ISO 23936-2:2011

Overview

ISO 23936-2:2011 is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard that specifies requirements and procedures for the qualification of elastomeric materials used in equipment for petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas production. As Part 2 of ISO 23936 (Non‑metallic materials in contact with media related to oil and gas production), this document focuses on elastomers - seals, O‑rings, hose liners and other rubber components - where failure could affect health, safety or the environment. ISO 23936-2:2011 supplements applicable design codes and provides a harmonized approach to material selection, testing and documentation.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Material qualification: Procedures for qualifying elastomer compounds and semi‑finished products, including manufacturer validation and documentation requirements.
• Ageing tests: Long‑term and accelerated ageing test objectives and detailed procedures (normative Annex A) to assess chemical and physical degradation and to help estimate service life.
• Rapid gas decompression (RGD): Requirements and test methods for RGD (also called explosive decompression) of elastomer seals and components, with procedures in Clause 7 and Annex B. RGD resistance is critical for high‑pressure gas service.
• Mechanical and physical properties: Required property evaluations such as density, hardness, tensile strength, elongation, modulus, compression set and tear strength for design selection and quality control.
• Component‑specific qualification: Guidance for elastomers in bonded flexible hose, flexible joints, blow‑out preventers (BOPs) and packers (Clauses 8–9).
• Documentation and manufacturer responsibilities: Certificates of conformance, test records and process validation to ensure repeatable quality and cross‑project applicability.
• Supporting technical annexes: Annex C (common elastomers), Annex D (Arrhenius method for service life estimation), Annex E (ageing mechanisms) and Annex F (RGD background).

Practical applications

ISO 23936-2 is applied when selecting and qualifying elastomeric materials for:

• Seals and O‑rings in wellhead equipment, valves and subsea systems
• Bonded flexible hose liners and layers exposed to hydrocarbons and gases
• Elastomer components in BOPs, packers and flexible joints It helps operators and suppliers mitigate equipment failure, environmental risk and safety hazards by ensuring materials are validated for specific oil and gas service conditions (temperature, pressure, fluid chemistry).

Who should use this standard

• Asset operators and purchasers specifying materials for wells and production systems
• Engineering and procurement teams assessing material compatibility and lifetime
• Elastomer compound manufacturers and hose producers validating products
• Certification bodies and authorities overseeing safety and environmental compliance

Related standards (examples)

• ISO 23936-1 (Thermoplastics)
• ISO 13628‑10 (Bonded flexible pipe specification)
• API 17K, ASTM and ISO test methods referenced within the standard

ISO 23936-2:2011 provides a practical, test‑based framework for robust elastomer selection, RGD resistance assessment and lifecycle qualification in oil and gas production environments.