Resistance of Fluoroelastomers to Methanol Containing Fuels Chemical and Physical Aspects of the Problem

The resistance of fluoroelastomers to methanol containing fuels has been assessed using standard test methods. The fluorine range covered is 65 - 70 %F. Tests were performed at various temperature, in the range 23° to 115°C. The data obtained demonstrate the better fuel resistance of high fluorine FKMs but one of the most important aspects of this work is the consideration of the non-equilibrium conditions of standard test methods. Therefore specific tests were made to study the kinetic aspects of swelling and a method was developed to assess the permeation rate of methanol through FKM membranes.