Oil exploration and extraction present some of the most challenging conditions possible for sealing solutions. Your applications face extreme temperatures, aggressive chemicals, high pressure, and abrasive media that can compromise performance and safety. When corrosive hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas is present, these challenges are magnified, making material selection a critical decision.
You need a sealing solution that guarantees performance, reliability, and safety in these harsh environments. H₂S resistant elastomers are specifically engineered to withstand sour gas conditions, preventing premature failure and protecting your assets and personnel.
As your partner in sealing technology, Marco Rubber offers the industry’s largest inventory of H₂S resistant O-rings and custom seals. We back our products with best-in-class engineering support to provide tailored solutions for your specific application.
Corrosive Gas Presents More Challenges for Seals
Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S), also known as sour gas, is a colorless gas that is highly corrosive to many materials. Found frequently in oil and gas production, geothermal energy, and wastewater treatment, its presence creates a high-risk, demanding environment for sealing components.
H₂S is extremely toxic, even at low concentrations, making a zero-leak, reliable seal absolutely critical to ensuring workforce safety and environmental protection.
An important consideration is the fact that H₂S reacts with rubber. For standard elastomers not formulated for this environment, exposure to H₂S leads to rapid degradation. It can cause materials to become hard and brittle, lose their sealing force, and ultimately lead to catastrophic failure.
The Best H₂S Resistant Materials for Seal Reliability
Choosing the right H₂S corrosion resistant materials is essential for long-term reliability. The performance of an elastomer depends heavily on its specific compound and the application’s operating conditions.
- HNBR O-Rings (Hydrogenated Nitrile): For applications with moderate temperatures, HNBR is an excellent and often cost-effective choice. It provides robust resistance to sour gas, making it a reliable material for many sour service needs.
- Highly Fluorinated FKM Viton: While standard FKM compounds are likely to fail, specific, highly fluorinated FKM formulations are engineered to provide dependable H₂S resistance. Partnering with an expert ensures you select the correct FKM compound for your application.
- FFKM: When your application involves extreme temperatures and aggressive chemicals alongside H₂S, FFKM is the premier sealing solution. These materials offer the highest level of chemical and thermal resistance, ensuring maximum performance and reliability in the most demanding conditions.
- Nitrile (NBR): Many of our questions ask if nitrile is good for H₂S. In most cases, the answer is no. Nitrile is generally suitable only for very low-temperature and low-concentration H₂S environments and should be avoided for any critical or demanding sour gas application.
It’s also important to differentiate corrosive gases like H₂S from others. For instance, when asking, “What is the best o-ring material for hydrogen gas (H₂S)?,” the challenge is different. Hydrogen (H₂S) primarily presents a permeation and explosive decompression (ED) risk, whereas H₂S is a corrosion risk. For high-pressure gas applications, materials with certified resistance to explosive decompression are often required in addition to H₂S resistance for true operational reliability.
Explore H₂S Resistant Elastomers
There are many demands on elastomers used in the oil and gas industry. For example, in these applications, you’ll want explosive decompression resistance, and the ability of your sealing materials to operate strongly in high or low (depending on your circumstances) temperature environments.
You’ll also want to prioritize H2S resistant elastomers as well if you anticipate or know that the presence of the gas is a possibility. At Marco Rubber & Plastics, we have decades of experience in matching customized solutions to the challenges presented by demanding applications from our clients. We’ve developed specific formulations that can provide the needed H2S resistance.
Let’s examine a few of the possible solutions.
L1009 TFE/P (Aflas®) — This compound is specifically formulated to be Explosive Decompression (ED) resistant for use in high pressure and pressure cycling applications. TFE/P materials exhibit excellent chemical, heat, and steam resistance, and provide superior performance in water, steam, and virtually all caustics making them ideal for use in applications in the oil and gas exploration and extraction industry. Tested to NACE TN 0297 and resistant to high-pressure CO2 gas, L1009 has a high resistance to H2S gas and excellent resistance to fluids with high H2S concentration (up to 30%).
Z1028 FFKM (Markez®) — This perfluoroelastomer compound is one of our most popular due to its relatively low cost and a broad range of chemical and temperature resistance. With a service temperature range of 5 to 608 degrees Fahrenheit, Z1028 is compatible with steam, amines, and provides superior level resistance to sour gas (up to 64%). With a low compression set and 72% fluorine content, this compound has good dynamic properties as well and enjoys a long service life.
Z1412 FFKM (Markez®) — With strong H2S resistance (up to 30%), this Marco proprietary compound features high-temperature resistance for long-term exposure. Z1412 also provides high pressure and explosive decompression resistance and is tested to both NORSOK M-710 and NACE TN 0297 standards. With exceptional acid and amine resistance, this compound also has a low long-term compression set which means a greater interval between maintenance cycles in hot, chemically aggressive environments.
Seal Your Success with Marco Rubber: Expertise and Engineering
Don’t let material selection be a point of failure. At Marco Rubber, we are committed to providing tailored solutions for your application. You get more than just a part; you get a partner in engineering.
We provide the expert support and high-performance sealing systems you need to operate smarter and more efficiently. Our team will help you match a certified H₂S resistant compound to your specific pressure, temperature, and media requirements, ensuring optimal performance and safety.
Contact us today to consult with our engineering experts and learn how our H₂S resistant elastomers can provide the ideal sealing solution for your needs.