should be covered by an assembly Some applications benefit from the use of an

sleeve. internally lubricated elastomer. Internal

lubrication is typically accomplished in one of
 A suitable lubricant should be applied to
two ways.
the assembly surfaces and/or the O-
rings.  A Lubricant (typically an oil or wax) that
 All installation tools (mandrels, sleeves, is somewhat incompatible with the
etc.) should be made of a soft material elastomer is added to the elastomer
and not have any sharp edges. during compounding. The incompatibility
causes the lubricant to “bloom” to the
 The O-ring should not be rolled over
surface of the molded part over time,
assembly surfaces.
thus providing longer-term lubrication.
 Ensure that O-ring is not twisted during
 A non-blooming lubricant, such as
installation into the groove.
MoS2 or PTFE, is added during
compounding to provide even longer-
O-Ring Lubrication term lubrication.

Most O-rings require some sort of lubrication for

storage (to keep the parts from sticking
together), for installation or for automatic
feeding. Many lubrication options are available
depending on the requirements of your
applications.

Shorter-term lubrication of the O-ring can be

accomplished by coating the exterior of the part
with:

 Silicone oil
 Graphite
 Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)
 Talcum Powder
Longer-term external lubrication can be realized
with:

 PTFE Coating
 Applying other dry lubricants to the
surface