PFAS in the Sealing Industry: A Critical Turning Point for Materials, Manufacturers, and the Environment
Written by Hank Fan | Katon Advanced Materials Division, Global Strategic Supervisor.
Published 12:00 AM PST, Wed July 23, 2025
Introduction
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become a growing topic of concern across industries — and the sealing industry is no exception. Often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their extreme persistence in the environment, PFAS are used in thousands of products we encounter every day. From non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, and cosmetics, to food packaging, firefighting foam, and even semiconductors, PFAS are prized for their durability, chemical resistance, and non-stick properties. But their resilience also means they do not easily break down in the environment, raising serious concerns about bioaccumulation and toxicity. Now, these same substances — also found in essential industrial materials like FKM and FFKM elastomers — are under intense regulatory scrutiny. For the sealing industry, this marks a turning point: how do we continue to deliver high-performance products while reducing PFAS-related impact?
In this article, we’ll explore the role PFAS play in the sealing industry, why they are drawing global attention, and how manufacturers like Katon are responding through transparency, innovation, and sustainability.
What Are PFAS and Why Are They Used in Seals?
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) refer to a broad family of over 10,000 synthetic compounds known for their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, making them extremely resistant to heat, chemicals, and degradation. These properties are what make PFAS incredibly valuable in the sealing industry — particularly in harsh operating environments where conventional rubber materials would fail. PFAS-based materials are widely used in O-rings, gaskets, center rings, valve seats, and diaphragm seals across industries such as semiconductors, aerospace, chemicals, energy, pharmaceuticals, and food processing.
In the sealing industry, PFAS-based materials include:
FKM (Fluoroelastomer): A versatile elastomer used in fuel systems, chemical plants, and automotive engines. It resists hydrocarbons, acids, oils, and high temperatures (up to ~200°C).FFKM (Perfluoroelastomer): The premium class of fluoroelastomers. It offers near-universal chemical resistance and handles extreme thermal environments up to 317°C, making it essential in semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and high-purity chemical systems.
PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene): A rigid fluoropolymer with excellent chemical inertness and low friction. Used in seal jackets, backup rings, and composite seals, PTFE remains stable in highly corrosive and high-temperature applications.
PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy alkane): A melt-processable fluoropolymer similar to PTFE but with improved processability. PFA is used in lined seals, gaskets, and tubing for high-purity chemical handling.
ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene): A tough, chemically resistant thermoplastic used as a protective outer layer in multi-material seals exposed to aggressive solvents or outdoor weathering.
FEP (Fluorinated ethylene propylene): Another melt-processable fluoropolymer often used as a coating or encapsulant around elastomeric O-rings to improve chemical resistance and reduce extractables.
PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride): While slightly lower in temperature resistance than PTFE, PVDF offers excellent resistance to most acids and solvents. It is sometimes used in diaphragms, valve seals, or as a structural backing in composite sealing components.
These materials are integral to many industries where long-term reliability, low contamination, and extreme durability are non-negotiable. However, because all of them contain fluorinated chemistries, they fall under the broad umbrella of PFAS — and are now part of the global conversation around environmental persistence and sustainability.
Global PFAS Regulations Are Changing Fast
Countries and regions across the globe are moving swiftly to regulate or restrict the use of PFAS chemicals. Some of the most significant developments include:
European Union: Under the REACH regulation, the EU is considering a sweeping ban on over 10,000 PFAS substances, including fluoropolymers and fluorinated elastomers, unless proven essential. (Source: European Parliament)
United States: The EPA has issued new drinking water limits for several PFAS chemicals and is increasing its oversight of PFAS in manufacturing and disposal processes. (Source: US EPA)
Asia-Pacific: Japan and South Korea are tightening monitoring requirements, while China is investing in PFAS alternatives through national research programs. (Source: biochromato)
For the sealing industry, this evolving landscape presents both challenges and opportunities.
“PFAS regulations” are often misunderstood. In fact, there is no single unified “PFAS regulation” globally — rather, various countries and regions enforce specific rules concerning a subset of PFAS substances in finished products, chemicals, and emissions. Compliance depends on regional legislation such as EU REACH, US EPA guidelines, and RoHS directives — each with different scopes, thresholds, and timelines.
Challenges for OEMs and Seal Manufacturers
As PFAS regulations tighten across global markets, large OEMs — especially in industries like semiconductors, energy, chemicals and pharmaceuticals — are facing a complex and growing challenge: how to maintain the exceptional performance of PFAS-based materials like FFKM and FKM, while meeting rapidly evolving regulatory, environmental, and customer expectations.
The first and most pressing issue is performance vs. compliance. For many applications, particularly in high-temperature applications, or aggressive chemical environments, FFKM seals are irreplaceable. They offer unmatched resistance to heat, solvents, and degradation — yet they are also PFAS-based. Secondly, there’s a growing need for material traceability and disclosure. Customers are demanding full visibility into the PFAS content of components, along with proper documentation such as REACH, RoHS certifications. Without this transparency, OEMs risk losing key contracts, facing audit penalties, or encountering export limitations.
End-of-life responsibility is another rising concern. PFAS waste, including discarded O-rings, gaskets, and seal scrap, is now being regulated in several jurisdictions, with restrictions on landfill disposal and increasing pressure on manufacturers to track and safely process PFAS-containing materials. OEMs are expected not only to manage usage but also to plan for responsible disposal or recovery — something that many are not yet prepared for.
