What is fkm rubber

Every day, people deal with products that possess seals and they generally know very little about the materials with which they are made.

But why is plastic so flexible and how are the various mixtures differentiated from one another? When is a silicone seal better than one made of polyurethane or rubber? FKM is a copolymer made of highly fluorinated hydrocarbons and developed during the s.

FKM seals display very good resistance to media, ozone and aging. The material is also stable in fuels as well as petroleum-based oils and greases, along with aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. It is unstable with regard to polar solvents e. There are copolymers, terpolymers and tetrapolymers with fluorine content varying between 65 and 71 percent. It is suitable for high vacuum applications. Many fluorocarbon compounds have a higher than normal mold shrinkage rate, molds for fluorocarbon products are often different from molds for Nitrile.

This type of polymer is used extensively by ERIKS, however we do not claim or promote the use of any specific brands of polymers in our compounds. The table below shows the available datasheets for this material in pdf. Safety datasheets are available here. Home » Materials » FKM.

Find a store nearby. F type polymers have even more fluorine content than B types. Viton GFLTS — Considered for lower temperature performance, this polymer is high fluorine, low temperature and peroxide-cured. Viton Extreme ETPS — A relatively new polymer that provides the highest level of fluorine and the maximum chemical resistance. It is more expensive than standard compounds, but a lot cheaper than FFKM compounds. Each FKM supplier sells a competing polymer base or has additional performing alternatives.

Some are better for low temperature and some have better base resistance. Customers will still get the same compound performance, but without limitation. Also, the polymer is only one component of an FKM compound. Filler and processing aids still constitute a significant portion of the rubber compound.

Giving actual physical requirements will better maintain customer part requirements. One of the downsides of using FKM rubber is the lack of low-temperature performance. Low-temperature performance really should be evaluated by users based on the application of the seal.

FKM compounds will perform better in static applications at low temperature, compared to dynamic applications. The material will harden as the temperature lowers, thus affecting seal deformation and possible leakage. Tolerance stack up becomes very important in assuring there is still sufficient compression on the seal for sealing in lower temperatures.