Perfluoroelastomer seals take both extremes

A Precision Polymer Engineering product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 8, 2002

Precision Polymer Engineering has developed the world's first low-temperature-resistant perfluoroelastomer for operating environments down to -35C.

Precision Polymer Engineering has developed the world's first low-temperature-resistant perfluoroelastomer for operating environments down to -35C.

Five years in development, the Perlast Grade G70L overcomes the many technical challenges that to date have limited perfluoroelastomers to operating environment close to -20C.

Perfluoroelastomers exhibit the most chemically resistant properties of any elastomer available, and are widely used in environmentally aggressive environments.

Until now perfluoroelastomers have lost their elasticity as temperatures have dropped to -20C where they become brittle.

The new Perlast G70L not only maintains its elasticity at -35C, it does not become brittle at temperatures as low as -60C, allowing scope for incorporation into dynamic applications at lower temperatures.

At the other end of the temperature scale this new material can be used at temperatures up to +280C, an achievement which reflects the breadth of application of G70L to meet today's ever more demanding sealing applications.

In addition, Perlast G70L is available in a range of hardness from 70 to 90 Shore, allowing greater customisation of seal designs.

Precision Polymer Engineering, Perlast business manager, David Holt, believes the low temperature Perlast will broaden the range of applications of elastomers in extreme environments.

"It opens up the scope for the use of perfluoroelastomers in the oilfield industry, valves and ancillary equipment handling refrigerated chemicals, advanced semiconductor manufacturing and many other applications, including, of course, usage in arctic weather conditions", he said.

The new low temperature grade is the latest in the Perlast range which includes FDA-compliant grades for pharmaceutical and food manufacture and pure Perlast grades used in semiconductor manufacture and biochemical production.