Freudenberg's New Fluoroelastomer to Replace Commercially Available Fluoroelastomer in Food, Beverage, and Pharmaceutical Industries

Hamburg, Germany: Freudenberg Sealing Technologies GmbH and Co.'s new Fluoroelastomer (FKM) is more reliable and compliant for the long term. The new FKM, a molecule that has been peroxide-crosslinked, has met all regulatory standards and is now being marketed under the trade name 75 FKM 239961. The FKM is intended for use in the pharmaceutical, food, and beverage industries and complies with all applicable European Union and FDA requirements. According to USP Chapter 87, the new FKM has received pharma-specific approval, which indicates there are no harmful effects on cell cultures.

Fluoroplastics and rubber from the PFAS (polymeric per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds) family are used by Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. According to expert organizations like the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), these big, long-chain compounds are considered safe for people and the environment; Freudenberg stated that there is no risk to human health or the environment when used and disposed of properly.

With this development, Freudenberg asserted that the FKM materials with a bisphenol crosslink could be substituted in the food business. This material is the best choice for product-contacting applications in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries due to its superior qualities when compared to commercially available materials and its extremely broad range of uses at temperatures between -25°C and 200°C. The company added that Freudenberg Sealing Technologies' material specialists closely adhere to the law—Freudenberg tests in the lab to substantiate this information.

Freudenberg noted that the draught of the EU-PFAS restriction, which was issued in mid-February, is being studied. The deadline for public comments and body consultations on the new EU legislation is at the start of the year 2024. According to Freudenberg, the restriction will come into effect in 2025 after a transitional period of 1.5 years, albeit it is not yet clear how much time will pass. Freudenberg says the new FKM can be utilized in situations where conventional elastomers, such as EPDM or HNBR, are not compatible.