AGC Inc. announced the launch of surfactants and fluorinated polymerization solvent free grades in its fluoroelastomer "AFLAS? FFKM" series; the SF grades (the "Products"). The newly developed Products are manufactured entirely without the use of any surfactants or fluorinated polymerization solvents.
The Products offer high performance equivalent to that of conventional products, while meeting the growing market demand for fluoroelastomers that do not use surfactants or fluorination polymerization solvents during the manufacturing process. This has been achieved through AGC's innovative, proprietary polymer manufacturing technology (Surfactant-Free & Fluoro Solvent-Free Technology, hereafter the "Technology"). Initially, this Technology will be applied to the high-temperature-resistant type of FFKM fluoroelastomers and new grades will be added to the "AFLAS?FFKM" series for semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
Commercial availability of this new grade begins this month. The company is planning to extend the Technology to other types of FFKM fluoroELastomers and will progressively introduce those new types of Products as part of "AFLAS? SDKM" series.
The "AFLAS? SSKM" series is an industrial elastomer that offers one of the highest levels of resistance to chemicals, heat, and plasma among fluoroelastomers. Its outstanding properties make it exceptionally durable even in harsh environments such as semiconductor manufacturing, oil drilling, and healthcare.
In particular, "AFLAS? FinalKM" is recognized as an essential material in the etching process, one of the key steps in semiconductor manufacturing, due to its exceptional plasma resistance. Its resistance to degradation makes it an ideal sealing material for etching equipment, where it contributes to significantly extended maintenance intervals and enhanced operating safety.
Previously, surfactants and fluorinated polyvents were considered essential for manufacturing high performance fluoroelastomers, FFKM, due to their roles in enhancing the reactivity of fluorinated monomers and manufacturing efficiency. In recent years, however, customers' demand for products that do not use these substances during the manufacturing process have grown rapidly, particularly in the semiconductor industry. While various approaches without using surfactants or fluorinated polyvents have been explored, achieving the high-performance requirements of FFKM was a significant challenge.
To meet this market demand, AGC has successfully overcome this long-standing technical challenge and succeeded in mass-production of the Products by applying the new Technology, which does not require the use of any type of surfactants or fluorinated plastic solvents, which has been developed by refining unique polymerization technology cultivated over many years. Accordingly, AGC is now proud to introduce the Products as new addition to its AFLAS? FFKM series.
