Hydraulic cylinders are widely used in industrial machinery and a variety of other applications, too. Some applications of these cylinders are plough trucks, aircraft, utility vehicles, a compactor at a recycling center, and many more. These cylinders are designed to keep hydraulic fluids at a certain pressure. To achieve this, various types of static and dynamic seals, known as hydraulic seals are used. These seals are designed for challenging environments, where they may be exposed to ambient temperatures, harsh chemicals and liquids, and so on. To withstand it all, they are made of certain non-metallic materials. This post discusses some of the popular and advanced hydraulic seals materials and more.

An Overview of the Popular Hydraulic Seal Materials and Their Properties

Owing to advanced plastic and polymer technologies, today, it is easy to find hydraulic seals in a variety of materials. However, the following are a few common ones among them, which have gained popularity owing to their proven performance and affordability.

1. Thermoset Polyurethane: This refers to a wide set of versatile materials that are manufactured as elastomers; however, they behave like thermoplastics. Thermoset polyurethane has an excellent load-bearing capacity compared to other elastomers. Also, seals made of this material can withstand impact and resist fracture. The seals made of thermoset polyurethane is suited for high flex applications and they do not crack due to continuous flexing. They do not deteriorate or swell under water even if immersed for a long time. All these properties make thermoset polyurethane one of the popular hydraulic seal materials.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

   

2. NBR: Made of polymers of acrylonitrile and butadiene, NBR rubber is widely used for making hydraulic seals for challenging applications. These seals can withstand a variety of hydraulic fluids and temperatures. Also, they exhibit brilliant resistance to UV rays and weathering, harsh chemicals, and wearing. In addition to this, rubbers like HNBR and FKM are also used for making various hydraulic seals.                                                                                               

   

3. Thermoplastic Elastomers: They combine the best properties of plastic and rubber. DuPont™ Hytrel® TPC-ET thermoplastic elastomer is one of the best examples of thermoplastic elastomers. They combine the flexibility of rubber with the machinability of thermoplastics. Many manufacturers choose Hytrel® TPC-ET thermoplastic elastomer for building hydraulic seals owing to their resilience as well as resistance to chemicals, heat, and pressure.
4. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE): It is a type of thermoplastic polyethylene that is used for making hydraulic seals for industrial applications that demand low friction, chemical resistance, and durability. Over the years, UHMWPE has emerged as one of the popular hydraulic seal materials because it can withstand water and offer good abrasion resistance, too.
5. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE): PTFE possesses peculiar traits, which makes it one of the excellent hydraulic seal materials. This material can resist chemicals, water, and possesses brilliant wear resistance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

   

The selection of the right material will depend on your application requirements. Today, many manufacturers specialize in these seals and offer them in custom specifications in the material of your choice. So, if you are looking for quality hydraulic seals in any of these or other materials, it is important that you must partner with an experienced player like SSP Manufacturing, Inc. The company manufactures and provides hydraulic seals in a variety of materials including the ones discussed above. It provides seals in FDA approved materials, which makes them popular in food and beverage processing as well as pharmaceutical industries. The experts at the company will help you choose from various hydraulic seal materials and allow you to take advantage of the material properties for application benefits.