scott1971
Chemical
- Dec 14, 2000
- 24
Hi Friends,
I'm trying to determine the origins of the terms "FPM" and "FFPM." It's not uncommon to see "FKM/FPM" or "FFKM/FFPM" (or variations) when generically specifying fluoroelastomers and perfluoroelastomers respectively—or fluorocarbon and perfluorocarbon rubber if you will. From both ASTM D1418 and ISO 1629, it is clear that the "M" suffix is a descriptor to indicate "M" class rubbers "having a saturated chain of the polymethylene type." The standards go on to specify the meanings of FFKM and FKM. FPM and FFPM are supposedly the "same thing," as FKM and FFKM, so why the different acronyms, if they are in fact acronyms?
There are anecdotal references indicating that the "FF" means fully fluorinated. That sort of makes sense, but I think truly "fully" fluorinated would be PTFE. There are anecdotal references that "K" is a reference to the German word for carbon: Kohlenstoff. Although, according to an article appearing in Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research, "Recycling of fluoro-carbon-elastomers – A review," the "K" is a reference to the German word for caoutchouc (unvulcanized rubber): Kautschuk.
So I'm left wondering about FPM and FFPM. Some of my fellow engineers insist these respectively mean fluorinated and fully-fluorinated propylene monomer. If a propylene monomer is or was previously used as a precursor for manufacturing these fluoroelastomers, and if these definitions make sense, I can find no standard or other seemingly official source to substantiate the manufacturing process or the definitions.
Can anyone out there solve this mystery and provide a source for their answer?
Scott
======================================
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I'm trying to determine the origins of the terms "FPM" and "FFPM." It's not uncommon to see "FKM/FPM" or "FFKM/FFPM" (or variations) when generically specifying fluoroelastomers and perfluoroelastomers respectively—or fluorocarbon and perfluorocarbon rubber if you will. From both ASTM D1418 and ISO 1629, it is clear that the "M" suffix is a descriptor to indicate "M" class rubbers "having a saturated chain of the polymethylene type." The standards go on to specify the meanings of FFKM and FKM. FPM and FFPM are supposedly the "same thing," as FKM and FFKM, so why the different acronyms, if they are in fact acronyms?
There are anecdotal references indicating that the "FF" means fully fluorinated. That sort of makes sense, but I think truly "fully" fluorinated would be PTFE. There are anecdotal references that "K" is a reference to the German word for carbon: Kohlenstoff. Although, according to an article appearing in Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research, "Recycling of fluoro-carbon-elastomers – A review," the "K" is a reference to the German word for caoutchouc (unvulcanized rubber): Kautschuk.
So I'm left wondering about FPM and FFPM. Some of my fellow engineers insist these respectively mean fluorinated and fully-fluorinated propylene monomer. If a propylene monomer is or was previously used as a precursor for manufacturing these fluoroelastomers, and if these definitions make sense, I can find no standard or other seemingly official source to substantiate the manufacturing process or the definitions.
Can anyone out there solve this mystery and provide a source for their answer?
Scott
======================================
"You can marry more money in five minutes than you can make in a lifetime."
Have you read the Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies lately?