Still Smarter

If you’re looking for an impressively versatile material for difficult applications, you might be wondering ‘what is Viton™ and how can it help my business?’. We’re pleased to enlighten you with our complete guide.

What is Viton™?

Viton™ is a fluoropolymer elastomer and synthetic rubber compound, trademarked by DuPont under this brand name. It’s a fluorinated hydrocarbon rubber product with amazing capabilities, developed to withstand even the most challenging of environments.

In much the same way as Hoover has become synonymous with vacuum cleaners, so Viton™ has become the standard name for this type of material. However, there are differences within the Viton™ family which will affect their suitability for your application.

The standard grade for Viton™ is A grade, which has 66 percent fluorine content and is most commonly used in o rings and seals. Viton™ B offers better fluid resistance and Viton™ F is particularly good for resistance to fuel permeation. High performance grades are also available but do discuss with us if you’re not sure what you need.

Why use Viton™?

A Viton™ o ring will tend to be significantly more expensive than the equivalent nitrile component. This is because it simply does the job where other products cannot. In comparison to nitrile, Viton™ has a larger operating temperature range, better resistance to degradation from exposure to weather and ozone and is more chemically resistant too.

Choosing a Viton™ o ring for the toughest jobs means it will last longer. This means that you can enjoy extended service intervals, reducing maintenance costs and providing a more reliable seal. There is far less likelihood of unscheduled down time due to o ring failure, so your investment in a Viton™ product will pay back through better operational efficiency.

There are many types of FDA approved elastomer and rubber products. We’ve chosen four of the best ones for use in the food industry to help you narrow down your choices.

Fluorocarbon
Known more commonly by its trade name of Viton™, fluorocarbons or FKM are high performance FDA approved silicone materials. They cope well with high temperatures, are chemically resistance and do not absorb water. The scope of their working temperature ranges from -20°C to 204°C, although compounds can be made which function from -45°C to 250°C.

Silicone
The low toxicity and low chemical reactivity makes FDA approved silicone one of the best choices for food grade rubber. Silicone O-rings and silicone rubbers of food grade standard have one of the broadest operating scope ranges out there, of -60°C to 300°C. FDA approved silicone will not contaminate food and is one of the best materials for cooking tools, insulation, sealants and lubricants.

Nitrile (NBR)
As a highly economical material to purchase, nitrile is one of the most widely used elastomers for seals in the food processing industry. It has excellent resistance to oils and fuels and is robust and abrasion resistant. Standard compounds have an operating temperature range of -40°C to 140°C.

EPDM
For EPDM food grade products offer excellent flexibility and robustness. The EPDM food grade compounds are tasteless and odourless and are suitable for a wide range of uses within their temperature range. Normal operating temperatures for this material fall within -40°C to 140°C, making it a popular choice for food processing applications.