REPRINTED FROM

MACHINE DESIGN
April 12, 1979

O-RINGS FOR
LOW-PRESSURE
SERVICE

P.O. BOX 519 , RED BANK, NEW JERSEY 07701 (201) 747-9200
DANIEL L. HERTZ, JR.
President Seals Eastern
Inc. Red Bank, N.J.

O-RINGS normally operate with about

15% squeeze to ensure a tight seal.
But at system pressures below 400
psi, this amount of squeeze can cause
high friction and excessively high
actuating forces.
Reducing the amount of squeeze
lowers friction to acceptable levels;
however, lower squeeze also means
lower sealing pressure and greater
potential for leakage. This problem is
aggravated by the stress relaxation
characteristics of the seal material.
Thus, an O-ring that seals well
initially may lose resilience with time
and fail suddenly.
Designing O-ring seals for low
pressures, therefore, is not simply a
matter of reducing the amount of
squeeze: it involves a delicate
balancing of material hardness,
dimensional tolerances, stress
relaxation, and friction characteristics.

Material Hardness

The initial phase of designing a

low-pressure O-ring seal is the same
as that for a conventional O-ring.
Size and fluid compatibility
requirements are evaluated and
O-ring dimensions selected from a
catalog. The catalogs usually list a
recommended range of squeeze
values, as shown in Table 1.
Squeeze is defined as the ratio

2
Most O-rings operate with enough "squeeze" to provide a
reliable seal under almost any conditions. But low-pressure
systems generate less squeeze, increasing the potential for
leakage. Only a careful balancing of O-ring material
properties ensures leak-free operation at low pressures.

with specifying squeeze at the low can be calculated from

end of the range is that di- b = 2.4x
mensional tolerances can reduce
the amount of squeeze actually Then, the peak contact stress can
placed on the O-ring. For instance, be found from
tolerance on the 0.070-in. thick
O-ring is ±0.003 in. In the worst
case (0.067-in. thickness), this
tolerance can account for 8.6% of If f ' is greater than the system
the squeeze allowance, leaving only pressure, the O-ring will seal the
6.3% to be supplied by the fit joint. If f ' is less than system
between parts. In other words, an pressure, the ring will leak and a
undersize O-ring has less material material with a higher Young's
to compress and cannot be Modulus must be specified,
squeezed as tightly against the thereby increasing compressive
sealing surfaces. This problem can force and contact stress.
be minimized by specifying
O-rings with one-half the normal Seal Friction
dimensional tolerances. Such seals In low-pressure systems, seal
are available from most friction can raise the required
manufacturers at a premium price. actuating pressure to many times
The next step in the design that available in the system.
procedure is to calculate the Therefore, seal friction must be
compression force developed in minimized for the system to
the O-ring. This force is directly operate properly. Generally, seal
related to the sealing ability of the friction force should be maintained
ring and is calculated from below 20 lb to keep actuating force
within reasonable limits.
The friction force for an O-ring
seal can be estimated from

75 1340
To use this equation, Young's
Modulus must be determined first.
of seal deflection to seal thickness,
This value depends on material where coefficient of friction, µ ,
x/d. Generally, the seal is designed
hardness, and typical values are can change from 0.001 to over 10,
to operate at the high end of the
listed in Table 2. For most depending on the operating
squeeze range to ensure a tight
applications, a Shore A hardness of conditions.
seal. But at low system pressures,
70 is sufficient; therefore, the initial When more than one O-ring is
squeeze must be specified at the
calculation of F is based on this used in the system, the friction
low end of the range.
hardness. forces from all the seals must be
The squeeze values listed in
From the specified squeeze and combined to determine the total
Table 1 are based on nominal seal
seal thickness, contact area friction force. If the calculated
thickness. One problem
force is greater than
20 lb, a softer seal material force must be lowered by reduc- an unlubricated seal.
should be used; this lowers ing the coefficient of friction. This increase with time is
Young's Modulus and compres- This factor is a complex function caused by the atomic interaction
sive force. However, the change of lubricant film thickness, time, between the O-ring and its
to a softer seal material must be contact stress, sliding speed, and sealing surface, which causes the
made with care because a lower surface finish. two surfaces to adhere tightly.
compressive force also means a Tests have shown that the The adhesive force can be quite
lower contact stress. Thus, the longer a lubricated seal sits idle, high and eventually squeezes
change could lower peak contact the higher its static, or most of the lubricant from under
stress below system pressure, breakaway, coefficient of friction. the contact area. On start-up, the
resulting in a leaky seal. Eventually, the friction adhered O-ring peels away in
If a softer material lowers coefficient reaches a maximum progressive waves that break
contact stress too much, friction value almost as high as that for away and reform
on the moving surface, This action
shears what little lubricant is present
and traps it in the rubber folds.

Seal adhesion can be minimized by

optimizing surface finish and
lubricant viscosity. Experience has
shown that the optimum surface
finish is 0.4µ m. This finish leaves
tiny pockets that collect lubricant,
making it available at startup. Too
smooth a finish leaves no pockets for
the lubricant, while too rough a finish
causes high wear.

A reciprocating seal should be

lubricated with high viscosity
lubricants because they produce a
strong hydrodynamic film. This film
resists displacement by the adhesive
forces when the seal is stationary. A
rotary seal, on the other hand, can be
lubricated with low-viscosity
lubricants because rotary motion aids
development of a hydrodynamic film.

