This study reveals that not all gaskets are created equally. By comparing the manufacturing process of the REC gasket and the SFNB gasket, it is discovered that the production process matters a great deal for the environment. This study concludes that the SFNB gasket offers significant environmental benefits. The SFNB gasket offers up to 30% emission reductions, including energy savings around water and forestry, when compared to the REC gasket.

The continuous push to move American made product to low-cost countries has been a common practice in most markets for many years including the seal industry. Due to this trend, the North American-manufactured rubber compound N674-70 originated a generic designation titled NBR-70 or N70 material that comes from various Pacific Rim rubber manufacturers with a generic ASTM specification. Our initial investigation uncovered large discrepancies in the actual performance and material characteristics of the same type of NBR-70 or N70 O-ring compounds, even when used in equal applications.