What can I use instead of O-ring lubricant?
Any food-grade vegetable oil or food-grade silicone grease can be used to lubricate the o-ring. No petroleum products can be used."
As mentioned above, and unlike lithium grease, silicone lubricant is the perfect lubricant for rubber surfaces, but it is also extremely versatile, so it can be used on most other materials, including metal, plastic, wood, and even painted materials.
Don't Use Vaseline or Oil
But DO NOT use Vaseline, mineral oil, baby oil, or vegetable oil to lubricate o-rings. Oils degrade rubber and will actually cause the rubber to swell.
Well Mike no you do not want to use Vaseline on your rings. The petroleum jelly just eats away at
It absolutely does not harm the o-rings. You'll wear out the sprockets long before the chain. When you replace the sprockets (typically somewhere around 15-20K miles), you replace the chain too. In that period of time you are not going to harm your chain with WD-40.
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Vegetable oil should NEVER be used to lubricate mechanical parts. It always leaves a solid deposit which later will be stuck to the parts you wanted to lubricate.
Plumber's grease is also used by, well, plumber's for O-rings, gaskets, cartridges, handles, swivel joints and other moving parts on plumbing fixtures like toilets, showers, and faucets. Because it's safe for potable water you'd be surprised at all the plumbing places that could use a little lubrication!
Silicone lubricant is waterproofing and lubricating. It costs $10 for a small tube and is available at all auto parts stores. Be safe, use silicone grease on your o-rings and rubber seals in pressure washer wands, hoses and pumps.
How do you stop an O-ring from leaking?
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Plumber's Grease vs WD-40
WD-40 is another popular greasing alternative for plumber's grease. Like silicone spray, it's easy to apply, and most people will have some lying around at home. If you're in a hurry and don't have time to get a plumber's grease, you can use WD-40 as a temporary alternative.

By far the most suitable lubrication solution for rubber is a carefully formulated emulsion of oil and water emulsion. This is because it can overpower rubber's low surface energy. Effectively, this means that emulsion-style lubricant can completely coat the surface of rubber without any beading.
"The essential oil and the rubber are both nonpolar hydrocarbons, so when they come together, some of the rubber dissolves into the oil, causing it to weaken."
Vaseline, or petroleum jelly, is an oil based ointment that people can use to moisturize and soften dry skin. Although Vaseline may work as a sexual lubricant, it can damage latex condoms and increase the risk of infection and unintended pregnancy. It is better to use a water or glycol based lubricant.
WD-40 Specialist® Silicone Lubricant safely lubricates, waterproofs and protects metal and non-metal surfaces such as rubber, plastic and vinyl. This formula dries fast and leaves a clear, non-staining film that doesn't stick or make a mess, so it won't attract dirt.
When applied to certain types of plastic, WD40 will slowly disintegrate and discolor the exposed surface. If left for a prolonged period, WD40 may begin breaking down the chemical structure. Crystalline plastics are generally safe while amorphous plastics are not.
WD-40 Specialist silicone lubricant helps keep rubber components safe. The lubricant can withstand temperature from -35°C to +200°C. The lubricant protects rubber parts from attracting dust and prevents moisture. Give the rubber seals at least an hour to settle properly and then apply the lubricant.
Cleaning Methods
Method 1: Wiping with 100% Isopropyl Alcohol for 30 to 60 seconds. Method 2: Washing in an Ultra Sonic Machine for 15 minutes using a 50/50 mix of Isopropyl Alcohol/Water. Method 3: Sending through the washer in our clean room with a 1% Valtech Solution.
While Vaseline and other petroleum products may degrade real rubber (actually made from the rubber tree), current o-rings technology does not use natural rubber.
How do I stop my rubber seals from sticking?
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It isn't uncommon in industrial applications for for greases to come in contact with rubber seals or other parts. Many greases aren't compatible with certain types of rubber, which can cause seals to swell or crack and lead to damage and down-time.
If your rubber wellies get chalky after a few wears, rub them with olive oil to erase the white marks. Avoid getting oil on the soles, though; it may cause you to slip next time you put them on.
The addition of coconut oil acts as plasticizer and had remarkably improved tensile strength. This is because coconut oil is high in saturated fatty acid that decreases the bound rubber, therefore leads to strong interaction with filler surface (Nasruddin and Susanto 2018).
Silicone Spray can help extended the life of these rubber seals and keep them functioning longer.
It's not advisable to use them on plastic parts. As lithium is based on petroleum, it tends to speed up rubber and plastic components decay. Lithium-based grease can withstand high temperatures and are perfect for cars, heavy machinery, and guns.
Red Rubber Grease is used to protect & lubricate rubber components. It is manufactured using vegetable oil as the base lubricant. Vegetable oil is used as unlike other oils it does not damage rubber. The red colour is due to the addition of a red dye to make it easily distinguishable from other greases.
