Material Overview

Standards and cleanliness are paramount

The sealing environment within food and beverage processing is perhaps the most demanding of all. Seal failure can lead to potential contamination or line stoppages. Materials, whether elastomer or plastics, have to cope with a broad variety of process media along with CIP (Cleaning In Place) and SIP (Sterilization In Place). They must also comply with an increasing number of national and international regulations such as FDA, 3-A, NSF and USP standards.

Materials developed for demanding applications

Based on decades of experience, working with leading equipment manufacturers and end users around the globe, we have developed a tailor-made portfolio of materials for this sector. To ensure extended sealing performance, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has invested heavily in research to identify the optimum compound for each application. The resulting materials range from standard elastomers to the proprietary FFKM Isolast® and Turcon®, our range of PTFE based compounds.

Download the MATERIAL COMPARISON TABLE (PDF, 52 KB)

Compliance to all major standards

Most importantly, materials from Trelleborg Sealing Solutions are available across each compound type, which comply with all major standards including FDA 21 CFR 177.1550 for fluorocarbon plastics, FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 for elastomers, 3-A, USP Class VI, NSF, and Cytotoxicity (USP 87).

The main materials are:

  • EPDM sealing materials engineered for aseptic technology
  • Excellent performance from FKM
  • Resifluor™ 500 advanced range of materials
  • Isolast® Perfluoroelastomer : The ultimate in elastomer sealing
  • Turcon® : Unrivalled PTFE based sealing capabilities
  • Silicone
  • NBR
  • Zurcon® Z80 & Z2221

More details of sealing in CIP & SIP

More information on approvals

Animal Derived Ingredients Free

Animal Derived Ingredients (ADI) can cause the disease BSE and should therefore be avoided in products that may come into contact with products that are intended for human consumption. Sealing material ingredients and process aids can contain ADI. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has therefore checked the compound portfolio and can now offer a broad selection of ADI free materials.

Tools & Resources

E-Tool

Chemical Compatibility Check
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FoodPro® EPDMs

This revolutionary, new family of EPDM materials is specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the food and beverage industry.
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Technical Paper 

Product Change Without Aroma Carryover
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EPDM

EPDM sealing materials engineered for aseptic technology

Industry specific materials improve integrity

Ethylene Propylene Diene Rubber (EPDM) polymers are fully saturated, unpolar hydrocarbon based elastomers. Their polymer geometry gives them superior compatibility with polar fluids and polar solvents at elevated temperatures.

The materials have:

  • High chemical resistance
  • Give long life in polar solvents, hot water and steam
  • Suitable for contact with alkaline cleaning fluids
  • Excellent in most dairy applications and with WFI (Water For Injection) at high temperatures

Materials technology enhances capabilities

All recommended EPDM grades are peroxide cured and contain a very low amount of softeners and process aids. This reduces potential leach out to a minimum, lowering the risk of contamination. They have also been engineered to achieve enhanced chemical and thermal stability along with compliance to FDA 21 CFR177.2600, 3-A, USP Class VI, Cytotoxicity (USP 87), NSF51 and several water approvals.

Areas of use:

  • Used in almost all types of applications as a universal material, suitable both in cleaning and sterilization processes.
  • Typical applications are filling, dispensing, pumps, pipe and flange gaskets, valves, quick connectors, tanks, separators, homogenizers, decanters and heat exchangers.

Products:

O-Ring, Square Seal, Kantseal, Flat Seal, Gaskets, Diaphragms, also reinforced. EPDM can also be bonded to other materials and delivered as engineered parts in almost any design.

Read about specific applications using EPDM:

NBR

Good mechanical performance from NBR

Excellent performance in animal and vegetable fats

Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber (NBR) is a good choice for applications where seals will not be exposed to harsh cleaning regimes, ozone or superheated steam. These materials are copolymers of butadiene and acrylonitrile. The percentage of these in the NBR formulation determines their performance characteristics.

NBR materials:

  • Give good mechanical properties
  • Have long-term operating temperatures from -30°C to +100°C / -22°F to +212°F and up to 120°C / 248°F for short periods
  • Special formulations give good resistance to hydrocarbons of high aromatic content and water
  • Ideal for meat and poultry processing they have excellent performance in animal and vegetable fats

Grades are available that are compliant to FDA 21 CFR177.2600 and 3-A standards.

FKM

Excellent performance from FKM materials

Standard FKM optimized for steam environments

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has optimized the performance of our Fluoroelastomer (FKM) material range, engineering it to meet the specific criteria of the processing industry.

Materials demonstrate:

  • Good elevated temperature characteristics
  • Compatibility to acidic CIP fluid, fatty food products, food grade lubricants and oils

Products:

O-Ring, Square Seal, Kantseal, Flat Seal, Gaskets, Diaphragms, also reinforced.

FKM can also be bonded to other materials and delivered as engineered parts in almost any design.

Areas of use:

  • Especially suited for processes where there is contact with high fat media such as grease and oils or at high temperature.
  • Typical applications include Mechanical Seals, Decanters, Separators, Pumps, Tanks, Valves, Heat Exchangers and equipment cleaned using CIP and SIP regimes.

FKM grades

Read about specific applications using FKM:

Isolast FFKM

Isolast® FFKM: The ultimate in elastomer sealing

Outstanding resistance to chemicals

Perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) materials are terpolymers of monomers in which all hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine. The absence of hydrogen in the molecular chain dramatically increases both their chemical and thermal resistance. The cross-linked molecular chains enable them to combine the resilience and sealing force of an elastomer with the chemical inertness and thermal stability of PTFE.

