O-Rings, made of an elastomeric material, are unlike other materials. The reason for this is because in order for an O-Ring to function properly it has to deform. Once an O-Ring is installed into a gland it is then compressed resulting in zero clearance. It’s that zero clearance that seals he Flo of fluids and gases. As the actuating pressure increases, so does the force acting on the surfaces, making a tighter seal and deforming the O-Ring. This sealing procedure works well for a lot of fluid-power systems. However, in order for it to work well it requires careful design, selection and installation procedures.
The combined effects of different environmental factors usually result in a typical O-Ring failure. Some of the most common causes of an O-Ring failure are:
Incompatibility between the O-Ring material and the fluid it is to seal.
The wrong O-Ring size
O-Ring not installed correctly
Improper gland design. This allows for too much compression and too little compression, not enough room for displacement under compression, or tolerance stack-up.
Not enough O-Ring lubrication.
