FKM Seals Best for Harsh Environments
ROCHESTER, NY — Fluorocarbon elastomers (FKMs) provide significantly more effective sealing protection in extreme environments than nearly any other material, with excellent resistance to temperature, chemicals, fuels, ozone and weather. Web Seal offers engineered gaskets, O-rings and molded shapes from a wide range of fluorocarbon materials such as DuPont’s™ Viton®, and an array of physical properties.Â
In general, most fluorocarbon elastomers (FKMs) resist temperatures up to 204°C/400°F and remain flexible at lows of -26°C/-15°F. Superior compression set and recovery, and high performance in contact with severe chemicals, are the hallmarks of fluoroelastomers. They perform well in vacuum applications and have very good ozone, weather and aging resistance.Â
FKM seals are frequently used in industrial, oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and defense, and medical and life sciences, among other industries, to seal against gasoline, butane, propane, natural gas, grease, hydraulic fluids, solvents, and mineral-based oils and acids.
Ideal for sealing in critical harsh environments, fluorocarbon elastomers are available in a wide selection of stock and custom formulations, with differences in fluid resistance based on the amount of fluorine added. Some examples of these varieties of FKMs:
An economical FKM with typical chemical resistance and temperature range, is available with a 75 durometer, tensile strength of 1000, 200% elongations at break, 100ppi tear strength, and compression set of 36%.
Another 75-durometer FKM designed for high temperature, offers excellent resistance to acids, bases, sour gas and oil, high pressure steam and alcohols, and high pH corrosion inhibitors, as well as satisfactorily resisting ketones, esters and ethers, aromatic solvents and fuels. Tensile strength of this formulation increases to 2600 and tear strength of 128ppi, with a slight drop in compression set of 31%. While most fluorocarbon elastomers do not perform well in steam or hot water environments, a select group of custom compounds such as this are specifically designed for them.
On the other hand, a low compression set compound (7%) that is superior in resisting aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, animal and vegetable oils, chlorinated solvents, fuels, lubricants, ozone, petroleum oils, and weathering, is not recommended for use with acids, hot water or steam, esters, ethers, ketones, and certain amines.Â
A premium-grade FKM seal that is heat-resistant to 500°F meets Mil-R-25897, ASTM D-2000, and AMS-7278D requirements, and has a compression set of 16%.
Designing an FKM seal for the best combination of attributes for any demanding environment must include precise specifications for:
Temperature
Chemical Resistance
Mechanical Stresses
Compression Load
Aging
Ozone and Weathering
Flame Retardance
Gas Permeability
Fungus and Mold Resistance
Electrical Considerations, among other environmental conditions, as well as the installation process    Â
In addition, the durability of fluoroelastomer seals saves on downtime and replacement costs.
Web Seal provides design assistance to help create the ideal FKM sealing solution for any demanding application, including engineering gaskets, molded shapes and O-rings.
With a hallmark tradition of excellent customer service for more than 50 years, Web Seal is ISO-certified, ITAR-registered, and an authorized US Small Business. For more information on sealing products and services that Web Seal offers, visit http://www.websealinc.com.
