Olive oil can be used on rubber for a variety of purposes, including:
- Hydrating rubber boots: Applying olive oil to clean rubber boots can soften the rubber and prevent it from drying out or cracking.
- Making table tennis rubber tacky: Rubbing olive oil on table tennis rubber can make it stickier and help it keep its grip.
- Cleaning dirty rubber: Olive oil can be used to clean very dirty rubber.
However, olive oil, also known as oleyl alcohol, can also cause rubber to fail in a number of ways:
- Cracking: Oleyl alcohol can weaken the bonds between rubber polymers, causing the rubber to crack.
- Swelling: Oleyl alcohol can cause rubber to swell.
- Hardening: Oleyl alcohol can cause rubber to harden.
- Damage to additives: Oleyl alcohol can react with rubber additives, such as antioxidants and stabilizers, causing further damage.
Silicone lubricant is another option for lubricating rubber parts, as it is compatible with many materials, including rubber, plastic, metal, wood, and painted surface
