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Rubber & Elastomers•Oil & Fuel Resistant Elastomers•
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Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR)

Primary Designation:ASTM NBR
Aliases:
Buna-NNitrile RubberAcrylonitrile Butadiene RubberPerbunan

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Data Completeness:0 composition elements and 1 condition-specific property values cataloged.
Omitted fields represent unverified properties. "Missing is better than invented."

Key Engineering Properties

Representative source rows, qualified by their reported conditions. Inspect the tables below for all values, limits, and source notes.

Service Temp Range
-30°C to 100°CContinuous Limit
Standard grades typically operate from -...

Engineering Summary

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR)—commonly designated Buna-N—is a synthetic copolymer of acrylonitrile (ACN) and 1,3-butadiene. It represents the global engineering standard for elastomeric seals, O-rings, and fuel delivery components exposed to petroleum-based oils, mineral fuels, hydraulic fluids, and greases. Polar acrylonitrile functional groups impart petroleum resistance; higher ACN content (18% to 50%) improves tensile strength and hydrocarbon oil resistance at the expense of low-temperature flexibility and resilience. NBR has poor ozone and outdoor weathering resistance and is attacked by polar solvents like ketones and esters.

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Documented Applications

  • ›Industrial and automotive hydraulic O-rings, rotary shaft oil seals, and lip seals
  • ›Fuel delivery lines, carburetor diaphragms, fuel tank bladder liners, and fuel pump seals
  • ›Hydraulic fluid seals for mineral oil systems (MIL-H-5606, ISO VG fluids)
  • ›Oilfield downhole packer elements, drill pipe protectors, and blowout preventer seals
  • ›Chemical-resistant disposable examination gloves and oil-handling industrial work gloves

Recognized Aliases

Source-backed commercial trade name and short designations cataloged in canonical data.

Buna-NNitrile RubberAcrylonitrile Butadiene RubberPerbunan

Elastomer Technical Profile • Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR)

ASTM D1418: NBRISO 1629: NBRASTM D2000: Type BF / BG / CH

Polymer backbone: Acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer. Thermoset and cast elastomer mechanical, thermal, and chemical behavior depends strongly on compounding ingredients, crosslink density, and curing system.

Key Engineering Advantages

  • •Outstanding resistance to petroleum-based oils, mineral fuels, hydraulic oils, and lubricating greases
  • •Low volumetric swelling in aliphatic hydrocarbons (ASTM Reference Oils IRM 901, 902, 903)
  • •Excellent compression set resistance and mechanical resilience in sealing applications
  • •Good puncture, abrasion, and tear resistance for dynamic rotary shaft sealing
  • •Cost-effective engineering solution for high-volume automotive and industrial fluid sealing

Engineering Limitations & Risks

  • •Severe degradation and surface cracking upon exposure to atmospheric ozone and UV weathering
  • •Incompatible with polar solvents including ketones (MEK, acetone), esters, and chlorinated hydrocarbons
  • •Unsuited for glycol-ether automotive brake fluids (DOT 3 / DOT 4)
  • •High-ACN grades stiffen rapidly at low temperatures (brittle point shifts up to -20°C)

Thermal Operating Limits & Service Profile

Min Continuous-30°C
Max Continuous100°C
Max Intermittent / PeakNot specified

Note: Standard grades typically operate from -30°C to +100°C continuous (-22°F to +212°F) per Parker ORD 5700 Section II (Figure 2-3). Low-ACN (~18%) grades operate down to -40°C; high-ACN (~45%) grades are limited to -15°C. Short excursions above 100°C depend on oil type and antioxidant package. ASTM D2000 heat-aging test temperatures (70h at 100°C for BF/BG, 125°C for CH) serve material callout classification rather than continuous service ratings.

