Development of Low Friction Reciprocating Rubber Seal for High-Efficiency and Space Saving 2018-01-0843

The effects of cross section shape of the seal, rubber material property and their combination on the friction force of reciprocating seals were investigated. O-ring, D-ring and Oval-ring were prepared as different cross section shape of the reciprocating seal. In particular, D-ring and Oval-ring were designed to be narrow width to save the space. The seals were made from rubber material with different mechanical property and low temperature property. The friction forces of the seals were measured at −40 to 150°C. The O-ring made from rubber material with lower rubber hardness and lower TR10 reduced the friction force. The friction force of Oval-ring was decreased in comparison with those of O-ring and D-ring. The decrease in the friction force was caused by leaning in the groove. The combination of Oval-ring and rubber material property reduced the friction force of the reciprocating seal. The seal was reciprocated for 1 million cycles as a durability test. The fault of the Oval-ring and leaking through sealing contact were hardly observed after reciprocating durability test.