Finally, the ESG lens adds another layer of pressure. PFAS have become a flashpoint in the global sustainability conversation due to their long-term environmental persistence. Investors, regulators, and customers are closely watching how manufacturers handle PFAS in their supply chains. OEMs that rely heavily on fluorinated elastomers without a mitigation strategy risk reputational damage and loss of business with environmentally conscious clients.
At Katon, we help our customers navigate these challenges through technical transparency, customized material solutions, and a circularity-driven partnership with Fanilo. By recycling our own fluoropolymer production scrap and offering recycled FKM upon request, we’re helping sustainable-seeking clients reduce environmental risk without sacrificing performance — while building toward a more sustainable sealing future.
Katon’s PFAS Compliance and Responsible Material Sourcing
As mentioned before, “PFAS regulations” are often misunderstood and there is no single unified “PFAS regulation” globally — rather, various countries and regions enforce specific rules concerning a subset of PFAS substances in finished products, chemicals, and emissions.
That’s why at Katon, we take a precautionary and proactive approach to compliance. Our raw material sourcing process involves strict supplier qualification, including verification of material declarations and testing data to exclude banned or high-risk PFAS such as PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and long-chain PFCAs. This includes all key fluorinated materials used in our sealing solutions — FKM (fluoroelastomer), FFKM (perfluoroelastomer), and PTFE-based composites — as well as coated or encapsulated products involving PTFE (Teflon).As part of our PFAS alignment strategy, Katon is updating its raw material inventory in response to the EU’s PFHxS restriction, ensuring that all affected peroxide-cured compounds meet the latest legal thresholds. Our transition is scheduled to be fully implemented within 2024. We also support our customers with REACH and RoHS compliance documentation, as well as PFAS traceability reports upon request — helping you stay audit-ready and regulation-proof in critical markets.
Whats more, learn how Katon is innovating the way on true sustainable sealing through recycling technology of advanced polymers.
How Katon Is Innovating the Way on True Sustainable Sealing
At Katon, we recognize that PFAS regulation is not just a compliance issue — it's a call to action. As a leading manufacturer of FKM and FFKM sealing solutions, we are taking proactive steps to address this industry-wide challenge.
At Katon, we saw this shift coming. That’s why we partnered with Fanilo — an innovative sustainability-driven materials company — to design a real, measurable response to PFAS concerns.
Who Is Fanilo?
Fanilo Incorporated. is a material innovation company focused on building sustainable solutions for industries that rely on high-performance polymers. Fanilo specializes in circular economy systems in the rubber industry, and advanced polymer recycling, particularly in areas where traditional materials like fluoropolymers are difficult to repurpose.
Their mission is to reduce industrial waste, provide sustainable materials for manufacturers, close material loops, and create pathways for responsible material use — especially in sectors like chaallenging industrys involving Fluoroelastomers and Perfluoroelastomers. Fanilo works at the intersection of material science, ESG policy, and supply chain innovation, helping companies like Katon stay ahead of emerging environmental regulations.
Through our partnership with Fanilo, we’ve created a model for how sealing manufacturers can reclaim value from production scrap, reduce PFAS-related environmental impact, and move toward a more circular future without sacrificing performance.
Here’s how our partnership works:
- Katon supplies production scrap from fluorinated materials like FKM and FFKM to Fanilo
- Fanilo reprocesses these materials using environmentally safe, traceable methods
- The materials are later sold to Manufacturers requiring sustainable materials.
- This process prevents fluorinated waste from reaching landfills or incinerators, reducing long-term PFAS-related environmental impact
Sustainable Sealing, Made Possible
At Katon, we take the extra step:
Upon customer request, we can manufacture O-rings and seals using recycled FKM and FFKM — allowing manufacturers to reduce environmental impact without compromising on material performance for appropriate applications.
While recycled materials may not always be the most cost-efficient option, they provide a powerful solution to the growing PFAS challenge — helping supply chains demonstrate sustainability leadership, meet ESG expectations, and future-proof their material strategies. In a world where compliance, transparency, and waste reduction are non-negotiable, our partnership with Fanilo sets a new standard for what responsible sealing manufacturing can look like.
Our Call to the Industry: Partner, Don’t Panic
PFAS regulation doesn’t have to mean performance loss, supply chain disruption, or greenwashing. With the right partnerships, it can be an opportunity to strengthen ESG alignment, build transparent, traceable sourcing strategies and deliver better long-term value to customers and the environment. At Katon, partnering with Fanilo allows us to lead this movement — not just react to it.
We invite other manufacturing partners to join us in reshaping the sealing industry with responsibility, not fear.
Our collaboration with Fanilo means more than environmental goodwill. It offers practical, competitive benefits to Katon customers:
Reduced environmental footprint in your supply chain
Compliance support with upcoming PFAS regulations (REACH, RoHS, and more)
Improved ESG reporting and traceability through certified material flows
Access to recycled-material options for applications that allow it
In a time when sustainability is becoming a procurement priority.
Learn More
Katon is proud to be one of the few sealing manufacturers committed to real, circular solutions for PFAS challenges.
Click Here to explore our sustainability mission
Contact us to learn how recycled fluorinated materials can help your operation stay compliant and competitive.