Chemical & Environmental Media Compatibility (Engineering Selection Guide)

Parker ORD 5700 Selection Ratings
Ratings represent manufacturer engineering fluid selection guidance (Parker ORD 5700 / producer design manuals). They do not substitute for batch-specific ASTM D471 / ISO 1817 laboratory immersion testing under service temperature, pressure, and dynamic stress.
Petroleum Oils & GreasesMinimal volume swell and property retention in mineral oils
EXCELLENT
Hydrocarbon Fuels (Diesel / Kerosene)Excellent fuel resistance; high ACN (>38%) required for high-aromatic gasoline
GOOD
Water & Aqueous SolutionsStable in ambient water; long-term hot water (>80°C) induces hardening
GOOD
Atmospheric Ozone & UVRequires PVC blending (e.g. 70/30 NBR/PVC) or antiozonants for outdoor exposure
POOR
Ketones (Acetone / MEK)Severe swelling and chemical degradation
NOT RECOMMENDED
Phosphate Ester Hydraulic Fluids (Skydrol)Completely incompatible; use EPDM instead
NOT RECOMMENDED

Compounding & Physical Property Context

Compounding Dependency: ACN (acrylonitrile) percentage dictates key trade-offs: 18% ACN provides -40°C low-temperature flexibility with moderate oil swell; 33% ACN provides standard balance; 45% ACN provides maximum fuel/oil resistance with reduced low-temperature flexibility. Sulfur cure yields higher elongation; peroxide cure yields lower compression set.

Gas & Fluid Permeability: Low gas and fuel vapor permeability; significantly lower fuel vapor permeation than natural rubber or silicone.

Abrasion Endurance: Good dynamic sliding abrasion resistance against polished metal shafts; inferior to polyurethane in dry slurry abrasion.

Tear Resistance: Good ASTM D624 Die C tear strength; adequate for standard static and dynamic hydraulic sealing. (Die C angle geometry measures combined initiation/propagation; not equivalent to trouser tear Die T).

Compression Set (ASTM D395): Superior compression set resistance among commercial oil-resistant rubbers; standard 70 Shore A O-rings maintain sealing force over years in engine oil.

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Specifications & Designations

Standard Designations & Applicable Specifications — Semantically classified designations distinguishing primary standard identifiers, commercial trade names, and applicable specification references.

Direct Standard DesignationsDIRECT DESIGNATION
3 Primary Identifiers
Scroll horizontally for full designation data
SystemIdentifierStandard System NameClassification Notes & Provenance
ASTMPRIMARYNBRASTM D1418 Nomenclature—Ref: Standard Practice for Rubber and Rubber Latices—Nomenclature (ASTM D1418-22) / Rubber and latices—Nomenclature (ISO 1629:2013)
ISONBRISO 1629 Nomenclature—Ref: Standard Practice for Rubber and Rubber Latices—Nomenclature (ASTM D1418-22) / Rubber and latices—Nomenclature (ISO 1629:2013)
ASTM-D2000Type BF / BG / CHASTM D2000 Classification SystemASTM D2000 line callout classification: BF (100°C 70h test, moderate oil swell), BG (100°C 70h test, low oil swell), or CH (125°C 70h test, lowest oil swell); accelerated test temperatures serve classification and quality verification rather than continuous service ratings.Ref: Standard Classification System for Rubber Products in Automotive Applications (ASTM D2000-21 / SAE J200:2021)
Recognized Commercial Aliases & Trade NamesCOMMON ALIAS
4 Listed
Scroll horizontally for full alias classifications
Recognized Name / AliasClassificationTechnical Usage & Context
Buna-NCommercial AliasColloquial or commercial industry synonym
Nitrile RubberColloquial AliasColloquial or commercial industry synonym
Acrylonitrile Butadiene RubberCommercial AliasColloquial or commercial industry synonym
PerbunanCommercial AliasColloquial or commercial industry synonym
Applicable Specifications & Product Form ReferencesSPECIFICATION REFERENCE
3 Applicable Standards
Scroll horizontally for full standard specifications
Standards BodySpecification CodeSpecification Title / ScopeRelationship Type
ASTM InternationalASTM D1418Standard Practice for Rubber and Rubber Latices—NomenclatureSTANDARD · Edition: ASTM D1418-22Specification Reference
ISOISO 1629Rubber and latices — NomenclatureSTANDARD · Edition: ISO 1629:2013Specification Reference
ASTM InternationalASTM D2000Standard Classification System for Rubber Products in Automotive ApplicationsSTANDARD · Edition: ASTM D2000-21Specification Reference
Engineering Notice: Applicable specifications establish manufacturing requirements, dimensional tolerances, and test criteria for specific product forms (e.g. bus bar, wire, plate, pipe). They represent applicable technical standards, not alternative or equivalent alloy grades.

