Downhole oil tool rubbers are a very fancy way of saying rubber components and parts that aid in the extraction of fossil fuel or oil. You are probably wondering why rubber would even have a place in this gritty, dirty, and already slippery business, but their uses make a lot of sense when you know what these components are used for. Here are some reasons and uses of rubber in an already slippery industry.

Suction

Oil will not come out of the ground by itself. On the contrary, that is why people dig oil wells, and why pumps are used to pull the crude oil out of the ground. Rubber creates the suction needed to pull the oil up by sealing off the hole and creating a vacuum, much in the same way most gaskets work. This increases the efficiency of the pump so that it does not have to work quite so hard.

Friction Reduction

Oil wells are metal working on metal. There is not much else that can withstand the daily grind of the job that is required of these components and not start an oil fire in the process. Still, oil crews want to be sure that oil fires never start. Friction is always a constant factor for oil fires. To deter a fire and reduce the friction in the pumping process, rubber to coat the pistons is necessary. The piston rubbers prevent pistons from getting too hot and from grinding against each other, which could cause a fire. 

Scraping off the Precious Oil

Every drop of oil extracted from the ground has value. Considering how fossil fuels are quickly declining and are not replaceable, every drop has to be saved. That is where the wiper rubbers come in. Oil crews use the pipe wipers and scrapers to get every last drop of crude oil into a tank or a pipeline for processing. Only rubber scrapes and wipes so clean. It is akin to using a rubber spatula for getting every last drop of cake batter out of your mixing bowl; the rubber scrapes clean, and every drop is used.

Why Rubber Is Ideal

Rubber is ideal for these components because it can withstand friction. It cannot start a fire when constantly scraped along a metal oil well pipe. It will not melt under constant pressure. If you were to use any other material, it would not last quite as long as rubber.

For more information on well seals and downhole tool rubbers, contact an industry professional.