Aflas Rubber Seals & Gaskets Manufacturer — TFE/P Fluoroelastomer Components

What is Aflas and Why Does It Outperform Standard FKM?

Aflas® is a unique TFE/P (tetrafluoroethylene-propylene) fluoroelastomer originally developed by AGC Chemicals (formerly Asahi Glass). Unlike conventional FKM/Viton® fluoroelastomers, Aflas contains no cure-site monomers based on vinylidene fluoride, giving it a fundamentally different chemical resistance profile. This makes Aflas the material of choice for applications where standard FKM fails — particularly in the presence of strong bases, amines, steam, and hot water.

At Mangla Rubber Technologies, we design, compound, and manufacture Aflas rubber O-rings, gaskets, seals, and custom-moulded components at our facility in Meerut, India. Our in-house compounding capability allows us to formulate application-specific Aflas compounds — optimising the balance between chemical resistance, heat resistance, compression set, and mechanical strength for your exact operating conditions.

Key Properties of Aflas TFE/P Rubber

Exceptional Heat Resistance: Continuous service capability up to 230 deg C, with intermittent exposure tolerance to 250 deg C. This places Aflas between standard FKM (max ~200 deg C) and FFKM (max ~325 deg C) in the heat resistance hierarchy, at a significantly lower cost than FFKM.

Superior Base and Amine Resistance: Where standard FKM swells and degrades in contact with strong bases, caustic soda, amines, and ammonia, Aflas remains dimensionally stable. This is the single most important differentiator and the primary reason engineers specify Aflas.

Excellent Steam Resistance: Aflas maintains its mechanical properties through prolonged exposure to high-pressure steam — a condition that rapidly destroys standard FKM seals. This makes it critical for steam-jacketed reactors, autoclave seals, and steam heat exchanger gaskets.

Broad Chemical Compatibility: Aflas resists strong acids (sulfuric, hydrochloric, nitric, phosphoric), polar solvents, brake fluids, and many aggressive process chemicals. It also provides good resistance to petroleum oils and hydraulic fluids, though NBR or standard FKM may be more cost-effective for purely hydrocarbon applications.

Electrical Insulation: Unlike standard FKM, Aflas has excellent electrical insulation properties — useful in wire and cable jacketing applications and electrical connector seals in harsh environments.

When to Specify Aflas Over FKM or FFKM

Choosing between fluoroelastomer grades is one of the most consequential decisions in seal design. Here is how Aflas compares:

Aflas vs Standard FKM (Viton® A/B): Choose Aflas when your application involves bases, amines, steam, hot water above 150 deg C, or mixed acid/base environments. FKM is better and cheaper for pure hydrocarbon and mineral acid applications.

Aflas vs FFKM (Kalrez® type): FFKM offers broader overall chemical resistance and higher temperature limits, but at 10 to 50 times the cost. Aflas handles many of the same aggressive chemicals at a fraction of the price. For applications where Aflas compounds provide adequate resistance, the cost saving is substantial.

Our engineering team, trained in rubber technology at IIT Kharagpur and with hands-on experience at leading European seal manufacturers, can help you evaluate whether Aflas, FKM, or FFKM is the right choice for your application. We provide honest, technically grounded recommendations — not upselling.

Applications for Aflas Rubber Components

Oil and Gas: Downhole seals, BOP (blowout preventer) seals, packer elements, and wellhead gaskets where H2S, steam injection, and amine-based corrosion inhibitors are present.

Chemical Processing: Reactor vessel gaskets, agitator seals, pump seals, and valve packing in plants handling caustic soda, ammonia, amine catalysts, and mixed acid/base streams.

Power Generation: Steam turbine seals, boiler inspection port gaskets, and flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system seals where combined steam and chemical exposure is common.

Automotive and Aerospace: Transmission seals, fuel system components, and hydraulic seals exposed to high-temperature synthetic fluids and brake fluids (DOT 3/4/5).

Custom Aflas Parts — Manufactured to Your Specification

We manufacture Aflas O-rings, gaskets, seals, diaphragms, and custom-profiled components in any size and geometry. Send us your drawing, CAD file, or a sample part, and our team will provide compound recommendations, tooling design, and a quotation typically within 48 hours. For technical enquiries, call +91-8171716630 or email info@manglarubbers.com.

Aflas® is a registered trademark of AGC Chemicals Co. Viton® is a registered trademark of The Chemours Company. Kalrez® is a registered trademark of DuPont. Mangla Rubber Technologies is not affiliated with these companies. We manufacture compatible components using equivalent materials.