent high
and low temperature
properties.

Polychloromethyl
oxirane

Excellent oil and ozone

Similar to nitrile with
resistance. Good flame
ozone resistance.
resistance and low
permeability to gases. Fair
low temperature properties.

Ketones, esters, aldehydes,

chlorinated and nitro
hydrocarbons.

Ethylene oxide and

chloromethyl oxirane

Good low temperature

Similar to nitrile with
properties. Excellent oil
ozone resistance.
and ozone resistance. Fair
flame resistance. Low
permeability to gases.

Ketones, esters, aldehydes,

chlorinated and nitro
hydrocarbons.

Flourocarbon

Moderate or oxidizing
chemicals, ozone,
aromatic chlorinated
solvents, bases.

Brake fluids, hydrazine,

ketones.

Footnotes
1. From the "Sheet Rubber Handbook - Gasket and Packing Materials" publication #IP-40 of the
Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).
2. ASTM D 1418-79
3. 1979 Yearbook of the Los Angeles Rubber Group, Inc.
4. "Viton" and "Kalrez" are registered trademarks of E.I. Dupont, Inc.