Buna N, vs Viton, is a synthetic rubber variation that is known for its superior oil and grease resistant properties. Buna N rubber sheets, also known as nitrile rubber, is a resilient synthetic rubber that retains excellent physical and chemical properties. As an oil resistant rubber sheet, nitrile is commonly used in industrial, automotive, and residential settings. Viton is a similar material that is used in many similar applications as Buna N rubber products; however, Viton retains slightly different physical and chemical properties. Due to its durable and long-lasting properties, Buna rubber parts are trustworthy and valued materials for creating safe applications in physically and chemically abrasive settings.

Is Buna N the Same as Nitrile?

Buna N is the same as nitrile and is also known as nitrile butadiene rubber, NBR, and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber. Nitrile rubber, as its name may suggest, is a synthetic rubber material that derives from the two chemical compounds acrylonitrile and butadiene (Wikipedia.org). Buna N rubber sheets are known for its superior oil resistant properties that make it a popular material used in industrial and residential applications where oils and fuels are commonly used. The acrylonitrile found in the composition of Buna N material determines its oil resistance and physical properties. Case in point, “NBR grades with high acrylonitrile content have better oil and abrasion resistance, whereas grades with low acrylonitrile content have better low temperature flexibility and resilience” (polymerdatabase.com). Despite the slight change in properties according to the levels of acrylonitrile used in its production process, Buna N rubber sheets are commonly used to create seals and gaskets for industrial and automotive use. Overall, Buna N material retains excellent physical and chemical properties that make it a durable and reliable material for abrasive applications. Buna N material is an elastomer, meaning it has offers flexibility and impact absorption capabilities. Due to its shock absorption capabilities, Buna rubber parts, such as protective gaskets and pads, can provide sufficient cushioning to prevent impact damage. The oil resistant rubber sheet also retains a wide operating temperature range of -22 to +248 degrees Fahrenheit. Buna N rubber products also retain excellent chemical properties, making them reliable products in the face of caustic industrial chemicals. Nitrile rolls are the superior oil and grease resistant rubber material used in industrial and automotive applications – they are also resistant to chemicals, including “benzene/petrol, ordinary diluted acids and alkalines” (Wikipedia.org). Due to these durable properties of Buna N rubber sheets, they can provide long-lasting and reliable applications in abrasive settings.

Buna N rubber sheets can be used in both industrial and residential applications. They are highly valued materials used in industrial settings due to nitrile’s superior oil and grease resistant properties. In industrial and automotive settings, Buna N rubber sheets are used to create seals and gaskets. Drops of industrial and automotive oil can remain on the surface of Buna rubber products for extended periods of time without deteriorating the material, allowing for long-lasting seals and protective gaskets in abrasive industrial and automotive settings. In addition, Buna N rubber sheets are also frequently used in residential applications. Residentially, Buna rubber products come in the form of rubber floor mats for home kitchens. Nitrile kitchen mats can offer a safer non-slip surface in the kitchen where cooking oils and greases can easily spill or drop onto the floor. Nitrile rolls are excellent oil resistant materials that are commonly used in both industrial and residential applications.

What Type of Rubber is Viton?

Like Buna N rubber sheets, Viton is a synthetic rubber; however, unlike Buna N, Viton is also characterized as a fluoroelastomer. Fluoroelastomers are a class of elastomers that retain a wider operating temperature range and enhanced chemical resistance compared to synthetic rubbers. Accordingly, Viton rubber will provide “excellent high temperature (up to 500°F or 260°C) and aggressive fluids resistance when compared with other elastomers, while combining the most effective stability to many sorts of chemicals and fluids such as oil, diesel, ethanol mix or body fluid” (Wikipedia.org). Because of its excellent chemical resistance properties, Viton is commonly used to create rubber parts, such as seals and gaskets, for unusually abrasive industrial settings. Additionally, Viton is a physically strong material. It retains excellent tear strength that allows it to remain intact and functional in physically demanding applications. As a fluoroelastomer, Viton is much denser than most types of rubber, including synthetic rubbers. For instance, Viton can easily be distinguished from other elastomers through their density which is significantly higher than most elastomers (Wikipedia.org). Viton retains similar properties as Buna N rubber sheets, but due to its enhanced chemical and physical properties, it is more durable and therefore more expensive.

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Are Viton and Nitrile the Same?

Viton and nitrile are similar materials, but they are not the same. Both Viton and Buna N rubber sheets retain resistance to oil, greases, and caustic chemicals; however, Viton is categorized as a fluoroelastomer while nitrile is not. Buna N, vs Viton, is just a synthetic rubber material that is known for its resistance to oils and greases. On the other hand, Viton retains the same protective properties as Buna N; however, because it is a fluoroelastomer, it can withstand more physically abrasive settings, stronger chemicals, and oils and greases. For instance, Buna N, vs Viton, can withstand temperatures as high as +248 degrees Fahrenheit. Contrastingly, Viton can withstand temperatures as high as +500 degrees Fahrenheit. Both materials are classified as elastomers, meaning they can efficiently absorb the force of impact to provide protective properties. In this case, Viton sheets will be a longer lasting material than Buna N rubber sheets as they are denser, allowing for better tear strength.

Buna N material, also known as nitrile rubber, is a resilient and oil resistant synthetic rubber material popularly used to create industrial rubber parts. Buna rubber parts will offer excellent oil and grease resistance, chemical resistance, and impact absorption in any setting. These properties allow Buna N rubber products to offer safety in industrial and automotive industries by remaining intact in the face of caustic chemical solvents, abrasions, and impacts. Buna N rubber sheets are commonly used to create seals and gaskets for industrial and automotive settings as well as floor mats for residential use. On the other hand, Viton is a fluoroelastomer that retains similar properties to nitrile rolls; however, it is more expensive. Buna N, vs Viton, is a valued and cost-effective synthetic rubber that will offer long-lasting and safe applications.

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