Nitrile rubber, also known as nitrile butadiene rubber, NBR, Buna-N, and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, is a synthetic rubber derived from acrylonitrile (ACN) and butadiene.[1] Trade names include Perbunan, Nipol, Krynac and Europrene. This rubber is unusual in being resistant to oil, fuel, and other chemicals.
Nitrile rubber, also known as nitrile rubber, NBR, Buna-N, and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, is a synthetic rubber derived from acrylonitrile (ACN) and butadiene. [1] Trade names include Perbunan, Nipol, Krynac, and Europrene. This rubber is unique in that it is resistant to oils, fuels, and other chemicals.
NBR is used in the automotive and aerospace industries to make fuel and oil handling hoses, seals, gaskets, and self-sealing tanks. It is also used in the food service, medical, and nuclear industries to make protective gloves. NBR's stability at temperatures between -40 and 108 °C (-40 and 226 °F) makes it ideal for aerospace applications. Nitrile rubber is also used in the production of molded goods, footwear, adhesives, sealants, sponges, foams, and floor mats.
The elasticity of nitrile rubber makes it a useful material for disposable laboratory, cleaning, and examination gloves. Nitrile rubber is more resistant to oils and acids than natural rubber and is stronger, but less flexible.
The raw material is usually yellow, but may be orange or red, depending on the manufacturer. Its elongation at break is ≥300% and its tensile strength is ≥10 N/mm2 (10 MPa). Nitrile rubber has good resistance to mineral oils, vegetable oils, benzene/petrol, common dilute acids and alkalis.
An important factor in the performance of nitrile rubber is the ratio of acrylonitrile groups to butadiene groups, known as the ACN content. The lower the ACN content, the lower the glass transition temperature; however, the higher the ACN content, the better the polymer's resistance to the above-mentioned non-polar solvents. [5] Most applications requiring solvent resistance and low-temperature flexibility require an ACN content of 33%.
Uses of nitrile rubber include powder-free disposable non-latex gloves[6], automotive transmission belts, hoses, O-rings, gaskets, oil seals, V-belts, synthetic leather, printer forming rollers, and cable jacketing; NBR latex is also used in the preparation of adhesives and as a pigment binder.
Unlike polymers intended for ingestion, where minor inconsistencies in chemical composition/structure can have noticeable effects on the body, the general properties of NBR are not sensitive to composition. The production process itself is not complex; the polymerization, monomer recovery, and coagulation processes require some additives and equipment, but they are typical of most rubber production processes. The necessary equipment is simple and readily available.