Viton®

Performance in Demand
Viton® fluoroelastomer was introduced in 1957 to meet the needs in the aerospace industry for a high-performance elastomer. Since then, the use of Viton® has spread quickly to many other industries, especially in the automotive, fluid power, appliance and chemical industries. With over 40 years of field-proven excellence, Viton® has developed a reputation for its outstanding performance in very hot and extremely corrosive environments.

Particularly valued for its excellent heat stability (200°C) and resistance to aggressive fuels and chemicals, Viton® is the most specified fluoroelastomer for fuel system seals and hoses, O-rings, shaft seals, expansion joints and gaskets. The latest types of Viton® are versatile, offering improved capabilities in steam, solvents, highly caustic environments and low temperatures. Because it extends the thermal resistance of mid-performance elastomers, Viton® is used extensively in aggressive automobile fuel systems, aircraft and chemical processing environments. Viton® is the first fluoroelastomer to achieve worldwide ISO 9000 registration.

Viton® made with Advanced Polymer Architecture
Advanced Polymer Architecture (APA) is a unique, proprietary advance in fluoroelastomer technology developed by DuPont Performance Elastomers. Specialty types of Viton® made with APA exhibit better end-use properties and improved processibility through the control of molecular weight distribution, polymer chain branching, and new cure site monomers.

Insist On the Best
DuPont Performance Elastomers is not the only company that manufactures FKM products. Many people in the industry incorrectly refer to FKM elastomers as "viton". As a result, you could end up with sealing products that are not the type of Viton® you need, let alone not made of 100% virgin DuPont Performance Elastomers Viton®. Products not made from DuPont Performance Elastomers Viton® may fall short of the expected performance levels afforded by the stringent quality standards DuPont Performance Elastomers has set for Viton®, which is manufactured at ISO 9002 registered facilities worldwide.

Unfortunately, there are several low-cost "fluoroelastomer imposters" on the market that could put your operations at risk of seal failure. A number of manufacturers of finished goods offer products which are being described as "commercial grades" or "industrial grades" of fluoroelastomer at reduced prices. These so-called "fluoroelastomers" can be offered at lower cost 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 (and typically are) blended to take advantage of specific features inherent in the individual rubbers. Fluoroelastomers in general cannot be blended with any hydrocarbon rubber without significantly degrading the resistance of the resulting vulcanizates to heat, fluids and compression set.

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", it performs like an over-priced hydrocarbon rubber. Insist on parts made with Viton®. Our Licensees in the Genuine Viton® program help ensure that fluoroelastomer goods which bear the Genuine Viton® Label consist only of 100% virgin Viton® fluoroelastomer.

Detailed Specifications Are the Key
Specifications that are insufficient, inaccurate or that allow substitutions open the door 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 you specify DuPont Performance Elastomers Viton®, you can enhance your product performance by ordering the specific type of Viton® that has been tailored for your application needs.

These types of DuPont Performance Elastomers Viton® enable you to select the most cost-effective elastomer. Each product affords a tailored balance of mechanical properties, as well as specific resistance to various types of process fluids.

Technical Information
Standard and specialty types of Viton® differ primarily in polymer composition and fluorine content. Each product differs in its ability to resist permeation and volume increase, and resist attack and property degradation caused by the chemicals and fluids.

The choice of the most appropriate type of Viton® to use for any given end-use application will be determined by the end-use service and, in particular, whether the finished part must provide:

• Resistance to amines or caustics
  
• Resistance to hydrocarbon fluids
  
• Flexibility at low temperature (ability to maintain a seal at low temperature)

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