O-rings can fail for a number of reasons. What do all these reasons have in common? They deal with the combined adverse effects of several environmental factors.
The most common causes of O-ring failure:
• Improper gland design*
• Incorrect O-ring size
• Incompatibility of O-ring elastomer and environmental elements
• Improper O-ring installation
• Inadequate O-ring lubrication
*Improper gland design can cause three problems:
1. allowing too much or too little compression
2. not leaving enough room for seal expansion
3. tolerance stack-up.
Thankfully, our knowledgeable engineers will be able to assist you with your sealing solution. Visit our website and the Troubleshooting section of our Seal Design Guide to find out more.