A guide to Nitrile, how it’s used in the manufacturing industry, and most importantly, how it reacts to electricity!

Search for the word 'nitrile' and you will most probably end up with a chemical formula to explain what makes up this versatile compound. The term 'nitrile rubber' or NBR may sound like a potion straight from the laboratory, but it is actually just a synthetic rubber, widely used in the oil and gas industry. Nitrile rubber is commonly used in a wide array of products designed to be oil-resistant, such as gaskets and fuel hoses.

This rubber is also known as Buna-N or butadiene rubber. It is popularly used in the seal industry, chosen to enhance machine performance and reliability. With the global market for seals projected to reach US$17 billion (or an estimated AU$22 billion) by 2027, you can imagine how important nitrile is to the world's economy. There is also an increasing demand for nitrile in the power industry, aeronautical and automotive industries. What sets nitrile apart is its ability to resist petroleum oils and silicone greases, fuels, hydraulic fluids, alcohol, and even water.

While nitrile or Buna-N has a wide range of industrial applications, one of its most important functions is in the power sector.

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Nitrile rubber does not conduct electricity. In fact, it has strong electrical resistance, and as an insulator, electricity cannot easily pass through it. For this reason, it's frequently used in the power and energy sectors, including as a coating for electrical wires.

If you're keen to learn more about nitrile rubber - including its potential as an insulating material - read on for all the details.

Is nitrile conductive of electricity?

In addition to its chemical-resistant properties, one of the key questions in industrial applications is how nitrile reacts to electricity.

Truth be told, there is no spark between nitrile and electricity. After all, nitrile rubber is an insulator, so electricity can't easily pass through it unless the material is modified in some way. The addition of fillers such as carbon can create a more conductive material, but pure nitrile rubber is a very poor conductor.

We can look to the molecular structure of nitrile to explain why this is the case. Electrons move freely through a conductor, producing electric current. But since nitrile lacks these electrons, it does not conduct electricity.

Nitrile definitely displays a strong nitrile electrical resistance. What does this mean in practice? Resistance, which is measured in ohms, measures the electric current or voltage in an electrical circuit. The flow of current through an electric circuit is not complete when there is an insulator in the way, since it acts as a barrier between the conductors.

Nitrile inhibits or bars the flow of electricity, making it an excellent insulating material.

To understand how it works, it helps to understand the three categories of materials based on how they interact with electricity.

1. Conductors

Many metallic substances are often referred to as electrical conductors since they offer minimal resistance to electric current. Among these materials are silver, aluminium, and copper.

2. Semi-conductors

These materials are mid-scale when it comes to their resistance to electricity. Semi-conductors, including germanium and silicon, are highly useful in the electronics industry.

3. Insulators

Insulators offer high resistance to electricity and are poor conductors. They have their own uses in industry, though, and help prevent unwanted electrical current. Among the most commonly used insulators are wood, plastic, and rubber. Nitriles fall under this category.

Science experts have long confirmed the insulating capability of rubber against heat and electricity. As an insulator, the electrons that compose nitrile rubber are bound so tightly they do not easily break apart. This explains why nitrile is a favourite material for work safety equipment, such as electrical mats and gloves.

What forms does nitrile come in?

With such a variety of industrial uses for nitrile, it's not surprising that it also comes in many forms. Here are some of the common forms of nitrile:

Nitrile Gloves

One of the most popular forms of this synthetic rubber is the nitrile glove. The nitrile glove undergoes a complicated manufacturing process that begins with rubber trees and latex rubber.

Nitrile glove is not latex, although it is a synthetic version that has undergone processing. Nitrile rubber gloves are not only puncture-resistant but also chemical-resistant. Because of this, mechanics, tattoo artists, hairdressers, and other trades prefer to use it for protection.

Nitrile O-rings

Nitrile o-rings are frequently used in the seal industry, specifically as rubber seals for gaskets. With nitrile's insulating properties, the nitrile o-rings are ideal for applications that require low temperatures. Nitrile o-rings are in high demand because of their resistance to hydraulic fluids, fuels, and oils.

Elastomers

Nitrile rubber is a popular elastomer because of its tensile strength. It is cost-effective and is an affordable elastomer for bicycles, motorcycles, and even lawnmowers.

Hoses

Buna-N or nitrile is frequently used in flexible hoses, connecting mechanical systems with moving parts such as aircraft fluid systems or metal tubing systems. The toughness, durability, and resistance of nitrile to fuel oil, gasoline, and other substances has made it a top choice for machinery and engine hoses.

What industries are nitrile used in?

Nitrile in the Power Industry

Nitrile rubber is commonly used in the power industry. A specific sub-sector that has seen an increased demand for nitrile rubber is the renewable energy industry. As more people clamour for clean energy, the renewable energy industry has also increased its demand for rubber seals to make their operations more efficient.

