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New Developments in ACM Fluid Resistance Technology
Peter J. Abraham* ; Ivan C. Burczak, Zeon Chemicals Europe Ltd (UK) ; David Tao & Aaron Bressler*, Zeon Chemicals L.P (USA) ; Kazuhiro Ejiri, Zeon Corporation (Japan).
Abstract
Polyacrylate elastomers (ACM) are well known in the automotive industry for their excellent resistance to lubricating oils and greases. They can be formulated to resist high-temperature environments in the 150° to 190°C range and numerous grades are now available that can also perform at low-temperature conditions down to – 40°C. They are, therefore, well suited to todays long-life automotive engine sealing & gasket applications.
The trend in recent times has been to continue to reduce the exhaust emissions generated by automotive vehicles and car manufacturers have adopted new technologies such as exhaust gas recyling, particulate filters and others methods to comply with increasingly restrictive emission regulations. This has resulted in the need for improved performance of elastomeric seals and gaskets in these lubricants and other automotive fluids as they become more contaminated during service life with acids condensates and alcohol containing fuels etc. Higher operating temperatures has also resulted in the development of more aggressive automotive fluids and lubricants, further necessitating the use of specialty elastomers combining both heat and fluid resistance.
These increasing demands on elastomeric sealing components has led Zeon to research and develop new ACM elastomers able to more resist these aggressive engine lubricants and fluids. This paper will describe these developments and demonstrate how ACM elastomers continue to undergo continuous development for enhanced performance to meet the ever increasing demands of the automotive industry.
*Presenters