Oil seals, also referred to as shaft seals, are widely used to prevent the leakage of medium (such as oils and grease) along a rotating shaft. This leak prevention is primarily achieved by the sealing element which can be made from a wide range of materials that are chosen according to each application. They are commonly used in gearboxes, hydraulic cylinders, and related components.
Case study 2: Silicone oil leakage
In recent research, MWCNTs and carbon black were mixed with the butadiene/natural rubber to form a hybrid composite which gives very strong filler links by partial replacement of carbon black based on the m1:m2:X (m1—MWCNT; m2—reduction amount of carbon black; X-varies from 1 to 6) [40,64]. An internal blending mixer and two-roll milling were used to formulate the composites. The synergistic effect plays a major role in improving the abrasion resistance property due to the partial replacement of carbon black by adding MWCNTs in different ratios. The optimal ratio value of MWCNTs is 5 (parts per hundred of rubber) and 27.5 (parts per hundred of rubber) for carbon black with better resistant to abrasion compared to the matrix material [64]. The vulcanized hybrid composite material reinforced with MWCNT/carbon black at the ratio of 1:1 shows better mechanical properties, curing characteristics, and thermal conductivity. This shows a better tyre thread with an improved endurance life, less curing time, and improved thermal conductivity [42,64]. Fig. 4.4 shows the SEM and TEM images of uncured and cured rubber and Figs. 4.5 and 4.6 show the application of rubber nanocomposites in a tyre application.
Leather Oil Seals

We just discovered that one of the seals on our pumping system is leaking. Do you have any ideas as to what could have caused this, and can you offer some advice for selecting a good seal?
Loss of lip sealing function
All are fitted with a spring to preload the sealing lip. All these types are for non-pressurised or low-pressure applications up to 0.5 bar for diameters of a limited size. For diameter of 500 mm or more, the maximum pressure is 0.1 bar. For higher pressures, special types or PTFE lip seals can be used.