What is Viton Rubber Used For?

Understanding Viton rubber and its unique properties can help you select the right material for specific industrial applications.

Viton rubber is widely used for its excellent resistance to high temperatures, chemicals, and oils. It’s ideal for sealing and gasketing in harsh environments.

Viton rubber is a synthetic elastomer known for its durability and resistance to extreme conditions. Let’s dive deeper into its properties and uses.

What is Viton?

Viton is a type of synthetic rubber, primarily made from a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene. This material is renowned for its outstanding resistance to high temperatures, oils, fuels, and a wide variety of chemicals.

Viton is a high-performance synthetic rubber with exceptional resistance to extreme temperatures, chemicals, and oils, making it a top choice for harsh environments.

Composition and Properties

Viton's unique composition gives it several advantages over other elastomers. It is highly resistant to a broad spectrum of chemicals, including oils, fuels, acids, and solvents, which makes it indispensable in applications requiring superior sealing performance. Viton is also known for its excellent heat resistance, withstanding temperatures from -15°C to 200°C (5°F to 392°F), and it maintains flexibility even at low temperatures. This combination of properties makes Viton ideal for use in aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications where other rubbers may fail under extreme conditions.

What is Another Name for Viton?

In addition to its common name, Viton is also known by various other trade names depending on the manufacturer.

Viton is often referred to by other names, including fluoroelastomer or FKM, which represent the polymer group it belongs to.

Other Trade Names

Viton belongs to a family of materials called fluoroelastomers. Fluoroelastomers are typically identified by the generic term FKM. Other companies might sell Viton under different brand names, such as Tecnoflon or Kalrez, but the underlying material is the same. These names often reflect slight differences in formulation or curing processes, but they all offer the same core benefits: high chemical resistance, excellent sealing properties, and performance in extreme conditions. When shopping for this type of material, it’s essential to understand that different brands may offer varying levels of performance depending on the application.

What Are the Disadvantages of Viton Rubber?

While Viton offers exceptional properties, it also has some limitations that may affect its suitability for specific applications.

Despite its superior properties, Viton can be more expensive and less flexible than other types of rubber, which may limit its use in some applications.

Limitations of Viton

Although Viton is highly durable, it is not without its drawbacks. One of the most significant disadvantages of Viton is its cost, which is generally higher than other types of rubber like nitrile or silicone. This price difference may be prohibitive in some applications, particularly in industries where cost-efficiency is a priority. Additionally, while Viton has excellent chemical resistance, it may not perform well in certain aggressive chemical environments, such as those involving strong acids or bases. Furthermore, Viton tends to be less flexible at low temperatures than other rubbers, which can be a disadvantage in sealing applications that require flexibility in colder environments.

• High Cost: Viton is significantly more expensive than many other elastomers.

• Poor Low-Temperature Flexibility: Viton becomes stiff and brittle at low temperatures, limiting its use in cold environments.

• Limited Chemical Compatibility: While resistant to many fluids, Viton is incompatible with ketones, amines, esters, ethers, hot hydrofluoric or chlorosulfonic acids, and Skydrol fluids.

• Difficult Processing: Viton can be challenging to process compared to other elastomers, potentially increasing manufacturing costs.

• Environmental Concerns: Viton's chemical composition makes recycling difficult.

• Potential Decomposition Hazard: At very high temperatures, Viton can decompose and release hazardous hydrogen fluoride gas.

Is Viton Rubber Food Grade?

Viton rubber is commonly used in industrial applications, but its suitability for food-related environments needs careful consideration.

Viton is generally not considered food-grade rubber, as it may contain chemicals or additives that are not safe for direct food contact.

Food Safety Considerations

Viton, while highly resistant to heat and chemicals, is typically not considered food-grade rubber. The material may contain additives or processing chemicals that could pose health risks if they come into contact with food. However, some manufacturers offer Viton grades that meet specific regulatory standards for food applications, particularly in industries like pharmaceuticals and food processing where high-performance sealing is critical. If food-grade properties are a requirement, it’s essential to ensure that the Viton material you’re sourcing is certified for such use. Viton should not be used for direct food contact unless explicitly tested and approved for such applications.

What is Viton Rubber Used For?

Viton’s durability and resistance to extreme conditions make it a preferred choice in various demanding industries.

Viton rubber¹ is widely used for seals, gaskets, and o-rings in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and chemical processing.

Applications of Viton

Viton rubber¹ is widely used across various industries due to its durability and chemical resistance². Common applications include:

• Automotive:

  • Fuel systems (seals, gaskets, O-rings)
  • Fuel injectors and pumps
  • Engine gaskets and exhaust systems

• Aerospace:

  • Aircraft engine seals
  • O-rings and high-performance seals

• Chemical Processing:

  • Seals and gaskets for chemical processing equipment
  • Tubing and hoses for chemical transfer applications
  • Protective coatings for equipment surfaces

• Oil and Gas:

  • Seals and gaskets in drilling and production equipment
  • Tubing and hoses for oil and gas transfer

• Pharmaceutical:

  • Seals and gaskets for drug delivery systems
  • Tubing and hoses in sterile processing applications

Industry	Application Examples	Key Properties Exploited
Automotive	Fuel systems (seals, gaskets, O-rings), Fuel injectors/pumps, Engine/Exhaust gaskets	Fuel resistance, High-temperature resistance, Oil resistance
Aerospace	Aircraft engine seals, High-performance O-rings and seals	High-temperature resistance, Chemical resistance
Chemical Processing	Seals/gaskets for equipment, Tubing/hoses for chemical transfer, Protective coatings	Chemical resistance, Resistance to aggressive solvents and acids
Oil and Gas	Drilling/production equipment seals/gaskets, Tubing/hoses for oil/gas transfer	High-temperature resistance, Chemical resistance, Pressure resistance
Pharmaceutical	Drug delivery system seals/gaskets, Tubing/hoses in sterile processing	Chemical resistance, Low compression set, Suitability for sterile use

In the aerospace industry, Viton is widely used for sealing fuel systems and other critical components that are exposed to harsh conditions such as high temperatures and fuel. In the automotive sector, Viton is used for gaskets, seals, and o-rings, particularly in fuel lines where resistance to oils and fuels is crucial. Viton’s ability to withstand both heat and chemical exposure makes it an ideal choice for sealing applications in chemical processing systems, where exposure to aggressive solvents and oils is a common challenge.

Conclusion

Viton rubber is an exceptional material for applications requiring resistance to heat, chemicals, and oils. While it has some disadvantages, such as cost and flexibility limitations, its unique properties make it invaluable in critical industrial sectors like aerospace, automotive, and chemical processing.

---

Footnotes：