In high-pressure gas systems, seal failure is not just an inconvenience, it leads to costly downtime, operational losses, and significant safety hazards. The primary cause of this failure is often a phenomenon known as Explosive Decompression (ED).
To protect your critical equipment, you need a sealing solution engineered to withstand these extreme conditions. Anti-Explosive Decompression (AED) O-rings are the essential solution, specifically designed to deliver reliable performance where standard seals fail.
At Marco Rubber, we are more than just a distributor. We are your consultative partner, applying our deep expertise to help you select and implement the right AED O-ring sealing solution, ensuring the reliability and safety of your operations.
Understanding Explosive Decompression
Explosive Decompression, also known as Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD), is a frequent cause of seal failure in high-pressure environments.
This failure occurs when high-pressure gas permeates, or soaks into, an elastomeric seal. When the system pressure drops suddenly, the gas trapped inside the seal expands violently. This expansion causes internal fractures, blisters, and cracks, leading to a complete loss of sealing integrity.
Industries operating high-pressure equipment, such as Oil & Gas, Aerospace, and Chemical Processing, are most at risk for this type of failure. Using non-AED rated compounds in these applications will inevitably lead to seal failure, which can result in catastrophic damage to your systems and significant expense.
Marco Rubber’s AED O-Rings
Marco Rubber provides a range of AED O-rings engineered to deliver results in the most demanding high-pressure applications.
Our AED O-rings are manufactured from specialized, dense elastomeric compounds formulated to resist gas permeation and damage from rapid pressure cycling. These high-modulus, low-permeability compounds prevent gas from becoming trapped within the seal, which is the root cause of explosive decompression failure.
Material selection is critical for performance. The best materials for high-pressure AED applications are advanced compounds, including:
- Perfluoroelastomer (FFKM)
- Specific, high-grade Fluoroelastomer (FKM/Viton®)
- Specialized HNBR compounds
A common question is whether standard FKM (Viton®) O-rings are suitable for high-pressure applications. While FKM offers excellent chemical and temperature resistance, only specific, specially formulated FKM compounds are rated for true AED performance. A standard Viton® O-ring will likely fail in these conditions.
The maximum pressure an O-ring can withstand depends less on a single pressure rating and more on the combination of the specific compound, gland design, and application engineering. Our expertise is in evaluating your unique operational parameters to recommend a tailored solution with the correct material, hardness, and geometry for reliable performance.
The Benefits of Using AED O-Rings
By integrating Marco Rubber’s AED O-rings into your high-pressure systems, you gain significant advantages that enhance performance and reduce operational costs.
- Superior Reliability: Dramatically reduce the risk of blistering, cracking, and premature seal failure when compared to standard elastomers.
- Extended Service Life: Maximize the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of your seals, which reduces maintenance costs and unplanned operational downtime.
- Compliance and Safety: Ensure your components meet crucial industry certifications, such as NORSOK M-710 and API 6A, which are essential for Oil & Gas and other critical applications.
- Optimal Performance: Maintain system integrity and pressure stability, even during rapid compression and decompression cycles.
5 Material Solutions that Excel in High-Pressure Environments
HNBR R1008 — Hydrogenated Nitrile was specifically developed for increased temperature resistance and better compatibility with new automotive fuels when compared to standard nitrile. This particular compound is Peroxide cured and manufactured to be explosive decompression resistant. It provides good chemical resistance to crude oil and lubricating agents, with superior resistance to carbon dioxide, drilling mud, and amine corrosion inhibitors. Tested to NORSOK M-710, this compound can also handle Sour Gas containing up to 5 percent hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
View Data Sheet | Get a Quote | HNBR O-Rings
EPDM E1121 — EPDM rubber is an elastomer characterized by a wide range of applications and good chemical resistance, with this particular compound proven to be excellent for use in geothermal environments. Also explosive decompression resistant, this compound can withstand use in steam environments up to 550ºF (288ºC) with excursions up to 600ºF (315ºC). Tested to NACE TM0297, this compound is a good fit for oilfield and steam injection applications.
View Data Sheet | Get a Quote | EPDM O-Rings
Aflas FEPM L1009 — Specifically formulated to be explosive decompression resistant, this compound is ideal for high pressure and pressure cycling applications. Its superior performance in water, steam, and virtually all caustics causes it to be a natural fit in the oil and gas exploration and extraction industry. This compound can handle sour gas containing up to 30 percent H2S. Tested to NACE TM0297.
View Data Sheet | Get a Quote | Aflas O-Rings
Viton V1090/V1160 — Designed for oil and gas drilling applications, these low temperature and high durometer terpolymer FKM compounds have passed testing for both NORSOK M-710 and NACE TM0297 standards for rapid gas decompression. Both compounds can operate in temperatures as low as -40ºF, with V1160 rated for -50ºF.
View Data Sheet | Get a Quote | Viton O-Rings
Markez® Z1412/Z1322 — This pair of representatives from our Markez® line of perfluoroelastomer o-rings and seals offer AED (anti-explosive decompression) resistance at opposite ends of the temperature spectrum. Z1322 can operate at temperatures as low as -50ºF for down-the-hole oil and gas applications and provides exceptional resistance to methanol, sour gas, hot water steam, and oils. Z1412, on the other hand, offers high temperature (590ºF) resistance for long-term exposure while providing increased pressure and AED resistance. With superior mechanical properties and high sealing efficiency, Z1412 is well suited for diesel and jet engine applications. Z1322 has been tested to NORSOK M-710, while Z1412 has been tested to both NORSOK M-170 and NACE TM0297
View Z1322 Data Sheet | View Z1412 Data Sheet
Work with Marco Rubber for Explosive Decompression O-Rings
While seven different compounds were highlighted above, Marco Rubber & Plastics is not limited in scope or ability to tackle any sealing challenge. Our list of materials is not limited to those previously listed, and our team of experts and engineers is capable of crafting customized solutions for an equally wide array of applications. After accounting for materials and applications, Marco Rubber can work with more than 3,000 different formulations.
Cheap seals may seem like a good solution in the short term, but every decision has a cost. We believe in specialty formulation to help you get a sealing material specific to your application. This will dramatically cut down on the risk, especially in fields where explosive decompression o-ring failure is a concern, and increase your uptime and productivity through less lost time for replacements and maintenance.
Because we have millions of products in stock and ready to ship throughout our network, we can get you the right seal quickly thanks to our rapid fulfillment — in many instances, your order will ship same-day. And if a custom formulation is needed, our responsive team will get back to your request often in a matter of hours with pricing and next steps.
If long-lasting performance is essential for your application — whether it includes high temperatures, harsh chemicals and solvents, high pressures, high-temperature steam, or even subzero temperatures — the experts at Marco Rubber & Plastics can help you find or formulate the ideal solution to seal your success.