FFKM O-Rings

At Wyatt Seal, we offer a wide range of material options for O-rings and want to make it easy for you to quickly find the right sealing solution for your needs. 

What is an FFKM O-ring?

FFKM O-rings are ring-shaped seals made from a perfluoroelastomeric compound with a higher amount of fluorine than FKM fluoroelastomers. FFKM O-rings work like any O-ring to seal two or more parts at the interface.

FFKM O-ring Material Description

Perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) is a high-grade polymer that is extremely resistant to oxygen plasma, chemicals, high temperatures, and steam. The material’s chemical structure of super-strong carbon-fluorine bonds makes it ideal for high-performance O-rings. Because of its specific properties, FFKM has many potential applications across a range of industries.

Advantages of FFKM O-rings

FFKM O-rings have excellent resistance to abrasions, acid, most chemicals, heat, electrical, oil, and ozone exposure. These O-rings also are resistant to weather and steam. 

The low outgassing of FFKM O-rings makes them a good selection for vacuum-sealing applications. FFKM O-rings also are non-flammable in air and are self-extinguishing. They have very low permeability and are explosive decompression resistant.

They also have good flame resistance and impermeability, but less resistance to cold exposure than O-rings made from some other materials. However, FFKM O-rings do not have strong dynamic, set, or tear resistance, and they do not have good tensile strength.

Chemical Resistance

O-rings that experience chemically-induced swelling may extrude from the seal grooves and lead to seal failure. FFKM is resistant to more than 1,800 chemicals, solvents, and plasmas, including concentrated nitric acid, sodium hydroxide, and ethylene diamine. FFKM O-rings are ideal in harsh chemical environments.

Long Life

FFKM O-rings can lower costs by extending the time before an O-ring requires replacement. The resistance to high temperatures combined with its chemical resistance leads to less hardening and embrittlement. FFKM retains elasticity and recovery even after long-term exposure to high temperatures. 

Combined with its low compression set, these qualities enable FFKM O-rings to maintain tight seals for longer periods. The extended life of FFKM O-rings means reduced costs are associated with frequent seal changes, repairs, and inspections.

Special Considerations

FFKM O-rings are available and can be designed for specific circumstances. FDA-compliant products are available for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processes. 

For those needing reliable seals for vacuum or UHV-pressure applications, cleanroom-manufactured FFKM O-rings are available. These are created for situations requiring low outgassing and particle emission.

Common Uses

Many industries use FFKM O-rings in critical applications where seal failure is not an option. These include chemical processing, energy, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, oil and gas recovery, aerospace, and other industries. 

In semiconductor applications, FFKM O-rings help prevent contamination while providing chemical resistance and thermal stability. Because of their resistance to swelling and embrittlement, chemical process applications also take advantage of FFKM O-rings.

In food and pharmaceutical uses, FFKM O-rings offer resistance to heat and to chemicals while also protecting against contamination. 

FFKM O-rings can withstand a temperature range of - 15ºF to 608ºF, which makes them a strong choice in aerospace applications. The temperature resistance, along with durability against high pressure, makes them (FFKM O-rings) an excellent choice for use in the oil and gas industries.

When purchasing FFKM O-rings, it’s important to select the right size for your project. We offer a comprehensive selection of FFKM O-rings in industry standard sizes. Please consult the size chart so that you can order confidently, knowing you will receive a sealing solution that will arrive on time, perform well, and last. At Wyatt Seal, we have PTFE Teflon O-rings in stock in our 4 warehouse locations.

Because of its unique properties, FFKM O-rings provide a high level of reliability that can decrease maintenance costs while increasing safety.

We are here to help in selecting the right sealing solution. Tell us your specifications, and we will partner with you to find the ideal O-rings for your next project. Contact Wyatt Seal to find out more about our O-ring selection and our custom solutions.