ABSTRACT
The subject of this chapter is fluorocarbon elastomers. These represent the largest group of fluoroelastomers and have, as pointed out in earlier chapters, carbon-to-carbon linkages in the polymer backbone and a varied amount of fluorine in the molecule. They can be based on several types of monomers: vinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), chlorotrifluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, perfluoromethylvinyl ether, 1-hydro-pentafluoropropane, ethylene, and propylene. In ASTM D1418, fluorocarbon elastomers have the designation FKM, and in ISO R1629 their designation is FPM. Fully fluorine fluorocarbon elastomers are perfluoroelastomers, and copolymers of TFE with polypropylene are copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene and propylene. The following subjects are covered in this chapter. The manufacturing process to produce fluorocarbon elastomers; their properties, fabrication, and compounding fabrication methods; their applications, safety, disposal, and sustainability.
