Performance Fuel Lines Meeting the Latest Regulations

TAGS:  Automotive    

CO₂ Emission Regulations – Global economies are committing to the idea of a net zero-emission target by the year 2050. The USA, China, Europe, and Japan have all charted paths forward. Cars, trucks, and other vehicles are responsible for 15% of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions globally.

Environmental laws regulating these emissions are becoming progressively more stringent. CO₂ emission limits, currently ranging from 120–140 g/km depending upon region, are legislated for a reduction to 70–100 g/km by 2025.

Compliance with CO₂ Emission Regulations

Car manufacturers employ various technologies to prepare for stricter fuel consumption. These technologies demand higher performance from engine components under harsher conditions.

• Turbo system technology and high expansion/high compression cycles that improve engine efficiency require components with excellent acid resistance and heat resistance in the range 180–220°C.
• Direct-fuel injection technology requires engine components that perform under high pressure and retain flexibility at temperatures as low as –30°C.
• Dual-clutch transmission technology requires a reduction in oil viscosity.

How Can Fluoroelastomers Contribute to CO₂ Emission Reduction?

Increasingly stringent air emissions regulations, new lubricant formulations, demand for greater vehicle reliability, and longer engine warranties are raising the bar for engine component performance. Now, more than ever, suppliers must respond to the call for better products by investing in new technology and replacing older materials with better alternatives.

Fluoroelastomers answer this call, in ways no other material can. They offer highly desirable properties for modern engine components which are:

• High-temperature, pressure and chemical resistance
• Low fuel permeation, and
• Low-temperature flexibility

Environmental EVAP Regulation

Exhaust emissions are not the only type of emissions produced by the automotive industry. The fuel in the tank and the connecting lines may evaporate, releasing volatile organic molecules into the environment. These components are emitted through a process called permeation.

Permeation is a diffusion process in which fuel molecules migrate through the rubber and plastic parts used in the vehicle’s engine. These evaporative emissions are also now being regulated in all major automotive markets around the world.


The U.S. has the most stringent regulations for evaporative emissions, with Europe and China quickly following. By the year 2022, the USA, China, and the EU will be enforcing stringent Tier 3 regulations (shown in red) to control fuel permeation.

How Can Fluoropolymers Reduce Fuel Emissions?

Fluoropolymers answer many of the fuel emission regulation challenges being faced by the automotive industry. These polymers are known for their excellent mechanical properties, and for offering superior heat- and fluid resistance.

Fluoropolymers offer:

• Excellent resistance to lubricants, fuels, additives, mineral acids, aliphatic, and aromatic hydrocarbons.
• Extremely low permeability over a broad range of automotive fluids.
• High-temperature resistance and exceptionally good resistance to atmospheric oxidation, sun, weather, fungus, and molds.
• Excellent electrical properties suitable for low-voltage, low-frequency applications with low-burning characteristics.
• Vinylidene fluoride-based FKM shows high fuel permeation and does not meet Tier 1 fuel permeation regulations.
• F-TPV, a fluoro-thermoplastic elastomer, and NEOFLON™ EFEP RP-5000 show much better resistance to fuel permeation and comply with the current Tier 2 regulations.
• NEOFLON™ CPT LP-1000 shows the best fuel permeation resistance, meeting the most stringent Tier 3 regulations and performs better than PA9T, a polyamide derived from terephthalic acid and nonanediamine.

	Diakin Products				Reference
Test Condition	FKM	F-TPV	EFEP	CPT	THV815	THV500G	PPS	PA9T
CE10, 60° g/(day/m2)	150~300	7.5	6.5	0.4	2.5	10	2.8	1

Fuel Permeation by Material

Daikin Solutions

The Daikin solutions for automotive applications enable outstanding performance:

• Low permeation features
• Excellent and varied chemical resistance
• Outstanding high-temperature performance
• Elimination of extractables
• Stable electrical resistance

About Daikin Industries

Daikin Industries, Ltd. is the world's foremost manufacturer of fluorochemical products and a leading expert in the field. The company strives to meet new challenges by making the most of fluorine characteristics using exclusively developed technologies.

The Daikin portfolio contains several early developments of alternative HFC’s, fluoropolymers, and fluoroelastomers used in applications ranging from the semiconductor industry to everyday household items. The potential applications for these products and the fluorochemical industry is limitless.

For additional information visit the DAIKIN website.

Commercially Available Daikin Fluoropolymer Solutions