Anti Explosive Decompression (AED) Or Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD) is a phenomenon that can occur with a rubber sealing device when large pressure gradients exist between its interior and exterior sections. A very common example is when an elastomeric seal such as an O-Ring is exposed to high pressure gas. The gas is ultimately absorbed by the elastomer causing the elastomer to swell. This type of swelling may not be necessarily destructive to the O-Ring, however, if the system pressure on the O-Ring is rapidly reduced, the gas that had been absorbed will rapidly expand within the O-Ring causing it to rupture and fail catastrophically.