Prediction of Extrusion Failures of O-Ring Seals

Abstract

It is generally recommended by most manufacturers to keep working pressures of O-ring seals below 10 MPa (20 MPa with backup rings) and clearances below 0.15 mm, or else they might fail by extrusion. For many applications, and especially for large one-shot impact devices, these limits are much too low, and more realistic limits may be set through better understanding of the failure modes.

A theoretical analysis of the O-ring elastic and plastic extrusion process is developed and test results up to 350 MPa are shown to support the analysis. The resulting extrusion fail-loads are examined as function of seal geometry, material properties, and load rates. Some design recommendations and further research efforts are discussed.

Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, October 16–20, 1983

Notes

Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, October 16–20, 1983