Performance of Fluorocarbon Elastomers in MTBE/Fuel Blends

The drive to reduce automobile emissions has lead to the use of so called “reformulated gasoline.” MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) is an oxygenate and a typical component of these fuels. Fluorocarbon elastomers are high performance materials commonly used to produce a variety of fuel system components (fuel hoses, O-rings, diaphragms, etc.) This paper will study the effect of MTBE/fuel blends on fluorocarbon elastomers by using a designed experiment. We will systematically and simultaneously evaluate the effects of varying the MTBE level, temperature and fluorine content using a full factorial design scheme.

The paper will provide end-users with information regarding the effect of MTBE/fuel blends on fluorocarbon elastomers under various conditions and it will also provide an example of the practical use of designed experiments.