Unrivalled operating characteristics

Isolast® is the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions range of high specification perfluoroelastomer compounds. It offers the widest portfolio on the market engineered to meet specific processing demands. Virtually inert, the materials perform well in a broad range of chemical media including organic and inorganic oxides, acids, alkalis, amines, esters and steam at continuous operating temperatures from -25°C to +325°C / -13°F to +617°F.

Improving production efficiency

In tests Isolast® is proven to have better operating characteristics than other elastomer types as well as competitive perfluoroelastomers. The two grades J9515 and J9516 have been developed to meet the most stringent standards and are ideal for sealing in aggressive solvent-based cleaning fluids. They help reduce downtime and improve production efficiency by extending seal life.

Areas of use:

Isolast® provides the ultimate solution for elastomer sealing in aggressive chemicals and at extreme temperatures.

Recommended for similar areas of use to those of EPDM or FKM materials but where extremely aggressive media is present.

Products:

Isolast® can be manufactured in a variety of standard and custom designs. In addition, we have developed many innovative cost-effective solutions that minimize FFKM content.

Read about specific applications using Isolast®:

Silicone

Silicone inherently inert to bacteria, mold and fungi

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions materials give superior performance

Silicone materials are ideal for use in bioprocessing, food, beverage and pharmaceutical production due to their inherent inertness to bacteria, mold and fungi.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions provide materials that:

  • Give excellent heat resistance, cold flexibility and dielectric properties
  • Are especially good where exposure to ozone and oxygen is likely
  • Have operating temperatures from -60°C to +200°C / -76°F to +392°F
  • Have exceptional low surface energy, meaning seals will not adhere to counterparts.
  • Demonstrate low long-term compression set
  • Are suitable for use in hot water, animal and plant fat, some lubricants and glycerin.

Care should be taken if specifying in acids, alkalis, ketones, esters and steam above 100°C / 212°F, where chemical degradation can occur.

Silicone compounds are grades SC6L1 and S700R8.

Turcon

Turcon®: Unrivalled PTFE sealing capabilities

Dynamic and rotating sealing elements

Inherently, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is compatible with almost all chemicals, making it ideal for use in equipment where seals are likely to be exposed to aggressive media, including CIP and SIP regimes. Specific operating properties are achieved by the addition of fillers and special processing technologies.

Turcon® gives:

  • Excellent friction and self-lubricating characteristics
  • Is suited to dynamic and rotating applications

The world’s largest manufacturer of PTFE based seals

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is the world’s largest manufacturer of seals in this type of material, and no other sealing supplier can offer such a wide range of grades. All of these are produced at our own facilities in Europe, US, South America and Asia. Turcon® is the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions brand of proprietary PTFE based compounds.

Engineered for demanding environments

With so many options, a cost-effective choice is available whatever the application. For environments where seals are not exposed to process media, compliance to approvals is not necessary. In these cases T05, T19, or T46 are the standard choice.

Turcon® MF designed for processing needs

Where compliant materials are needed, the Turcon® MF range has been formulated to meet bioprocessing, food, beverage and pharmaceutical production demands. Based on ultra-clean technology, these compounds are manufactured from high-purity PTFE grades and additives. Their smooth finish, with high gloss and low porosity, avoids the risk of contamination buildup and reduces particle shedding.

Areas of use:

  • For static, reciprocating and rotary applications
  • Pharmaceutical and serum production where avoidance of line stops is critical
  • Mixed process streams in multipurpose equipment where seals are exposed to a variety of extremely aggressive cleaning solvents and CIP fluids
  • Low and High temperature environments

Read about specific applications using Turcon®:

HMF48

Flat gasket material for food contact applications

Formulated from virgin polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and enhanced with high-quality approved fillers, the new HMF48 material offers a ‘universal’ solution for food and beverage processing.

 

HMF48 demonstrates:

  • Compliance with global food contact regulations, including FDA, EU and Chinese GB guidelines 
  • Compatible with process chemicals
  • Suitable for use under a wide range of temperatures -210°C to +260°C/-346 °F to +500 °F
  • Pressure resistance from vacuum up to 83 bar
  • Universal applicability enables standardization of many different types of seals 
  • Wide range of thickness and sheet formats available to enable simple and inexpensive production of almost any seal geometry 
  • Gaskets characteristics in accordance with DIN EN 13555, allowing design of permanent tight flange connections 
  • Availability of all important gasket constants allows safe seal designs and calculation 
  • Unlimited shelf life

Zurcon

Zurcon®: specialist engineered plastic based material
Zurcon®: specialist engineered plastic based material

Zurcon® for reciprocating and oscillating situations

Zurcon® is the brand name for the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions range of engineered plastic based materials. Its friction characteristics mean it is ideal for reciprocating, very slow rotating and oscillating situations where high wear resistance is required.

Zurcon® Z80

Zurcon® Z80 has an operating temperature from -196°C to +80°C / -321°F to +176°F continuous use up to +125°C / +257°F for short periods. It is compatible with all water based and alkaline cleaning agents with steam cycles below +115°C / +239°F and compliant to FDA 21 CFR 177.1520.

Zurcon® Z2221

Zurcon® Z2221 is a proprietary polyurethane material specially developed for the manufacture of sealing elements. The material displays high wear resistance, low compression set and a wide operating temperature range from -30°C to +110°C / -22°F to +230°F. Compliant to 21 CFR 177.1680, it is suitable for use in various food applications where resistance is required. It is compatible with many water based and alkaline cleaning agents and with steam cycles below +115°C / +239°F.