Viton® vs. FKM

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Viton® was introduced in and ever since, scientists and engineers have relied on Chemours Viton® for its superior performance and unique properties. However, Chemours is not the only company that manufactures FKM products. Many people in the industry incorrectly refer to any and all FKM elastomers as Viton®. Products that are not made from 100% virgin Chemours Viton® may fall short of the expected performance levels afforded by the stringent quality standards Chemours has set for Viton®, which is manufactured at ISO registered facilities worldwide.

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Viton® is Specified for its Outstanding Performance

• Outstanding resistance to heat, oxidation, weathering, ozone
• Outstanding resistance to a broad variety of fluids, including: aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated fluids, strong acids
• Outstanding resistance to compression set, providing sealing performance and longevity unmatched by any non-fluorinated elastomer

These characteristics make Viton® fluoroelastomer o-rings the perfect choice for demanding sealing applications. Unfortunately, there are several low-cost &#;fluoroelastomer imposters&#; on the market that may put your operations at risk of seal failure. A number of manufacturers of finished goods offer products which are being described as &#;commercial&#; or &#;industrial grades&#; of fluoroelastomer at reduced prices. These so-called &#;fluoroelastomers&#; can be offered at lower cost simply because they are not 100% virgin fluoroelastomer. Instead, some of these products are blends of FKM with hydrocarbon elastomers, such as ethylene-propylene, chloroprene or acrylic rubbers.

Many hydrocarbon rubbers can be blended to take advantage of specific features inherent in the individual rubbers. Fluoroelastomers in general can&#;t be blended with hydrocarbon rubber without significantly degrading the resistance of the resulting vulcanizes to heat, fluids and compression set.

Since Viton® performs better than hydrocarbon rubbers in fluid resistance, blends of other rubbers with Viton® typically perform significantly poorer than 100% FKM. Blends of Viton® with hydrocarbon rubbers do not perform &#;almost like FKM&#; or anything close to it. Beware of the &#;good deal.&#; Rather than being a &#;low-cost fluoroelastomer&#; the blend instead performs like an over-priced hydrocarbon rubber. If your sealing application is one that is best handled by a fluoroelastomer, make sure you are getting 100% Viton® FKM, and not a &#;low cost&#; blend of FKM and hydrocarbon rubber. Insist on parts made with Genuine Viton®. Our Genuine Viton® License Program guarantees the end-user that the elastomer portion of finished goods which bear the Genuine Viton® Label consist only of 100% virgin Viton® fluoroelastomer.

Make Detailed Specifications

Specifications that are insufficient, inaccurate or that allow substitutions may lead to quality and performance problems. However, a well-written specification that identifies the type of material and quantifies the critical performance parameters of the desired seal will communicate to your supplier the most cost-effective FKM for your application. When Chemours Viton® is specified, product performance may be enhanced since  the correct type of Viton® has been tailored for your application needs.

These types or &#;families&#; of Chemours Viton® enable selection of the most cost-effective elastomer. Each family affords a tailored balance of mechanical properties, as well as specific resistance to various types of process fluids.

How Do You Know You&#;re Getting Parts Made With Genuine Viton® fluoroelastomer?

Q. Are all fluoroelastomers &#;Viton®&#; fluoroelastomers?

A. No, only Chemours manufactures Viton® fluoroelastomer. Because Viton® is an established industry standard, many people incorrectly refer to any and all fluoroelastomers as Viton®. To ensure the highest quality fluoroelastomer available, insist on products made only with Chemours Viton®.

Q. What is FKM?

A. FKM is the ASTM designation for the fluoroelastomer category. It is not a mark of quality. Not all FKM o-rings are equivalent, and some may fall short on desired performance.

Q. What does the &#;Made With Genuine Viton®&#; seal mean?

A. The seal means the part has been manufactured and distributed in accordance with Chemours guidelines. Only parts made with 100% virgin Viton® as the sole elastomeric component are labeled with this seal.

Q. Why does the seal matter?

A. It is the guarantee of product integrity. When products carry this emblem, compliance to OSHA Mechanical Integrity Section .119 is assured. The seal means that the parts offer the superior performance that only Chemours Viton® fluoroelastomer provides. Other fluoroelastomer parts may include blends and other rubbers that deliver inferior heat and fluid resistance performance.

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Q. How can I be sure I&#;m getting parts made with genuine Viton®?

A. Look and ask! Be sure to make Viton® an element of your part specification. When parts are shipped, look for the Genuine Viton® seal. If the seal is missing, ask for a Certificate of Authenticity or Conformance.

Q. Who can use the label &#;Made With Genuine Viton®?&#;

A. Only manufacturers who have signed a formal agreement with Chemours can use this seal on their products. The manufacturers are selected carefully for their knowledge, their quality standards and for their ability to help you select the correct type of Viton® for your application. A well-written specification will communicate your needs to your supplier, who has up-to-date information about the variety of Viton® performance types and who can suggest the most cost-effective recommendation.

To ensure that you always receive the highest quality FKM products available, insist on 100% virgin Viton® and look for the &#;Made With Genuine Viton®&#; seal.

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Fluoro-Elastomer is a highly resilient type of synthetic rubber and its hard-wearing qualities make it a popular choice in the oil and gas industries. The material is widely used when dealing with aggressive fuels and chemicals that would rapidly degrade other rubbers. Here are a few examples of their uses:

Tubing and hose linings made from this material are used in the transportation of Bio-diesel, which is an unstable fuel. Fluoro-Elastomer sheeting is employed in situations where explosive gases are used extensively. Gloves are also made from this material and are used when dealing with strong organic solvents with highly corrosive properties. Discover the thermal properties of FKM.

All in a Name

However, despite the material&#;s undeniable usefulness, there is a lot of confusion as to what its proper name is. This can lead to problems when ordering the correct material. Hopefully this article will clear any further confusion.

Fluoro-Elastomer is usually referred to as FKM  FPM  or as VITON&#; after the popular brand which produces it. You may see this rubber listed in different places with these different names, but they are all one and the same. Originally developed by Du Pont, it is produced by a number of companies around the world.

Despite being the designation for the same material, each name is the recognised name for Fluoro-Elastomer for different organisations. This is where the confusion arises amongst many people. To set the record straight, here&#;s a rundown of what they are:

FKM is the American standard ASTM short form name for Fluro-Elastomer. It is the designation for around 80% of Fluoro-Elastomers defined by ASTM D.

VITON&#; is a registered trademark of Du Pont performance elastomers, the original developers of the rubber. However, the Viton is also used as a general name for the material, no matter who the manufacturer is.

FPM is Fluoro-Elastomer&#;s DIN/ISO international abbreviation ( standard).

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