Gluing Nitrile rubber

How Nitrile rubber behaves when you bond it

Clean NBR can bond strongly with selected cyanoacrylates and low-surface-energy structural acrylics. Small close-fitting joints suit flexible or rubber-toughened cyanoacrylates. Wider joints, gaps, peel loading and longer assembly time favour a toughened structural acrylic or a flexible contact system. An oil-soaked service part is less predictable than new rubber.

Nitrile rubber, or NBR, is an elastomer made from acrylonitrile and butadiene. Its formulation and acrylonitrile content affect flexibility and oil resistance. Finished parts may carry processing oil, release agent or service oil, and the rubber itself stretches far more than a rigid adhesive layer.

Remove gross oil and release agent with a cleaner confirmed as compatible with the particular NBR compound, then wipe until a clean cloth no longer lifts contamination. Let the rubber dry fully and bond soon afterwards. Avoid assuming that flame, corona or aggressive chemical treatment will solve contamination: Permabond reports little benefit from such treatments for NBR. Test aged or oil-saturated parts because oil can migrate back to the surface.