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Mechanical Properties

Contextual Mechanical Properties & Tempers: Engineering strength, ductility, and hardness values grouped by product form, temper, and section thickness. Mechanical properties are contextual and not isotropic averages.

Showing 1 of 1 conditions
Scroll horizontally for all conditions & tempers
Product FormTemper / ConditionSection SizeTensile (UTS)Yield StrengthElongationShear StrengthFatigue StrengthHardness (Scales Preserved)Status
Standard Product FormStandard 70 Shore A O-Ring Vulcanizate (Medium ACN ~33%) · 100 °C
Source values and qualifiers
Compression Set (22h at 100°C): 15–30 % (RANGE)Peroxide-cured formulations achieve 12% to 20% compression set at 100°C.ASTM D395 Method B / ISO 815-1Parker Hannifin Corporation, Engineered Materials Group — Parker Hannifin Corp. Catalog ORD 5700 (2018/2023), Section II (Basic O-Ring Elastomers: Table 2-2 & Figure 2-3), Section VII (Compatibility Tables) / ASTM D395-18 Method B
———————VERIFIED
Hardness Integrity Notice: Rockwell B (HRB), Rockwell F (HRF), and Superficial 30T (HR30T) scales are reported on their measured scales without cross-scale mathematical conversion.
Source: See fact-level citations

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Processing & Fabrication

Machining, joining, forming, and thermal processing ratings cataloged from the cited authoritative technical reference.

Source: Maurice Morton (Ed.), Springer Science+Business Media

Machinability

Cryogenically deflashed with polycarbonate media or liquid nitrogen tumbling; turned on CNC lathes equipped with frozen chuck fixtures.

Heat Treatment & Working Ranges

Vulcanized with sulfur/accelerator packages for optimal dynamic fatigue or peroxide cure packages for improved compression set and heat resistance up to 120°C.

Forming & Cold Working

Readily compounded in internal mixers with carbon black, plasticizers (phthalates, adipates), and cure packages. Formed by high-precision compression, transfer, and multi-cavity injection molding; extruded into fuel hose inner tubes.

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Equivalent & Comparable Grades

Comparable Grades & Cross-References: Carefully classified cross-reference relationships for Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR). Comparable does not mean equivalent.

Scroll horizontally for relationship classifications & comparisons
Related MaterialFamilyRelationship ClassificationMetallurgical Notes & DifferencesStatusAction
Ethylene Propylene Diene Rubber (EPDM)rubber-and-elastomersCommonly ComparedClassic polar vs non-polar trade-off: NBR resists petroleum oils and fuels but is degraded by polar solvents and ozone; EPDM resists ozone, hot water, and steam but is destroyed by petroleum hydrocarbons.Materials serve different design priorities (e.g. higher strength vs superior corrosion resistance or cost).VERIFIEDSide-by-Side Compare →
Hydrogenated Nitrile Rubber (HNBR)rubber-and-elastomersNearest AlternativeHNBR provides superior thermal resistance (+150°C vs +100°C), exceptional ozone resistance, and mechanical strength over NBR while preserving identical petroleum fluid compatibility.Design parameters (weldability, hardenability, fatigue limit) must be re-evaluated for the specific application.VERIFIEDSide-by-Side Compare →
Fluoroelastomer (FKM)rubber-and-elastomersCommonly ComparedFKM provides higher continuous temperature resistance (+200°C) and aggressive synthetic fuel resistance at significantly higher material cost than NBR.Materials serve different design priorities (e.g. higher strength vs superior corrosion resistance or cost).VERIFIEDSide-by-Side Compare →

Related Engineering & Metallurgy Guides

Contextual technical guides explaining degradation mechanisms, testing methodologies, and selection criteria relevant to Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR).

Material Selection18 min read

Types of Rubber: Elastomer Classification, Chemical Resistance & Selection Guide

Selecting the correct rubber is not a matter of choosing a generic flexible polymer—it requires matching molecular backbone chemistry to service temperature, chemical media polarity, dynamic fatigue, and compression set. This engineering guide classifies the 11 primary elastomer families, detailing their ASTM D1418 / ISO 1629 designations, mechanical performance envelopes, and rigorous selection algorithms.