The nitrile rubber seal is used to protect industry parts and components from prolonged heat and wind exposure, as well as wear and tear caused by moisture, dust, and humidity. The equipment parts used in solar applications and even the heat pumps used by geothermal plants need rubber seals for constant protection.

Among the rubber components that are regularly used by energy industries are:

● Hydraulic seals
● Slew ring seals
● Pneumatic seals
● Rubber extrusions
● O-rings
● Gaskets

Nitrile in the Oil and Gas Industry

Buna-N or nitrile rubber is particularly useful in the oil and gas industry, primarily because of its high resistance to water, fuel, and petroleum-based oils. The higher the nitrile content in these industries' commercial products, the more oil resistant they become.

The oil and gas industry requires components that are resistant to alcohol, fuel, petroleum-based oil, and silicone greases. Gaskets, automotive seals, and fuel hoses are used constantly in this industry. For these products to be effective, they must be oil-resistant, which is why they often contain nitrile. In addition to its ability to resist abrasion, nitrile rubber is an industry favourite because of its high tensile strength and flexibility.

What type of equipment is nitrile used in?

Equipment used in Oil and Gas Sector

The oil and gas industry is one of the biggest sectors worldwide in terms of earnings and employment. The industry is so big it involves several complex and separate processes, each of which requires the use of nitrile rubber for its machinery and equipment. From oil exploration to extraction, through to the refinery, transportation, and marketing processes, the oil and gas industry is a massive consumer of nitrile rubber products.

The upstream oil and gas industry involves companies engaged in exploring and producing oil and gas. As these companies explore the underground and underwater reservoirs for oil and gas resources, they need heavy-duty valves and pipes to make drilling more efficient.

Once oil and gas reserves are recovered and drilled, these resources are transported to the refineries. Oil and gas require suitable transportation such as truck fleets and tanker ships, since refineries are usually located in a geographic region far from the source. This comprises the midstream oil and gas industry.

The recovered oil and gas needs to be filtered and refined in the downstream process. Once purified, crude oil and natural gas are distributed commercially down to the consumers in various forms, including:

● Jet fuel
● Heating oil
● Lubricants
● Gasoline
● Asphalt
● Liquefied petroleum gas
● Diesel
● Petrol

The upstream, midstream and downstream processes in the oil and gas industry all use machinery and equipment that require nitrile rubber. Among the equipment significantly used in the oil and gas industry are:

● Tank vessels
● Heat exchangers
● Air coolers
● Evaporators
● Trucks
● Ships

Equipment used in Power Generation & Distribution

The power generation industry covers the initial production of electricity. Energy sources used can be geothermal, biomass, nuclear, solar, or fossil fuels.

Whatever the power source or production method, there is a high chance that a piece of equipment will require some of the nitrile rubber's signature properties. This machinery includes:

● Steam turbines
● Hydro turbines
● Gas turbines
● Solar photovoltaic cells

The transmission of electrical power from the generation site to a substation requires the use of cables, lattice structures, conductors, poles, and insulators like nitrile rubber. If there is one phase when nitrile rubber plays a significant role in the power industry, it would be the distribution stage.

At this stage, the power distribution company requires equipment that will not only distribute electricity to consumers. It also needs infrastructure that can safely deliver electricity straight to the consumers' power outlets. Since nitrile rubber is an insulator, it is often used by power distribution companies to coat electric wires.

Gaskets made of nitrile rubber have seen an increased demand in the power generation sector. This is primarily because nitrile rubber is a high-resistance material that's also perfect for manufacturing industrial seals.

Gaskets made of nitrile rubber are a staple in the power industry as well as the oil and gas sectors. It would not be an exaggeration to say that rubber components have become an indispensable part of these industries. For one, every single machine used by these industries needs a gasket for effective sealing.

Benefits of Nitrile

Pros of Nitrile

There is a reason why nitrile rubber has become the elastomer of choice for most industries, including mining, aeronautical and automotive industries. Most of these industries use nitrile rubber in seals and gaskets.

These are the advantages of nitrile rubber:

● Good tensile strength
● High resistance to a wide array of chemicals
● Compatible with petroleum-based lubricants
● Resistant to scraping or abrasions
● Electrical insulating properties

Cons of Nitrile

While nitrile rubber is helpful as an insulator, too high a nitrile content can cause some functional problems.

The disadvantages of nitrile rubber are:

● Inflexible at high concentrations
● Affected by very low temperatures
● Non-conductive

Alternatives to Nitrile

Engineers seeking the high-resistance capability of nitrile but prefer to avoid its inflexibility can opt for Globe's Brandonite® composite.

Brandonite® is a patented kind of composite polymer that's increasingly popular in industrial applications. Compared to nitrile rubber, it has better tensile strength, improved elasticity and a higher UV resistance.

Alternatively, studies have shown that adding a filler material to nitrile rubber can create a more conductive finished material. Fillers such as carbon can also improve nitrile's tensile strength and durability.

What's the spark between nitrile and electricity?