Automotive Case Study

Automotive Turbocharger Sealing: Preventing Oil Leakage at +200C

FKMAutomotiveTurbochargerHigh Temperature

max temp

+200C

cycles

2,000 thermal cycles

field miles

500,000+

hardness

80 Shore A FKM

Challenge

A Tier-1 automotive supplier experienced oil leakage from turbocharger oil feed lines during extended high-boost operation, where temperatures cycled between ambient and +200C.

Solution

We upgraded the seal specification from standard FKM to a high-fluorine FKM Type 2 compound with 80 Shore A hardness and tighter tolerance control.

Result

Oil leakage was eliminated across 500,000+ vehicle field miles. The supplier qualified the compound for three additional turbo platforms.

Details

The customer's turbocharger oil feed flange required a small-diameter O-ring (AS568-010) that cycled between cold-start temperatures and +200C under sustained boost. Standard FKM showed compression set and low-temperature leakage during thermal cycling.

Our engineering team recommended a high-fluorine FKM Type 2 (66% fluorine content) with improved thermal stability and reduced compression set at +200C. The 80 Shore A hardness provided the extrusion resistance needed for the small gland design.

Dimensional tolerances were tightened to AS568 B-class for the 1.78 mm cross-section to ensure consistent gland fill and prevent low-temperature leakage caused by undersized seals.

Thermal cycling validation from -30C to +200C confirmed zero leakage through 2,000 cycles. The customer expanded the qualification to three additional turbocharger programs and standardized on this compound for all hot-section oil seals.