Author: MatGrades Materials Engineering GroupRead Guide →
Material Selection17 min read

What is EPDM Rubber? Properties, Chemistry, Roofing vs Engineering Specifications

EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is the global benchmark elastomer for outdoor weathering, hot water, and automotive cooling systems. Its exceptional resistance to atmospheric ozone and steam degradation stems from an entirely saturated polyalkylene backbone with crosslinkable double bonds located exclusively on pendant side groups. This guide breaks down the chemical physics, curing kinetics, and standards governing EPDM specification.

Author: MatGrades Materials Engineering GroupRead Guide →
Material Selection16 min read

NBR vs EPDM: Oil Resistance, Weathering, Temperature & O-Ring Selection Guide

NBR and EPDM represent the two most widely specified synthetic elastomers in modern mechanical engineering, yet their chemical compatibility profiles are almost perfectly inverse. Specifying NBR in outdoor steam service leads to rapid embrittlement, while installing EPDM in a petroleum oil loop causes catastrophic volume swell and joint blowout. This guide provides the thermodynamic principles and engineering decision trees required to make the right choice.

Author: MatGrades Materials Engineering GroupRead Guide →
Material Selection18 min read

Natural Rubber vs Synthetic Rubber: Resilience, Fatigue, Chemistry & Industrial Trade-offs

Despite over a century of synthetic polymer synthesis, natural rubber remains indispensable in modern heavy engineering. Its unique ability to undergo instantaneous strain-induced crystallization grants it dynamic tear strength and fatigue endurance that synthetic random copolymers cannot replicate. However, when service conditions introduce petroleum fuels, atmospheric ozone, or temperatures exceeding 80°C, synthetic elastomers become mandatory. This guide examines the macromolecular physics and industrial trade-offs governing selection.

Author: MatGrades Materials Engineering GroupRead Guide →

Sources

Sources & Provenance Trail: Authoritative reference publications, standards specifications, and data registers cited across this material record.

ASTM International, ISO & Elastomer Engineering Technical CommitteesParker O-Ring Handbook (Catalog ORD 5700) & Elastomer Engineering Selection Guide
Development BenchmarkSTANDARDS ORG

Global engineering seal benchmark establishing continuous operating temperature envelopes (Figure 2-3), elastomer property comparisons (Table 2-2), ASTM D395 Method B compression set benchmarks, and manufacturer engineering fluid compatibility selection ratings (distinguished from raw laboratory immersion coupons).

Issuing Body: Parker Hannifin Corporation, Engineered Materials GroupRevision: ORD 5700 (2018/2023)View Source Record ↗
ASTM International, ISO & Elastomer Engineering Technical CommitteesStandard Practice for Rubber and Rubber Latices—Nomenclature (ASTM D1418-22) / Rubber and latices—Nomenclature (ISO 1629:2013)
STANDARDS ORG

Authoritative international nomenclature defining rubber acronyms and classification families.

Issuing Body: ASTM International & ISO Technical Committee ISO/TC 45 (Rubber and Rubber Products)Revision: ASTM D1418-22 / ISO 1629:2013View Source Record ↗
ASTM International, ISO & Elastomer Engineering Technical CommitteesStandard Classification System for Rubber Products in Automotive Applications (ASTM D2000-21 / SAE J200:2021)
STANDARDS ORG

Standardized classification system establishing Type and Class designations and line callouts for vulcanized rubber compounds.

Issuing Body: ASTM International & SAE International Technical CommitteesRevision: ASTM D2000-21View Source Record ↗
ASTM International, ISO & Elastomer Engineering Technical CommitteesRubber Technology (3rd Edition, Maurice Morton, Ed.) & Processing Specifications
STANDARDS ORG

Authoritative scientific treatise detailing cis-1,4 strain crystallization kinetics, network polysulfidic crosslink reversion at >70°C–80°C in conventional sulfur cures vs semi-EV stabilization, and SBR reinforcement.

Issuing Body: Maurice Morton (Ed.), Springer Science+Business MediaRevision: 3rd EditionView Source Record ↗
Intellectual Property & Provenance Notice: Mat Grades cites technical literature from recognized industry associations and standards organizations. Underlying technical standards and publication data remain the intellectual property of their respective issuing organizations.