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Newshound
 
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Very informative - thank you! I undestand that mineral oils (and
gease) rots rubber.


Not quite true. Oil (also petrol, diesel, white spirit) will cause natural
rubber and synthetic butadiene rubber (which are chemically much the same)
to swell and become softer and weaker, but it is a reversible effect as long
as they don't get damaged while softened. Tyres and the like are made from
NR and SBR.

But Nitrile rubber, which is what most common O rings (and car oil seals)
are made from will be fine. Neoprene (or chloroprene) will also cope with
oil.

What about silicone grease? Is that safe to use on
rubber? And then there is neoprene (as often used nowadays in place of
rubber for seals and o-rings. Which greases are safe to use on that? I
think you might know the answer.


Silicone oils are benign on most sorts of rubber, but I suspect they might
dissolve into, and thus soften, silicone rubbers. I will try that one on my
tame experts.