There is a popular held belief that you should not coat high performance elastomers on low performance substrates. Conversely, you should not coat a high performance substrate with a low performance polymer. If you do, the resulting composite will only be as good as the lesser of the two components.

We happen to agree. Alpha Associates has recently completed two development projects combining high performance polymers with technically advanced substrates.

FKM on Nomex

Most fluoroelastomers have been known to perform well in oil and gas environments, and temperature ranges up to 400° F. Meta-aramid substrates, such as DuPont Nomexâ, also display superior performance in temperature ranges up to 600° F. Our experience has demonstrated that most industrial grade Nomex materials have a melt point around 700° F. User experience may vary as both the polymer and substrate combinations can be adjusted for improved performance; nevertheless, these are good starting points to begin evaluations in application.

FKM on “Anti-Wicking” Nylon

“Wicking” typically occurs when the internal pressures on an ID (inside diameter) exposed fabric edge seeps through the composite, across a clamped flange area, and exits through the OD (outside diameter) of the die cut edge. Fabric treatments have been developed to prevent wicking and also improve rubber-to-fabric adhesion concurrently. Our latest development combines the chemical resistance of FKM’s with the anti-wicking fabric treatments to provide optimal performance in these environments.

Both materials above are commercially available from Alpha Associates, Inc. in Lakewood, NJ