What is the role of hydraulic seals?

The role of hydraulic seals is to prevent fluid leakage and maintain pressure within hydraulic systems. These seals are critical components that ensure the hydraulic fluid remains contained within the system's boundaries, avoiding any loss of fluid that could lead to reduced efficiency or system failure. Additionally, maintaining pressure is vital for the operation of hydraulic machinery, as it ensures that force is transmitted effectively through the fluid medium.

Without effective sealing, fluids could escape, causing not only functionality issues but also potential safety hazards. In contrast, the other options relate to functions not associated with hydraulic seals: enhancing fluid viscosity pertains to the properties of the fluid itself, increasing flow rate is about the design of the system rather than seals, and providing electrical insulation is a characteristic of different materials not relevant to hydraulic sealing.