BACK TO HUB
Technical

Dairy Industry Seals: Resistance to CIP (Clean-in-Place) Chemicals.

Dairy Industry Seals: Resistance to CIP (Clean-in-Place) Chemicals.

Share this article

Share this technical note with your engineering team.

Dairy Industry Seals: Resistance to CIP (Clean-in-Place) Chemicals

Problem Statement

Seals in dairy processing equipment face aggressive CIP chemicals, including caustic soda, nitric acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Traditional materials degrade, leading to compression set failure and leakage.

Material Science Analysis

EPDM fails due to its poor resistance to acids and oxidizing agents. NBR degrades in alkaline environments. FKM excels due to its high fluorine content, providing superior chemical resistance and thermal stability.

Technical Specs

  • Material: FKM (Fluorocarbon Rubber)
  • Shore A Hardness: 75 ± 5
  • Tensile Strength: 15 MPa
  • Elongation at Break: 200%
  • Temperature Range: -20°C to 200°C
  • Compression Set: ≤ 20% (22 hours at 200°C)

Technical Comparison

Parameter FKM EPDM NBR
Chemical Resistance Excellent Poor Moderate
Temperature Range (°C) -20 to 200 -50 to 150 -30 to 120
Compression Set (%) ≤ 20 ≤ 40 ≤ 35
Elongation at Break (%) 200 300 400

Standard Compliance

RubberQ adheres to IATF 16949 standards for batch-to-batch consistency. Materials comply with ASTM D2000 for rubber properties and ISO 3601 for dimensional tolerances.

CTA

For custom material compound development or IATF 16949 documentation, consult RubberQ’s engineering department.

Share this article

Share this technical note with your engineering team.

Subscribe to Technical Updates

Receive new material insights and engineering case notes directly by email.

Related Articles

Apr 05, 2026

Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) Tooling: Why Initial Investment Pays Off in Precision.

Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) Tooling: Why Initial Investment Pays Off in Precision Problem Statement High-cycle manufacturing of precision components, such as EV battery seals and AI server gaskets, demands materials with exceptional dimensional stability and chemical resistance. Traditional elastomers like EPDM and NBR often fail under extreme thermal cycling and aggressive chemical exposure, leading to […]

Read article

Apr 05, 2026

High-Tonnage Vulcanization: Managing Large-Scale Industrial Rubber Components.

High-Tonnage Vulcanization: Managing Large-Scale Industrial Rubber Components Problem Statement Large-scale industrial rubber components, such as conveyor belts and hydraulic seals, face premature failure under high-tonnage vulcanization. Common issues include chemical degradation at temperatures exceeding 200°C and compression set failure during high-pressure cycles. Material Science Analysis Standard EPDM polymers fail under extreme heat due to their […]

Read article

Apr 05, 2026

Commercial Aircraft Interiors: Meeting Smoke and Toxicity Standards (FST).

Commercial Aircraft Interiors: Meeting Smoke and Toxicity Standards (FST) Problem Statement Polymer components in aircraft interiors must pass FAR 25.853 flammability tests while maintaining mechanical performance. Standard EPDM fails at 180°C with toxic smoke emission (HCN >100 ppm). Material Science Analysis Chloroprene rubber (CR) releases HCl gas during combustion. Fluorosilicone (FVMQ) provides superior thermal stability […]

Read article

Need technical consultation?

Our engineering team can help apply these material insights to your specific project.

REQUEST A QUOTE