Everything You Need To Know About Tank O-Ring Seal

If you need a seal that can help tighten your tank valve; then a tank O-Ring seal can do the perfect job. So, let’s talk about everything you need to know about O-Ring seal.

O-Ring is this round-shaped loop that help gives a good seal to your seal cylinder, pump, connector, valves, and other items. It is a very useful piece that has been in existence for long and it was invented in 1896. O-Ring is one of the most common and reliable sealing products used worldwide.

These rings are really versatile and they are one of the most popular sealing products used globally. In this post, you will find out everything to know about tank O-Ring so continue reading to gain some insight into this.

What Is Tank O-Ring And What Is Its Use?

Generally, O-Ring is an elastomer made in a round-shaped form. Thanks to this O-Ring, you can safely seal liquids or gas at different pressure. The ring is used in pumps, valves, cars, industrial machinery, farming equipment, and so on.

Because this tank O-Ring help seal various links and perfectly seal two separate parts to prevent fluids and gases from leaking, they are used with dynamic, static, hydraulic tanks, and pneumatic components.

Additionally, O-Ring is as well used to seal static and non-moving circular joints that are in-between metal sections. Compared to other sealing products, O-Ring is pretty affordable and very available. Basically, O-Rings can be either solid or hollow.

Even though this ring may look simple, the ring can reliably hold and seal the pressure of liquid or gas. When using O-Ring, always take into account the pressure of the fluid. As the pressure of the fluid goes higher, the O-Ring used for sealing should be harder.

O-Ring Seal Sizes

The size of O-Ring varies and choosing the ideal size will depend on its use and purpose. These rings come in standard sizes and all over the world, there are many standard sizing of O-Ring. However, the most common O-Ring sizing system in the US is the AS-568.

The sizes of O-Rings are made to perfectly fit into hardware dimensions. The seal and hardware relationship makes sure the O-Ring will perform the way it’s meant to. Basically, the O-Ring gland is machined into the hardware. The gland and O-Ring combination is what makes the O-Ring assembly.

Working Principle Of O-Ring

O-Ring is meant to fit in the appropriate groove and are compressed as they are assembled in-between two or more sections.

When the surface contact of O-Ring is at rest, it forms a gland. Now, once the pressure in the sealing section goes up, it causes the O-Ring to move to the opposite area away from where the pressure is coming from. This pressure compresses the O-Ring between the holes.

The pressure needed to squeeze this O-Ring will be greatly determined by the cross-section diameter and the hardness of the O-Ring. Once the O-Ring is stretched, it affects the seal compression which in turn decreases the cross-section.  

Basically speaking, a seal is formed when the O-Ring is squeezed between contact surfaces. So, once the O-Ring is squeezed, there is this contact stress between the O-Ring and its surfaces. The pressure of the fluid is usually lower than the contact stress. Therefore, this seal stops the fluid from leaking or escaping.

Again, when the pressure of the fluid increases, this makes the compression of the O-Ring inside the groove tighter. Hence, the contact pressure is further increased and this result in an extra seal.

So, as more fluid pressure is applied into the groove, it pushes the O-Ring against the groove wall to the side where there is low pressure. The compression changes the circular shape of the O-Ring and it alters the shape to become D-shaped at higher pressure.

Another wonderful thing about O-Ring is its ability to return to its original shape when the cross-section is compressed. This is thanks to its elastomer’s resilience. So, once the pressure is released, it enables the O-Ring to attain its original shape.

Benefits You Enjoy From Using O-Rings

O-Ring seals offer various benefits and we have listed some below:

·         Excellent sealing performance

·         Affordable and very available  

·         Versatile to use for a wide range of things

·         Easy installation

·         Perfect installation for conditions where the pressure varies

Tips On How To Properly Install Your O-Ring Seal Into The Groove

O-Ring seal performs a vital function. Hence, it’s essential you know how to appropriately install them without causing any damage to the ring. The perfect installation will ensure your project is done successfully.

Step 1- Preparation and Lubrication

First, assemble and prepare your workstation for installation. Get your recommended O-Ring size and select a good lubricant and sparingly lubricate the O-Ring.

Step 2- Cover spiky corners

If there are any spiky edges that can possibly come in contact with the O-Ring seal, ensure you have it covered. This is to prevent any tear on your ring seal.

Step 3- Installation

During installation, avoid rolling the ring down the shaft because it can compromise the installation. Remember, lubricate the O-Ring seal for an easy and smooth slide. Then slowly guide and slide the seal ring along the shaft until you get to the place where it’s meant to be.

Step 4- Tape mask and lubricate threads

If your ring seal needs to pass over threads, we recommend you cover the entire threads (you can use masking tape) and you can apply a little lubricant on the tape for easy slide. Sliding the seal ring down the uncovered threads can increase its chance of breaking, so cover the threads.

Step 5- Inspect the ring seal area

After you’ve successfully secured the ring into the groove, carefully inspect the O-Ring seal area. This is done to ensure any part of the seal isn’t out of place. Also, check to ensure there isn’t any twisted ring part in the groove.

Remember if the ring seal isn’t seated, it can be pinched or damaged when the housing is fitted which compromises the installation.

Conclusion

Tank O-Ring seal does a wonderful job when it comes to perfectly sealing the surfaces of your groove. So, you can rely on this ring if you want to prevent any leak in your valve, pumps, cylinder, conncetors, and other items.

Everything you need to know about tank O-Ring seal has been discussed in this guide, so we hope we’ve added to your knowledge about this.