Analysing 13 compounds by temperature, chemical media, environment and application — find the right rubber in under 2 minutes
Full analysis: the most accurate result in 6 steps · Quick analysis: temperature and contact media only
A rubber compound is the final, cure-ready formulation of an elastomer polymer combined with additives, engineered to reach specific technical properties — hardness, chemical resistance, heat resistance or abrasion resistance. A typical rubber compound starts from a base polymer (such as NBR, EPDM, silicone or natural rubber), then adds reinforcing fillers (carbon black or silica), plasticizers, a curing system (sulfur or peroxide) and stabilizers. Choosing the right rubber compound has to happen before any rubber part is produced — from O-rings and gaskets to hoses, oil seals and vibration mounts — because the wrong material will swell, harden, crack or leak prematurely in real service conditions, even when its dimensions are perfect.
On most industrial projects, the cost of the rubber part itself is small next to the cost of a production-line stoppage, a fluid leak or repeated part replacement. A rubber compound that isn't matched to the operating temperature or the chemical it contacts typically loses its properties far sooner than its expected service life. Surface cracking from ozone exposure, swelling and softening from oil or solvent contact, and hardening or brittleness at high temperature are the most common signs of a wrong compound choice — signs we break down in full in our guide, Causes of Leakage, Cracking and Drying of Rubber Parts. Hamta Polymer's smart assistant exists to remove that risk: instead of choosing a compound by habit or guesswork, it bases its recommendation on engineering reference data.
Choosing the right rubber compound for an industrial part depends on several technical parameters at once: the operating temperature range, the chemicals the part will contact, the environmental conditions (ozone, sunlight, abrasion) and the industry it serves. Hamta Polymer's smart assistant runs these parameters against a technical database of 13 industrial compounds and, in a few simple steps, recommends the best options with a clear match percentage.
Select the industry, component type, operating temperature range and the media the part will be in contact with.
Specify any required certifications (food contact, medical grade, potable water) and whether cost or performance matters more to you.
The scoring engine rates every compound on temperature, chemical resistance, environment and application, and rules out unsuitable options with a stated reason.
See a ranked shortlist, compare up to 3 compounds side by side, and open the full technical datasheet for each.
Most industries are well served by just a handful of compounds. The table below is a quick overview — for a precise, ranked recommendation matched to your exact component and project conditions, use the assistant's full analysis.
Engine components, fuel systems, brakes, sealing strips, vibration mounts
O-rings, hoses, cylinders, diaphragms, shaft seals
Wellhead sealing, packing, oil-transfer hoses, high-pressure O-rings
Tank lining, chemical-resistant O-rings, chemical-transfer hoses
Tire tread, sidewalls, inner liners, passenger and industrial tires
Conveyor belts, liners, gaskets, wear-resistant components
Sealants, expansion joints, window seals, moisture insulation
Food-equipment gaskets, milk-transfer tubing, molds, gloves
Medical tubing, pacifiers, catheters, pharmaceutical O-rings
Wire insulation, keypads, IP-rated O-rings, cable jacketing
Valve gaskets, pump O-rings, piping, diaphragms
Jet-fuel sealing, hydraulic systems, aircraft components
Irrigation hoses, machinery tires, tractor O-rings
Washing-machine gaskets, refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens
General components, gaskets, O-rings, industrial hoses
The assistant's database covers 13 common industrial rubber compounds, built on engineering reference sources including ASTM D2000, SAE J200 and the Parker O-Ring Handbook. A full technical datasheet — hardness range, tensile strength and chemical resistance — is available for each.
Polybutadiene Rubber (BR / PBR)
The most affordable synthetic rubber, with outstanding abrasion resistance and excellent low-temperature flexibility. Rarely used alone — mainly blended with NR or SBR for tires and conveyor belts.
Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR)
The world's most widely used synthetic rubber and a cost-effective alternative to natural rubber, with excellent abrasion resistance. A default choice for tires, conveyor belts and general industrial parts.
View the full SBR datasheetNatural Rubber (Polyisoprene)
Tapped from the rubber tree, natural rubber offers the best overall mechanical properties: high tensile strength, excellent tear resistance and outstanding fatigue life. A first choice for vibration mounts and heavy dynamic parts.
View the full NR datasheetNatural Rubber / SBR Blend
An economical blend of natural rubber and SBR that combines NR's mechanical properties with SBR's abrasion resistance and lower cost. The most widely used blend in the tire industry.
View the full NR/SBR datasheetNitrile Butadiene Rubber (Buna-N)
The industry standard for oil and fuel resistance, and the most widely used elastomer in hydraulic, automotive and general industrial systems. Higher ACN content means better oil resistance.
View the full NBR datasheetVinyl Methyl Silicone (VMQ)
An exceptionally wide service-temperature range (-55°C to 220°C), making it ideal for food, medical and extreme-temperature applications. Biologically inert, with no taste or odor.
View the full VMQ datasheetEthylene Propylene Diene Monomer
The top choice for outdoor and water-based systems, with outstanding resistance to ozone, UV, steam and polar chemicals. Ideal for building and automotive sealing.
View the full EPDM datasheetNitrile / PVC Blend
An NBR/PVC alloy that combines NBR's oil resistance with PVC's better ozone and flame resistance.
View the full NBR/PVC datasheetPolychloroprene (Neoprene)
An all-round rubber with a good balance of properties: reasonable resistance to oil, weathering and flame. The world's first commercially produced synthetic rubber.
View the full CR datasheetFluoroelastomer (Viton®)
A premium rubber with exceptional chemical and heat resistance — the gold standard for demanding seals in oil & gas, petrochemical and automotive applications.
View the full FKM datasheetHydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber
An upgraded version of NBR with far better heat and ozone resistance. The most expensive compound in the lineup, delivering premium performance in automotive timing belts and oil-well sealing.
