{"id":3044,"date":"2019-01-29T17:26:56","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T17:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monroeengineering.com\/blog\/?p=2736"},"modified":"2024-12-03T20:22:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T20:22:25","slug":"what-are-o-rings-and-how-do-they-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monroeengineering.com\/blog\/what-are-o-rings-and-how-do-they-work\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are O-Rings? And How Do They Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Also known as a toric joint — in reference to its torus shape — an O-ring is a gasket with a circular-looped design that’s used to seal two working surfaces. The valve stems in automotive engines, for example, often use O-rings to prevent oil from entering the combustion chamber. The O-ring creates a air- and liquid-tight mating surface between the valve stem and the valve guide. Without this small and otherwise simple component, oil may leak into the valve guide where it’s burned inside the combustion chamber.<\/p>\n

History of the O-Ring<\/h2>\n

The O-ring is the brainchild of J. O. Lundberg. In 1896, the Lundberg filed a patent for the circular-looped gasket. Although it was invented in Sweden, the O-ring slowly made its way across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1937, the first patent for an O-ring in the United States was filed by professional machinist Niels Christensen. What’s interesting, however, is that Christensen didn’t retain this patent.<\/p>\n

During World War II, the U.S. government took over the O-ring patent,  describing it as a critical tool used in the Allied force’s war efforts. The U.S. government still paid Christensen for his patent, though they placed the O-ring’s design in public domain, allowing companies from the East Coast to the West Coast to produce and sell their own O-rings.<\/p>\n

Materials Used to Make O-Rings<\/h2>\n

O-rings are available in many different materials, each of which has different properties. Some of the most common materials used to make O-rings include the following:<\/p>\n