Elastomer

Rubber is a very special material. Above all, its high resilience (elasticity) stands out here. VR seals make particular use of this property thanks to their design.

Elastomers consist of a long chain of repeating monomers. Such a chain-like arrangement is called a polymer. In elastomers, this twistability is so pronounced that the molecules twist together to form a so-called polymer ball (rubber elasticity). This effort is merely the result of the rotational movement along the chain in completely random directions. The arrangement of the individual atoms of the chain around the center of the molecule corresponds to a Gaussian distribution.

If a polymer is stretched by tensile stress, the chains align themselves preferentially in the direction of the load. The elastomer is therefore stretched. As soon as the tensile stress is removed, the chains begin to rotate randomly again, in the course of which they again adopt the statistically based Gaussian distribution. The chains “relax” and the elastomer contracts again. VR Dichtungen offers you a very wide range of elastomers, from NBR for standard seals to the latest high-performance materials, also for FDA/food requirements.

The following should be emphasized here:
VR HNBR, excellent for use at higher pressures, not prone to explosive decompression*.
VR FKM with PTFE or self-lubricating additives.