Nitrile Rubber Sheets: Composition, Properties, Types & Applications

Nitrile rubber sheet is one of the most widely specified rubber sheet types in industries that handle oil, fuel or grease on a daily basis. If you are choosing between rubber sheet types for a gasket, lining or seal application, understanding what nitrile is made of, what it resists and where it falls short will save you a wrong material choice down the line.

This guide covers composition, properties, applications, and how nitrile compares with other rubber sheet types Duratuf supplies.

What is a Nitrile Rubber Sheet Made Of?

Nitrile rubber, technically acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), is a synthetic copolymer made by combining acrylonitrile and butadiene monomers. It is also known by the trade name Buna-N.

The proportion of acrylonitrile in the compound is what determines how the sheet performs. A higher acrylonitrile content improves resistance to oils and fuels but reduces flexibility at low temperatures, while a lower content does the opposite. This is why nitrile rubber sheets are not sold as a single formulation. Duratuf’s Nitri65 range spans four polymer-content levels, from Nitri65 Lite (10% NBR) for light-duty use up to Nitri65 Max (100% NBR) for continuous oil and fuel exposure.

What are the Properties of Nitrile Rubber Sheets?

Oil and Fuel Resistance

This is the defining property of nitrile. NBR rates good for both petrol and lubricating oil exposure, a rating natural rubber, EPDM and neoprene cannot match without added compounding. This is the main reason nitrile is specified over general-purpose rubber wherever oil or fuel contact is expected.

Chemical Resistance

Nitrile compounds handle general hydrocarbons and most inorganic chemicals well. The one notable exception is chlorine and related inorganic chemical products, where resistance drops sharply. If your process involves chlorinated chemicals, nitrile is not the right choice regardless of grade.

Temperature Resistance

Depending on polymer content, Duratuf’s Nitri65 range operates across -30°C to +110°C. The lower grades (Lite, X) are rated to a narrower -10°C to +70°C band, while Nitri65 Pro and Nitri65 Max extend to +90°C and +110°C respectively, with Max also rated down to -30°C. Match the grade to your actual operating temperature rather than assuming all nitrile sheets perform the same across this range.

Resilience and Durability

Nitrile rubber sheets carry good abrasion resistance and good tear strength compared to other elastomers, along with a good compression rating, meaning the sheet holds its shape and sealing pressure under sustained load rather than permanently deforming.

What are the Limitations of Nitrile Rubber Sheets?

Nitrile is highly polar, which means it should never be used with polar liquids such as ethers, ketones and amines, the compound degrades on contact instead of resisting it. It also performs poorly against ozone, UV and steam exposure, which rules it out for prolonged outdoor use or steam-line applications, EPDM or CSM (Hypalon) are the better fit there. Selecting nitrile purely for its oil resistance without checking these two limitations is a common specification mistake.

What are Nitrile Rubber Sheets Used for?

Automotive Applications

Nitrile sheets are used across the automotive industry for water-handling applications, and in fuel and oil handling hoses, grommets, and seals, largely because engine bays combine oil exposure with moderate heat, exactly nitrile’s strength zone.

Food Industry Applications

Standard nitrile is not food-contact safe on its own, but Duratuf’s FoodSafeNBR60 Pro grade is formulated without plasticisers, fillers, or additives that could migrate into food, and carries FDA compliance for food-contact use, rated up to +90°C. Where a process needs oil resistance and food-contact safety together, this is the grade to specify rather than a standard nitrile sheet.

Industrial Applications

Nitrile rubber sheeting is commonly used in the nuclear industry for protective gear, mainly gloves, and its wide operating temperature range makes it useful in aeronautics as well. Its resilience also supports laboratory gloves used for cleaning and examination purposes, not just disposable handwear.

Electrical and Transformer Applications

HV power transformers contain petroleum-based transformer oil, and nitrile’s oil and fuel resistance makes it a standard choice for seals and gaskets in transformer applications, where a compromised seal means oil leakage and a compliance problem, not just a maintenance one.

Other Applications of Nitrile Rubber

Apart from the above categories, nitrile rubber sheets and compounds are used in non-latex disposable gloves, hoses and O-rings, oil seals, synthetic leather, V-belts, cable jacketing, and printer’s form rollers. NBR latex specifically is also used in adhesive manufacturing and as a pigment binder.

What are the Different Types of Nitrile Rubber?

1. Hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR)

Hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber are more commonly known as highly saturated nitrile (HSN) and are primarily known for their exceptional physical strength and retention of properties even after long exposure to oils, heat, and chemicals.

2. Carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (XNBR)

Carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber is nothing but an updated version of Nitrile rubber and possesses excellent physical properties, especially when you compare it with a non-carboxylated nitrile rubber.

How does Nitrile Rubber Compare with Other Rubber Types?

Nitrile rubber perform better in oil, fuel, and general chemical resistance, not abrasion or impact, where natural rubber performs better. EPDM overtakes nitrile on acid resistance and operating range, but nitrile’s key weakness is ozone, UV, and steam exposure, exactly where EPDM’s key strength lies. The choice between the two usually comes down to one question: is the primary exposure oil-based, or weather and ozone-based?

Why is Nitrile Rubber Widely Used in Industry?

Nitrile earns its place across sectors that combine oil, fuel or grease exposure with a need for a reasonably wide operating temperature range in a single material. Its production process, compared to some other specialty elastomers, is easy and does not need exotic equipment, which keeps it available and cost-effective across the polymer-content spectrum, from 10% NBR content light-duty grades up to 100% NBR content grades built for continuous exposure. That combination of resistance, temperature range, and manufacturability is why nitrile shows up in automotive, food processing, power, and general industrial settings at the same time, not just one of them.

Why Choose Duratuf Nitrile Rubber Sheets?

Duratuf’s Nitri65 range covers four polymer-content levels so you are not paying for 100% NBR performance on an application that only needs 10%, or under-specifying a critical application to save on cost.

All grades are available in standard thicknesses of 2 to 12mm, with custom thickness up to 60mm on request. As an industrial safety solutions company operating for 16+ years across 65+ countries, Duratuf has supplied over 3 million sq.m of rubber sheet to more than 4,142 customers, backed by ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001 certification along with REACH and RoHS compliant compounds.

If you need help choosing the right Nitri65 grade for your application, request a free sample or speak to our product team for a technical datasheet.