The one time you should never use silicone lube is when you're using silicone sex toys. “Like damages like,” Dr. Rowen says. “Silicone lubes will break down sex toys." Instead, opt for a water-based with a silicone sex toy or oil-based if you don't need to use any latex barrier on the toy.
- BEST OVERALL: WD-40 Specialist Water-Resistant Silicone Lubricant.
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: WD-40 Multi-Use Product (2 pack)
- BEST FOR RUBBER: DuPont Teflon Silicone Lubricant.
- BEST FOR GARAGE DOOR: 3-in-ONEProfessional Garage Door Lubricant.
Apply the lubricant directly to the O-ring using a brush or your fingers; spread or brush evenly. Dip the O-ring into a container of lubricant. Dispense the lubricant directly into the O-ring packaging and spread evenly within.
What is the number one cause of O-ring failures?
The most common causes of O-Ring failures include: Improper gland design, allowing for too much or too little compression, not enough for seal expansion and tolerance stack-up.
O-ring leaks can usually be traced back to three common causes. The main cause is the incorrect dimensioning of the O-ring combined with the groove dimensions. You can use our O-ring calculator to help you do this. The second cause of leaks from seals is the excessive stretching or compression of the O-ring.
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Silicone grease is NOT a petroleum product, it's a thickened silicone oil used not to pack, but to lubricate rubbers and synthetic rubbers. It is not used to 'pack' as the products it is designed to lubricate are the correct packing in themselves.
Silicone is the slipperiest of all lubricants, so it's a great choice for items that slide against one another. Silicone repels water, but not water vapor, so you can use it to dry out electrical connectors.
According to the website WD40 is safe on rubber. The only materials which are mentioned as being affected are polycarbonate and clear polystyrene.
Apply a grease-based lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, by dipping a paper towel into the container, then rubbing the lubricant onto the door gasket. Coat the entire gasket thoroughly, wiping excess off one area and onto another.
Spray silicone on all weather stripping. Silicone will keep ice from bonding the rubber to the metal doors. That'll make doors open smoother and may even prevent tears in the weather stripping. Coat all the weather stripping with dry Teflon spray.
Silicone Spray can help extended the life of these rubber seals and keep them functioning longer.
While sulfur was the original plasticizer for natural rubber, you can soften most modern rubber by allowing it to soak for at least 24 hours in a solution of three parts isopropyl alcohol and one part methyl salicylate.
Does WD-40 hurt rubber or plastic?
WD-40 can be used on just about everything. It is safe for metal, rubber, wood and plastic. WD-40 can be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40.
Silicone spray contains the plasticizers needed to restore hardened rubber to its original suppleness. You can also heat rubber to make it more flexible when cold temperatures have caused it to harden.
What lubricant is best for o rings? Silicone lubricant grease. Protective, waterproof, simple to use. As o rings are made from synthetic rubbers such as Neoprene, nitrile, and EPDM, you can use petroleum grease to perfectly lubricate the o ring.
If you're getting enough moisture into the seal/door interface, the seals are already failing. It's time to replace them. However, if you want to hold it off for a little while, vaseline is fine.
- Store rubber at room temperature.
- Avoid exposure to UV light.
- Wash rubber with gentle cleaners.
- Keep conditioning to a minimum to restore softness.
- Store rubber objects in airtight containers.
Plumber's Grease vs WD-40
WD-40 is another popular greasing alternative for plumber's grease. Like silicone spray, it's easy to apply, and most people will have some lying around at home. If you're in a hurry and don't have time to get a plumber's grease, you can use WD-40 as a temporary alternative.
Wipe it with silicone. To prevent the rubber from drying and cracking in the future, cover it with silicone. This will protect it from the heat, preserving its sponginess and lubricating it. Silicone will also prevent the car's weatherstripping from freezing during the winter.
You can easily replace the rubber seal on your own and use the WD-40 Specialist silicone lubricant to ensure that the rubber lasts for a long time. Following is a step-by-step guide on how to remove your car's window rubber seal and replace it with a new one.
The solution is: Use silicone lubricant for o-rings and seals to be safe. Silicone lubricant is waterproofing and lubricating. It costs $10 for a small tube and is available at all auto parts stores. Be safe, use silicone grease on your o-rings and rubber seals in pressure washer wands, hoses and pumps.
The one time you should never use silicone lube is when you're using silicone sex toys. “Like damages like,” Dr. Rowen says. “Silicone lubes will break down sex toys." Instead, opt for a water-based with a silicone sex toy or oil-based if you don't need to use any latex barrier on the toy.
Does silicone oil damage rubber?
Silicone grease is commonly used for lubricating and preserving many types of rubber parts, such as O-rings, without swelling or softening the rubber, but is contraindicated for silicone rubber due to these factors. It functions well as a corrosion inhibitor and lubricant on non-metal-metal contact areas.