Viton® News 1 - Article 12

New Viton® Fluoroelastomers Made With Advanced Polymer Architecture Upgrade Chemical Process Sealing

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News Release from Dupont Dow Elastomers

11/7/2002

DuPont Dow Elastomers has announced that its new generation Viton® fluoroelastomers made with Advanced Polymer Architecture (APA) are now available in commercial quantities. The new Viton® specialty types deliver significant improvements in part and processing performance, and meet rigorous sealing requirements in the chemical and hydrocarbon processing industries.

The advances are the result of a $50 million investment in proprietary new polymerization and curing technology at DuPont Dow's facility in Dordrecht, The Netherlands. According to the company, Viton® made with Advanced Polymer Architecture will endow valve seals, pump diaphragms and process system tubing with greater robustness, and enhanced chemical, heat and pressure resistance leading to longer seal life and lower maintenance costs.

Diaphragm seals

Diaphragm seals used in chemical process pumps and valves must resist aggressive chemicals, solvents, acids and steam, and maintain flex life at temperature extremes. Pump and valve seals of new Viton® fluoroelastomers made with Advanced Polymer Architecture offer long term flexibility from well below -40°C to more than 150°C and greater resistance to aggressive process media than ever before.

"We have developed several new APA polymers to meet the special needs of chemical processors, plant managers and maintenance engineers. Of these, the new Viton® GBL-S type is a special candidate, upgraded to provide improved resistance to acids such as concentrated sulfuric acid, and to hot water and steam where it excels without the need for toxic lead oxide to counter swell," said Patrick Lederer, European marketing manager - Viton®. "Like all the new polymers, GBL-S offers enhanced seal force retention and compression set resistance."

The first new types being offered by DuPont Dow are peroxide cured, including Viton® GF-S, GBL-S, GLT-S, GBLT-S and GFLT-S types. These are followed by TBR-S and IBR-S base resistant types and Viton® Extreme ETP-S providing resistance to caustics and other high pH chemicals as well as low temperature flexibility.

Properties diaphragm seals

Sealing parts of new Viton® GBL-S fluoroelastomer made with Advanced Polymer Architecture exhibit virtually no change in tensile strength and improved elongation at break compared with previous generation Viton® GBL, when exposed to 96% concentrated sulfuric acid after one week at 70°C, leading to longer seal life and lower maintenance costs.

About DuPont Dow Elastomers

DuPont Dow Elastomers, a global supplier of specialty elastomers with global headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, is a joint venture between the DuPont Company and The Dow Chemical Company, with more than US $1 billion in sales. The company is the industry leader in chloroelastomers, ethylene elastomers and fluorinated elastomers, serving the automotive, chemical, construction, general rubber and wire and cable industries.

Next Article: DuPont Dow Elastomers Features Viton® Made With APA, Nordel® Metallocene EPDM At ACS Rubber Expo Oct. 7-11

Viton® is a registered trademark of DuPont Dow Elastomers.