Materials

New UL Listed Viton for Harsh Environments

Wellhead with valves and manometer. Oil and gas concept.

Here at Apple Rubber, we are constantly trying to expand our material offerings. We sometimes do this by developing a new material, or by taking an existing material and testing it to see where its limits are. 

More and more of our customers are being challenged to find seals suitable for use in harsh environments. We recently tested one of our fluorocarbon materials, 01VT7EE, in response to a temperature rating request for UL. Our 01VT7EE has now been UL listed for use in applications from -20°C to 200°C, as well as JMLU2.MH14216 and UL 50E.

01VT7EE UL Listing

Max Temp 200°C
Min Temp -20°C
UL157 End Use Codes B, C, D, F, G, H, and J
UL 50E Continuous and Periodic Compression for Enclosure Types 2, 3, 3X, 3R, 3RX, 3S, 3SX, 4, 4X, 5, 6, 6P, 12, 12K, and 13, including oil immersion

These overall properties of 01VT7EE make it an excellent candidate for a range of applications from Aerospace and Automotive to commercial. Vitons in general are known for their resistance to petroleum based fluids, solvents, acids, ozone, and their high abrasion resistance. Fluorocarbons are broken down into six major categories based on the nature of the different polymers that can be combined to create an FKM material. 01VT7EE is defined as a Type 1 FKM material under ASTM D1418-17. This means that it’s a dipolymer of Hexafluoropropylene and Vinylidene Fluoride. It’s also bisphenol cured material that contains 66% fluorine. This blend of polymers and its quantity of fluorine provides excellent heat aging properties and general chemical resistance. After being tested for 1,440 Hours at 210°C, 01VT7EE retained almost 91% of its overall tensile strength and 99% of its ultimate elongation. It has low outgassing when tested to ASTM E595. It had a Total Mass loss of .28% with a Collected Volatile Condensable Material of .01% and a Water Vapor Recovered level of .07%. 01VT7EE also meets the stringent requirements of AMS 3216.

While Viton is exceptional in some circumstances, care must be taken to avoid applications where  Viton is not compatible. Brake fluids, methanol, and ketones are destructive to this material and other type 1 fluorocarbons. They are also weak to steam and are not compatible in low temperature applications, like those that require specialized grades of fluorocarbon. We will soon list a FKM material to handle Alcohol blends greater than 15%. 

Typically, Apple Rubber molds Fluorocarbon into o-rings, but we are capable of making this material into U-cups, and custom profiles and shapes. We have an onsite machine shop that gives us the option to provide a quick turnaround time. Our engineering team’s experience can help find the right size and profile for your application.

UL 157 End Use Codes

Code End – Use – Application
B Gasoline
C Gasoline/Alcohol up to 15%
D Naphtha or Kerosene
F Manufactured gas or Natural Gas
G Diesel Fuel, Fuel Oil Or Lubricating Oil
H Heated Fuel Oil
I Anhydrous Ammonia
J Liquefied Petroleum

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