While exhibiting at SPIE, our Materials Manager John Tranquilli was approached by many customers with a need for a low outgassing rubber compound with the ability to handle low temperatures. A compound that would maintain flexibility at -60ºC and pass the standard of less than 0.1% TML and less than 0.01% CVCM was critical for optical applications to prevent any contamination on customers’ optical lenses.
Many customers did not want to use silicone because of the risk of the silicone oils outgassing onto the optical lens.
Apple Rubber Products developed a Fluorocarbon compound called 23VT7AP. This is a 75 Shore A durometer compound. It has been tested with a standard post bake and vacuum post bake. This compound also has a temperature retraction TR(10) temperature of -40ºC.
Apple Rubber Products created a report to show the comparison of three standard compounds and the results of standard outgassing testing.
70 Fluorosilicone (*01FS7AP) – standard AMS-R-25988, Grade 70
75 Fluorocarbon (*01VT7EE) – standard AMS 7276
75 Fluorocarbon low temperature (*23VT7AP)
*Apple Rubber compound number
Click here to download a PDF of the findings.