View the full HNBR datasheetFluorosilicone Rubber (FVMQ)
A specialized compound pairing low-temperature flexibility with better fuel and oil resistance than standard silicone; suited to aerospace, automotive and specialty industrial seals.
View the full FVMQ datasheetNatural Rubber / SBR / Polybutadiene Ternary Blend
A ternary blend with high resilience, abrasion resistance and dynamic properties; used in tire treads and sidewalls, heavy-duty conveyor belts and parts under cyclic loading.
View the full NR/SBR/PBR datasheetBefore running the full wizard, use this table to compare the working-temperature range, price tier and standout property of common compounds at a glance. For a precise, ranked recommendation matched to your own project conditions, use the smart assistant above.
| Compound | Full name | Temperature range (°C) | Price tier | Key property |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BR | Polybutadiene Rubber | -45 – 100 | Economy | Best abrasion resistance and cold flexibility |
| SBR | Styrene Butadiene Rubber | -45 – 100 | Economy | World's most-used synthetic rubber; economical NR alternative |
| NR | Natural Rubber | -60 – 80 | Economy | Highest tensile strength and dynamic properties |
| NR/SBR | NR-SBR Blend | -30 – 85 | Economy | Balances NR's mechanics with SBR's low cost |
| NBR | Nitrile Rubber | -40 – 120 | Medium | Industry standard for oil and fuel resistance |
| VMQ | Silicone Rubber | -55 – 220 | Medium | Widest temperature range; food and medical grade |
| EPDM | EPDM Rubber | -40 – 150 | Medium | Exceptional resistance to ozone, UV, water and steam |
| NBR/PVC | NBR-PVC Blend | -20 – 100 | Medium | NBR's oil resistance plus better ozone and flame resistance |
| CR | Neoprene | -40 – 120 | Relatively high | All-round rubber with balanced properties |
| FKM | Viton / FKM | -20 – 200 | Premium | Gold standard for chemical and heat resistance in oil & gas |
| HNBR | Hydrogenated Nitrile | -40 – 160 | Premium | Upgraded NBR for demanding heat and ozone conditions |
To go deeper on the differences between rubber compounds and how they hold up under specific conditions, read these technical guides on the Hamta Polymer blog.
If you'd like a closer review after the assistant's analysis, or a quote to produce a part in your selected rubber compound, Hamta Polymer's technical team is ready to help.
A rubber compound is the final, cure-ready formulation of an elastomer polymer (such as NBR, EPDM, silicone or natural rubber) combined with additives like fillers, plasticizers, curing agents and stabilizers, engineered to reach specific technical properties — hardness, chemical resistance, heat resistance or abrasion resistance. Choosing the right rubber compound is a prerequisite for producing any component such as an O-ring, gasket, hose or oil seal.
This tool is an engineering analysis system that scores the compounds in Hamta Polymer's technical database based on the industry, component type, operating temperature range, contact media and special requirements (such as food or medical approval), then shows the best options along with the reasons the other options were excluded.
Yes, the tool is completely free and requires no sign-up. You can use it as many times as you need, for as many different projects as you need.
HNBR is the hydrogenated version of NBR. Its more saturated structure gives it higher heat resistance, ozone resistance and mechanical strength than standard NBR, while oil resistance is similar for both. HNBR is typically chosen for more demanding conditions — higher temperature, more dynamic loading — and comes at a higher price.
For very high temperatures, FKM (Viton) and silicone are usually the main options. FKM has better chemical and oil resistance at high temperature, while silicone stays stable across a wider temperature range, both cold and hot, but with more limited chemical resistance. The exact choice also depends on the contact media, which the assistant checks for you.
Food-grade compounds such as silicone and EPDM are the most common choice for food contact and potable water. In the assistant's "Requirements and priorities" step you can specify FDA approval or a potable-water standard (WRAS/NSF 61) so only qualifying options are shown.
The assistant is designed to quickly filter options and explain the selection logic, and it is a strong starting point — but for critical projects or tight technical tolerances, we recommend finalizing the result with Hamta Polymer's engineers. A direct contact link is available below the results.
EPDM is specifically known for excellent resistance to ozone, UV and weathering, and is a common choice for outdoor seals and components. On the other hand it has poor oil and fuel resistance and is not suitable for petroleum-based environments.
On the result screen for each compound, the "Request a quote" button takes you to Hamta Polymer's contact form. You can also review more detailed technical specifications — hardness range, tensile strength and more — on the full datasheet for each compound before you get in touch.
Raw rubber — the base polymer, such as pure NBR or EPDM — cannot be used in an industrial component on its own; it lacks sufficient strength, hardness and resistance. A rubber compound is that same raw polymer after fillers, plasticizers and a curing agent are added and it goes through vulcanization, becoming a material with reliable engineering properties suitable for producing a component.
The price of a rubber compound mainly depends on the base polymer type (FKM and HNBR, for example, are considerably more expensive than SBR or NBR), the percentage and quality of additives, the required hardness and the order volume. For an accurate quote matched to your compound and order volume, contact Hamta Polymer's team through the contact page after receiving the assistant's recommendation.
There is no single best rubber compound for an O-ring — it depends entirely on the service conditions: NBR is the most common choice for O-rings in contact with oil and fuel, EPDM for water and steam, FKM for high temperatures and aggressive chemicals, and silicone is better suited to food and medical grades. By asking about your operating temperature and contact media, the assistant recommends the most accurate option for your O-ring.
Yes. In addition to the standard compounds covered in the assistant's technical database, Hamta Polymer can also formulate a custom rubber compound matched to a project's specific technical requirements — particular hardness, color or a specific approval. For these cases, treat the assistant's result as a starting point and coordinate the details with our technical team.
