Tag Archives: EPDM

From the Learning Center: All About Sanitary Gaskets

26494Our flexible, non-toxic gasket compounds meet FDA specifications for direct contact with dairy products and edible oils, as well as 3-A, USDA and NSF criteria. They will not absorb taste or odors. Low-swell characteristics make them ideal for exposure to oils, steam and water.

Buna-N: Our most popular gasket material. Also called nitrile or NBR, this oil-resistant rubber compound has excellent compression set, tear and abrasion resistance. Ozone degrades Buna-N, so don’t store gaskets near electric motors and other ozone sources.

EPDM: Good for steam/hot water service. This rubber compound has good resistance to animal and vegetable oils,mild acids, dilute alkalies, silicone oils and greases, phosphates, esters, ketones and alcohols. Not recommended for petroleum oils or diester-based lubricants. Resists water absorption.

Viton: With one of the best fluid resistance characteristics of any commercial elastomer, Viton is particularly resistant to oils, fuels, lubricants and most mineral acids. Viton withstands high temperatures and retains good mechanical properties, oil and chemical resistance. Remains usefully elastic indefinately in air oven testing up to 400°F or, intermittently to 500°F. Excellent for steam service.

Silicone: Outstanding low-temperature flexibility. This rubber compound resists lubrication, animal and vegetable oils, most dilute acids and alkalies. Excellent ozone and weathering resistance. Also resists many solvents that can cause excess swelling.

Teflon: A plastic with an outstanding temperature range. Resists all chemicals except alakali metals, fluorine and some fluorinated chemicals. Because it is not a rubber compound, it will not return to its original shape when compressed. Envelope gaskets of Teflon with a rubber core are available to solve this problem.
Note: Listed by size of tube OD, not by ID/OD of gasket. Call our gasket and O-ring product specialists with questions. Gaskets sold individually, but order in package quantities for more economical pricing.

For more information on gaskets, click here.

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Tech Tip: Choosing the Proper Lubricant for Pumps & Valves

EPDM is the standard elastomer on many pumps and valves and is not compatible with petroleum-based products. Using lubricants such as the popular Petro-Gel in these applications is not a good choice as it will degrade your equipment elastomers and decrease the life of your parts.

Due to the high melting point, Petro-Gel and similar non-CIP lubricants have the potential to contaminate your product with bacteria such as Listeria. Petro-Gel has a melting point of 190°F, and typical CIP cycles are only 160-180°F, meaning the residue will not melt and clean away. If a spare part somehow came in contact with bacteria, the high melting point of these non-CIP lubricants would function to protect the bacteria during the CIP cycle and could contaminate your products!

To lubricate your EPDM pump and valve parts, use Haynes or McGlaughlin CIP films (312-2020 or 435-2005). With melting points of 120°F, they will wash away completely during your CIP cycle.

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