Thickness of the hydrodynamic

film between asperities on the O-ring
and sealing surface has been
calculated as 6 x 10 in. Shear of this
film is the prime cause of dynamic or
running friction. In general, the
dynamic coefficient of friction is a
function of lubricant viscosity and
sliding velocity. The coefficient
generally starts high, decreases to a
minimum value, then increases again.
Thus, running friction can be
minimized by optimizing viscosity
and velocity.

Several tests have been run to

determine the effect of
material-formula modifications on
seal friction. The addition of
materials such as graphite,
molybdenum disulphide, and PTFE
sometimes reduce friction, but the
reduction is more likely a result of
lowering Young's Modulus than a
lubricating effect. Also, the
incorporation in the elastomer of
high-molecular-weight waxes and oils
that migrate to the surface has proved
unsuccessful in
 Table 3-Glass-Transition Temperatures for
lowering friction. O-ring Materials
Surface treatments have been
Material Transition Temperature
more successful. Halogenation with
(°F)
chlorine or bromine reduces friction Nitrile (NBR) 34% ACN -21
by lowering the surface free energy 38% ACN -13
(and, therefore, attraction force) and Fluoro Rubber (FKM) -4
by creating lubricant pockets. Silicone (VMQ) -85
Chloroprene (CR) -40
Fluorination, although far less Ethylene Propylene (EPDM) -85
common, has similar effects.
Surface treatments of PTFE-resin with material composition,
binder coatings and tumble temperature, and fluid reactions. steel. Therefore, at high temperatures,
treatment in molybdenum disulphide Typical values range from 0.5% to insufficient groove volume can
or graphite have been used along 10% per time decade. (The time from produce expansion forces that
with silicone oil dips with limited 1 to 10 min is designated as one extrude the seal into the clearances.
success. Also, polymerization of decade, as is the much longer time This problem can be minimized by
monomers on the O-ring surface from 1 to 10 weeks.) increasing groove dimensions to
with plasma techniques offers some The result of stress relaxation is provide sufficient room for
improvement; however, the that peak compressive stress expansion.
techniques are costly and slow. eventually drops below system Lowering operating temperature
Finally, the grafting onto the seal pressure, and the seal leaks. Thus, results in a continuous decrease in the
surface of high-molecular-weight oils stress relaxation effects must be physical volume of the seal.
having reactive end groups shows factored into the determination of Eventually, the seal reaches its
promise for the future. material hardness and compressive so-called glass-transition temperature,
stress. where it seals only along two thin
Stress Relaxation Stress relaxation rates are available lines. Further reduction of
from O-ring manufacturers; temperature shrinks the seal even
The useful sealing life of an however, the ratings may be for a more, resulting in leakage.
O-ring depends on two viscoelastic temperature or fluid condition
material properties: compression set, different from that required. If the The glass-transition temperature
the residual deformation of a correct data are not available, the corresponds to 100% compression
material after the load is removed; stress relaxation rate can be set. At this temperature, the seal
and stress relaxation, the decrease in determined from a simple can shatter like glass if subjected to
stress after a given time at a constant relaxometer test, such as that a shock or impact load. Values of
strain. These properties reduce the described in ASTM D-1395, or with glass transition temperature for
resiliency of the seal material and a Lucas relaxometer. O-ring materials are listed in
must be taken into account when Once the stress relaxation rate is Table 3. To avoid low
specifying material hardness. known, the time for peak contact temperature problems, O-rings
When a seal is under constant stress to equal system pressure can be should operate at temperatures
compression, the initial stress decays calculated easily. In general, if the 10° to 15°F higher than those
at a rate proportional to the calculated time period produces a seal listed in the table.
logarithm of time. The stress life lower than 20 x 106 cycles, then a
relaxation rate varies harder seal material (higher Young's
Modulus and higher compressive References
Nomenclature stress) must be used. 1. C.J. Derham, "Elastomeric Sealing,"
Engineering, May 1977.
b = Seal contact area, in.2 Temperature Effects 2. P. B. Lindley, "Engineering Design with
Di = Seal inside diam, in. Natural Rubber," Malaysian Rubber
Dm = Seal mean diam, in. Producers' Research Association, London,
D = Seal outside diam, in. The effects of operating 1974.
d = Seal thickness, in. temperature are more pronounced 3. P. B. Lindley, "Compression
E = Young's Modulus, psi for low-squeeze O-rings because the Characteristics of Laterally Unrestrained
F = Compressive load, lb seal has a lower tolerance for change. Rubber O-Rings," Journal of the Institution,
Ff = Friction force, lb of the Rubber Industry, July/August 1967.
f ′ = Peak contact stress, psi The volumetric expansion rate for
x = Seal deflection, in. rubber is about 15 times higher than
4. A. D. Roberts, "Optical Rubber," Rubber
µ= Coefficient of friction that for Deuelopments, Vol. 29, No. 1, 1976.
5. A. D. Roberts, "Looking at Rubber
Friction," Rubber Deuelopments, Vol. 29, No.
4, 1976.

Copyright 1979 by Penton/IPC Inc., Cleveland, Ohio 4411 l