DIN 7716: storing, cleaning and caring for rubber parts
DIN 7716 specifies how products made of rubber are stored, cleaned and maintained.
What DIN 7716 covers
The full title is “Rubber products; requirements for storage, cleaning and maintenance“. The valid edition dates from May 1982 and replaced the February 1975 edition. The standard applies to products made of natural and synthetic rubber, pure or combined with other materials, as well as to unvulcanised compounds, adhesives and rubber solutions. The requirements for storerooms and storage mainly target long-term storage of more than six months. For short-term storage, such as in production and dispatch warehouses, they apply accordingly.
DIN 7716 is one of the standards that apply to JRT’s technical rubber goods.
What damages rubber parts in storage
Rubber parts change their properties when stored poorly, but stay almost unchanged for several years when stored correctly. Oxygen, ozone, heat, light, moisture, solvents and storage under stress change the physical properties of most rubber products. The parts can then harden excessively, soften, deform permanently, flake or crack.
Requirements for the storeroom
The storeroom should be cool, dry, low in dust and moderately ventilated. Outdoor storage without weather protection is not permitted.
Temperature
Rubber products should not be stored below -10 °C or above +15 °C, although the upper limit may be exceeded up to +25 °C. Higher temperatures are only permissible for short periods. Certain rubber types such as chloroprene rubber may need a storage temperature of at least +12 °C. Parts exposed to severe cold in storage or transport can stiffen. Before use they are brought to +20 °C or more for some time, ideally in their packaging so that no moisture condenses on the part.
Heating
In heated storerooms the parts must be shielded from the heat source. The distance to the heat source should be at least 1 m, more in rooms with warm-air heating.
Humidity
Damp storerooms and condensation must be avoided. A relative humidity below 65 % is best.
Light
The parts should be protected from light, especially direct sunlight and strong artificial light with a high UV content. The standard provides for a red or orange protective coating on the windows for this, never a blue one.
Oxygen and ozone
Wrapping or storage in airtight containers protects against air exchange and draughts. This applies above all to articles with a large surface in relation to their volume. Because ozone is particularly harmful, the storeroom must not contain any ozone-generating equipment, such as electric motors or devices that produce sparks or electrical discharges.
Chemicals
Solvents, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, acids and disinfectants must not be kept in the storeroom.
- Storage temperature
- -10 to +15 °C
- up to +25 °C permitted, higher only briefly
- Relative humidity
- below 65 %
- without condensation
- Distance to heat source
- at least 1 m
- more with warm-air heating
- Light protection of windows
- red or orange
- never blue
Storage and handling
Rubber parts are stored free of stress, without tension, compression or other deformation, because stress promotes permanent deformation and cracks. O-rings, for example, must not hang on hooks. Copper and manganese damage rubber, so the parts must not touch these metals. Suitable packaging includes antistatic films or bags made of paper, polyethylene or polyamide. Films containing plasticisers are not permitted as packaging.
Parts of different composition should not touch, especially rubber parts of different colours. Parts should stay in storage as briefly as possible, and in long-term storage new arrivals are kept separate from existing stock.
Storage by part type · 5
- Hoses are stored in coils or laid out straight.
- Sheets are stored flat with full support or rolled.
- Seals, buffers, rubber-to-metal bonds and rings are stored so that they do not deform.
- With rubber-to-metal articles, the metal may only touch the elastomer at the bond.
- Rubber goods for food use should be stored in odour-free rooms.
Cleaning and maintenance
Parts are cleaned with soap and warm water and dried at room temperature. After six to eight months of storage, cleaning with a 1.5 per cent sodium bicarbonate solution is possible, with the residue rinsed off with water. Solvents such as trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride and hydrocarbons must not be used, nor sharp-edged objects, wire brushes or emery paper. Rubber-to-metal bonds are cleaned with a glycerine and spirit mixture at a ratio of 1 to 10.
Disinfection only follows thorough cleaning, with an agent that is compatible with rubber. Agents that release oxygen or halogens, such as potassium permanganate or chlorinated lime, can damage thin-walled parts in particular.
DIN 7716 and ISO 2230
DIN 7716 incorporates the international standard ISO 2230 in its 1973 version, plus ISO 5285 of 1978 for conveyor belts. ISO 2230 has since been revised independently: the 2002 edition replaced the 1973 one, and the third edition ISO 2230:2026 appeared in March 2026. This does not supersede DIN 7716, and DIN Media still lists the 1982-05 edition as current.
ISO 2230 gives guidelines for the inspection, documentation, packaging and storage of products made of vulcanised or thermoplastic rubber before they are placed on the market. The 2002 edition divides rubbers into three groups by their susceptibility to ageing:
ISO 2230 also distinguishes an initial storage period from manufacture, after which a sample is tested, and an extension period until the next test. Thick parts usually change more slowly than thin ones. DIN ISO 3302-1 also refers to ISO 2230: parts to be measured must not have been stored poorly beforehand.
Packaging at JRT
Besides standard packaging in cartons or on pallets, JRT also meets individual customer packaging requirements.
FAQ: storing rubber parts to DIN 7716
At what temperature should rubber parts be stored?
Under DIN 7716 between -10 °C and +15 °C, and the upper limit may be exceeded up to +25 °C. Higher temperatures are only permissible for short periods.
What humidity is right for rubber parts?
A relative humidity below 65 %, without condensation, is best.
Is DIN 7716 still valid?
Yes. DIN Media lists DIN 7716:1982-05 as current. The international guideline ISO 2230 has been available in its third edition since March 2026.
May O-rings be hung up?
No. DIN 7716 requires stress-free storage and explicitly names hanging O-rings on hooks as an example to avoid.
What should rubber parts be cleaned with?
With soap and warm water, dried at room temperature. Solvents, wire brushes and emery paper are unsuitable.
Which rubbers age most slowly?
In its 2002 edition, ISO 2230 assigns EPDM, FKM and silicone rubber among others to group C, which is highly resistant to ageing.