An Essential Guide to Viton™

With its ability to withstand some of the harshest environments where extreme temperatures and chemical interactions are the norm, Viton™ rubber is one of the most hard-wearing fluoroelastomers in the world. Its impressive performance levels and superb durability make it a popular choice for many industry specialists. Find out more about Viton™ and if it could be the right choice for your business with this Essential Guide to Viton™.

What is Viton™ rubber?

Trademarked by DuPont (now known as Chemours), an American multinational chemical company, Viton™ is a fluoropolymer elastomer and synthetic rubber compound. This impressive elastomer is most commonly known as the form of the Viton™ ‘O’ rings. O rings are championed for their dependability and versatility, due to the chemical properties of Viton™ including its strong carbon-fluorine bonds and other fluoroelastomer blends.

What is Viton™ used for?

Viton is a common choice and is used in many appliances, including expansion joints, high-performance seals, high-voltage cables and hoses and tubing. Due to its significant durability, it is frequently used within the automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, chemical processing and oil and gas industries.

Viton™ seals temperature ranges

Fluoroelastomers are known for their significant resistance to chemicals and temperatures. The temperature range of Viton™ is considered to be between -20°C and +205°C depending on the grade. It is able to withstand higher or lower temperatures such as -30°C / -45°C and +230°C, but for shorter working periods.

Viton™ properties

There are a number of reasons to use Viton™ including:

Excellent resistance to chemicals.
High quality and density.
Resistance against a wide temperature range (-45°C – 230°C).
Excellent resistance against oxidation, UV exposure, weather, ozone, fungus, and mould.
Excellent gas and liquid permeation resistance.
Suitable for explosive decompression.
High-quality seal performance due to good mechanical properties.
More resistant to burning than non-fluorinated hydrocarbons.

Viton™ vs Nitrile

Viton™ and Nitrile are both commonly used for industrial purposes due to their versatility, but there are some significant differences between the two:

Viton™ Properties:

Temperature: Can withstand between -45°C – 230°C but not as effective at lower temperatures.
Environment: High resistance to weather, UV, oxidation, ozone and mould.
Chemicals: Resistant to acids, silicone fluids, petroleum oils and hydrocarbons.
Usage: Effective for environments that require high resistance to extreme temperatures and chemicals including automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, chemical processing and oil and gas industries.
Cost: Typically more expensive than nitrile.

Nitrile Properties:

Temperature: Most effective between -30°C – 100°C
Environment: Poor resistance to weather and ozone but with good levels of abrasion and tear resistance.
Chemicals: Resistant to hydrocarbons, oils, petrol, water and hydraulic fluids.
Usage: Effective for heavy-duty industrial applications, including aircraft fuel systems, automotive and marine applications.
Cost: Typically cheaper than Viton™.

About Checkmate Flexible Engineering

CFE is a specialist engineering company that offers a range of products using Viton™ rubber including seals and gaiters and peristaltic hoses. Clients include the UK MOD, Government Research Establishments, international shipping companies, and NATO forces. If we can help you with your flexible engineering requirements, please get in touch.