It has good resistance to acids and bases except those having strong oxidizing effects. With higher acrylonitrile content, the solvent resistance of an NBR compound is increased but low-temperature flexibility is decreased. Low-temperature resistance is inferior to that of natural rubber, and although NBR can be compounded to give improved performance in this area, the gain is usually at the expense of oil and solvent resistance. As with SBR, this material does not crystallize on stretching, and reinforcing materials are required to obtain high strength. With compounding, nitrile rubbers can provide a good balance of low creep, good resilience, low permanent set, and good abrasion resistance.
Tear resistance is inferior to that of natural rubber, and electrical insulation is lower.
NBR is used instead of natural rubber where increased resistance to petroleum oils, gasoline, or aromatic hydrocarbons is required. Uses of NBR include carburetor and fuel-pump diaphragms and aircraft hoses and gaskets. In many of these applications, the nitriles compete with polysulfides and neoprenes. Reinforced, these rubbers have moderate tensile strength and elongation properties, plus an unusual combination of other characteristics. One of these is low heat buildup, which makes them suitable for applications involving cyclic shock or vibration.