From Formulation to Application: Effects of Plasticizer on the Printability of Fluoro Elastomer Compounds and Additive Manufacturing of Specialized Seals.

This work investigated material extrusion additive manufacturing (MatEx AM) of specialized fluoroelastomer (FKM) compounds for applications in rubber seals and gaskets. The influence of a commercially available perfluoropolyether (PFPE) plasticizer on the printability of a control FKM rubber compound was studied using a custom-designed ram material extruder, Additive Ram Material Extruder (ARME), for printing fully compounded thermoset elastomers. The plasticizer's effectiveness was assessed based on its ability to address challenges such as high compound viscosity and post-print shrinkage, as well as its impact on interlayer adhesion.

A Novel Low-Temperature Extrusion Method for the Fused Filament Fabrication of Fluoroelastomer Compounds.

In this work, an additive manufacturing process for extruding fully compounded thermosetting elastomers based on fluorine-containing polymer compositions is reported. Additive manufacturing printers are designed with a dry ice container to precool filaments made from curable fluoroelastomer (FKM) and perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) compounds. A support tube guides the stiffened filament towards the printer nozzle.

Smart Quantum Tunneling Composite Sensors to Monitor FKM and FFKM Seals.

Operators of industrial machinery relentlessly pursue improving safety, increasing productivity, and minimizing unplanned downtime. Elastomer seals are ubiquitous components of this machinery. In general, static seals are designed to be compressed at a fixed level of compression, taking gland geometry, loading condition, temperature range of operation, fluid media exposure, and other factors into account to ensure the safe operation of equipment.