The Effects of Fluoroelastomer Micropowder on Fuel Vapor Permeation

Fuel permeation is an important property of rubber compounds intended for use in PZEV and other low-hydrocarbon emissions applications. In many of these applications, FKM
is considered a desirable material because of its excellent resistance to fuel and hydrocarbons, as well as low rate of hydrocarbon vapor permeation. Fluoroelastomer Micropowder (FMP) is an FKM material produced using a postindustrial raw material stream. Because of its unique morphology and surface properties, this material is readily incorporated into standard FKM formulations with minimal effect
on chemical resistance or other performance. In this experiment, FMP was used in a standard formulation at 30 and 85% by weight on the formulation, and the resultant
compounds were tested for conventional mechanical properties, fluid resistance, and fuel vapor permeation. In this experiment, use of up to 85% FMP in a test formulation had no
effect on fuel permeation, and retained excellent mechanical properties. The permeation resistance of these compounds suggests an intimate interaction between FMP particles and the surrounding compound matrix.