The material butadiene rubber, or more commonly known as nitrile, is by far one of the most important types of synthetic elastomers on the market. For reference, it is also called acrylonitrile butadiene and Buna rubber, and is abbreviated as NBR. NBR sheet is a reliable rubber when it comes to any application where fuels, oils or greases will be present. This characteristic is especially important when it comes to industrial machinery and equipment. The argument could be made that a nitrile sheet is one of highest prized products for industrial uses. Other elastomers, such as natural rubber or the synthetic EPDM, swell when exposed to excess oils. Neoprene is the only elastic material that has a similar set of resistances, but it still does not resist petroleum of greasy substances as effectively as nitrile.

Synthetic elastomers are engineered to possess a unique set of traits. Considering the invaluable traits of NBR, it is employed in numerous applications where no other elastomer is suitable. The material takes many forms like: medical gloves, v-belts, printer rollers, oil seals, synthetic leather, nitrile sheet and adhesives; however, a majority of NBR sheet -demanding applications assume the first form. Take a look at some ways they can be put to work:

• Buna Gaskets: The automotive industry is one of the biggest—if not the biggest—users of nitrile. NBR is not affected by most oils and is even resistant to gasoline. This, in itself, is the reason why this rubber compound is preferred in such applications. Yet, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Butadiene rubber also offers a low compression set and an operable temperature range of -22 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Seals and O-rings: As opposed to gaskets, seals do not require the utmost performance in compressibility. Seals can be generally differentiated from gaskets by its use; O-rings and other seals must maintain consistent pressure within a particular system. Buna rubber is up to the task since it is gas impermeable and won’t be compromised by varying temperatures. Applications range from industrial machinery to plumbing in a residential home.
• Conveyor Belts: Nitrile’s resistance to abrasion and tearing often are secondary to the material’s resistance to oils and greases, but these characteristics are not to be forgotten. Components like conveyor belts and automotive transmission belts take advantage of NBR’s sometimes forgotten, though useful traits. Since most food processing plants move food materials that contain, greases and oils, most FDA grade conveyor belting is made from FDA grade nitrile. In addition such conveyor belts are usually white so as to keep a clean aesthetic.
• Non-Latex Gloves: The growing velocity of latex allergy among medical workers and populace as a whole has propelled the demand for gloves made of non-latex products. The most serious form of this allergy, Type I, is an abrupt and possibly life-threatening reaction very much like an acute reaction to bee stings. NBR sheet varieties blended with vinyl and neoprene has been used as substitutes. Firms like Kossan in Malaysia have been at the forefront of producing nitrile gloves for use in the USA.

Each elastomer has its own forte, oil- and fuel-resistance being the strength of butadiene rubber. This synthetic, mostly in the form of a nitrile sheet, but generally as well, is also still included in the conversation in applications that demand characteristics such as gas impermeability, abrasion resistance and water swell resistance. While not all of these qualities are unique to buna rubber, they do not come along with the advanced set of chemical resistances which it possesses. For more insight about these resistances, make sure to speak with your selected rubber company’s product specialists. As with most rubbers, evaluate your application to figure if you can use nitrile to its fullest potential! The success of your project could depend on this rubber’s properties, and so you wouldn’t want to invest in a rubber that couldn’t properly get the job done.