Gasket Gallery: AEM Vamac® Seals
Photo: detail close-up of Vamac® press-in-place seal
Acrylic Ethylene Monomer (AEM), commonly known by the trade name Vamac®, is a high-performance elastomer renowned for its unique balance of properties that make it highly suitable for automotive and industrial gasket applications. This material offers a combination of heat resistance, flexibility, and chemical stability, which are critical for demanding environments.
This article includes a gallery of some of the AEM seals we manufacture in Mexico, followed by an explanation of key capabilities that help explain why we use AEM for automotive and industrial applications.
Ethylene Acrylic Monomer (AEM) has characteristics and applications similar to ACM. DuPont introduced AEM as “Vamac®” in 1975, and it’s gained widespread acceptance as the material of choice for transmission sealing. Here are some of the characteristics that make it a good choice for the automotive and transportation seals we mold in Mexico:
1. Heat Resistance: AEM is notable for its excellent thermal stability, with a typical operating temperature range from -40°C to +175°C. In some formulations, it can withstand temperatures up to 200°C. This makes AEM ideal for applications where gaskets are exposed to high temperatures, such as engine compartments and industrial machinery.
2. Chemical Resistance: AEM exhibits strong resistance to a wide range of chemicals, particularly to automotive fluids like oils, transmission fluids, and coolants. This chemical resistance is crucial for gaskets in automotive and industrial applications, where prolonged exposure to such fluids is common.
3. Flexibility and Compression Set Resistance: AEM maintains flexibility and elasticity over a broad temperature range, which is essential for gaskets that must provide a reliable seal despite temperature fluctuations. Additionally, AEM has a low compression set, meaning it can recover its original shape after being compressed, ensuring long-term sealing performance.
4. Ozone and UV Resistance: AEM offers good resistance to ozone and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which helps prevent material degradation in outdoor applications or in environments where exposure to these elements is significant.
5. Mechanical Properties: AEM provides a good balance of tensile strength, elongation, and abrasion resistance. These mechanical properties contribute to the durability and longevity of gaskets, allowing them to withstand the mechanical stresses encountered in both automotive and industrial settings.
6. Low Permeability: AEM has low gas permeability, making it suitable for gaskets in applications where preventing gas leakage is critical, such as in fuel systems and air management systems.
To learn more about AEM, and other materials we use for molding automotive gaskets, visit our products page.
Do you have a gasket you’d like us to quote? Click the ‘contact us’ button and we’ll get back to you right away.
Close-up detail view of AEM transmission Seal