Research And Insight

Ethylene propylene rubber

Ethylene propylene rubber is one of the different types of rubber used as a packing material in shaft seals to prevent the pumped media from leaking.

The type of rubber used as packing material depends on the media and pressure in the system. Ethylene propylene has excellent water resistance and retains this property up to temperatures as high as approximately 120-140 °C. Ethylene propylene has good resistance to acids, strong alkalis and highly polar fluids, such as methanol and acetone. However, it has very poor resistance to mineral oil and fuel.

Fluoroelastomers (FKM) are one of the different types of rubber used as a packing material in shaft seals to prevent the pumped media from leaking.

The type of rubber used as packing material depends on the media and pressure in the system. Fluoroelastomer (FKM) covers a whole family of rubbers designed to withstand oil, fuel and a wide range of chemicals, including non-polar solvents. There are standard and special grades; the latter have special properties, such as improved resistance to low temperature operation and chemicals.

FKMs offer excellent resistance to high temperature operation in different types of oil (up to 200 °C depending on the grade of FKM). Fluoroelastomer rubbers have limited resistance to steam, hot water, methanol and other highly polar fluids. This type of rubber has poor resistance to amines, strong alkalis and Freon.

Find pumps using pump seal types with Ethylene propylene or Fluoroelastomers (FKM) rubber in the shaft seal.

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