Fluorosilicone sponge gaskets, blue
In the short time I have been at NEDC, I have been witness to the increasing demands of the aerospace, and military applications that we service. Some of the common topics that we discuss in applications are the fluids & temperatures that the application may be witness to. That discussion oftentimes leads into fluid resistance, especially to aggressive fuels that are commonplace in such applications. When we learn of fuels being present, a common material that is often considered is fluorosilicone rubber. When low compression force is also required, fluorosilicone sponge is often utilized.
What is Fluorosilicone Sponge?
Fluorosilicone sponge is simply fluorosilicone rubber expanded to be a cellular material. When expanded, fluorosilicone now has both the great fluid resistance and ease of compression. Fluorosilicone sponge is similiar to silicone sponge in a lot of ways. Some similarities with silicone sponge include high temperature resistance, great weatherability, low compression set, and low water absorption. The difference is, fluorosilicone sponge is fluorinated making it much more resistant to fluids/fuels than basic silicone rubber materials. As you may or may not, fluorosilicone sponge is not easily manufactured – there is a few specialized manufacturers that make it.
| Manufacturer | Product # | Firmness | Specifications Met |
| Saint Gobain Performance Plastics (SGPP) | Norseal® R10490 Fluorosilicone Sponge | (12-18) psi @ 25% compression (Medium-Firm) | ASTM D6576 Type 2 Grade A, B, C, MIL-R-6130 Type 2, Grade A, B, C, SAE AMS-3323 CLASS 2 |
| Marsh Bellofram Silicones | Closed Cell Fluorosilicone Sponge BELLOFOAM™ 7748 | (2-9) psi @ 25% compression (Soft-Medium) | SAE AMS CLASS 1 |
Properties of Fluorosilicone Sponge Gaskets/Pads
-Lightweight/Flexible
-Low Compression Set(25% max)
-Fuel Resistance
-Resistant to Extreme Temperatures, (typical -85 to 400F)
-UV/Ozone resistant gasketing
-Low closing/compression force for gasketing
Availability/More Information
Fluorosilicone sponge is available in gauges ranging from .032” to .250” in thickness. The standard color of fluorosilicone sponge is blue. Norseal R10490 Fluorosilicone Sponge comes with a fabric finish, well BELLOFOAM comes with a skived finish. Anytime something thicker is required, plys of sponge may be necessary. In addition, NEDC fabricates fluorosilicone sponge extrusions. NEDC commonly applies acrylic/silicone PSAs to different sponge products. These materials can be die-cut or waterjet-cut in custom shapes with NEDC’s assortment of machines. For more information on fluorosilicone sponge, or if you believe you may have an application that necessitates this material, please contact sales@nedc.com.
Norseal® is a registered trademark of Saint Gobain.
BELLOFOAM™ is a trademark of Marsh Bellofram.
Norseal® R10490 Datasheet Download
BELLOFOAM™ 7748 Closed Cell Fluorosilicone Sponge from Marsh Bellofram Datasheet Download