What is fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing material?

Fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing material is a type of fluoroelastomer used in automotive and industrial seals that is manufactured without the PFAS-based surfactants traditionally used during emulsion polymerisation. Syensqo produces this under the Tecnoflon FKM NFS brand, using a patented polymerisation process that eliminates these chemical process aids while maintaining sealing performance.

What is the Freudenberg SEAL Award?

The Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Supplier Excellence Achievement Level (SEAL) Award recognises outstanding supplier performance across quality, delivery, cost management, technology, and customer service. The programme covers approximately 300 direct material suppliers in Freudenberg Sealing Technologies' global network. Syensqo received Gold level recognition in the chemical segment of the 2025 programme.

What did Syensqo and Freudenberg develop together?

Syensqo and Freudenberg co-developed a Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve O-ring using Syensqo's Tecnoflon FKM NFS material. The component eliminates PFAS-based fluorosurfactants from the production process and is now implemented in recent General Motors vehicles. It won the Materials Category at the 54th SPE Automotive Innovation Awards in November 2025.

Why does fluorosurfactant-free sealing material matter for the automotive industry?

Conventional peroxide-curable FKM fluoroelastomers have historically relied on PFAS-based surfactants during production. Growing regulatory pressure on PFAS chemicals, including an updated EU REACH restriction proposal that expanded its scope to include sealing applications in August 2025, is pushing automotive suppliers to qualify alternatives. A production-ready fluorosurfactant-free FKM that meets engine sealing performance requirements gives supply chain teams a validated option ahead of any final regulatory decision.

Which vehicles use Syensqo's fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing?

According to the official SPE Automotive Innovation Awards winners release published on November 5, 2025, the PCV valve O-ring using Syensqo's Tecnoflon FKM NFS material is applied to the 2025 model year General Motors Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

What are PFAS and why are they being restricted?

PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a broad class of chemicals used across many industrial processes including fluoropolymer manufacturing. Regulators are restricting PFAS because many compounds in the class are persistent in the environment and linked to health concerns. The EU REACH restriction proposal, originally submitted in January 2023, covers thousands of PFAS substances and has been progressively updated, with sealing applications added to its scope in August 2025.

Is Tecnoflon FKM NFS certified for sustainability?

Yes. Syensqo confirmed in November 2025 that Tecnoflon FKM NFS holds circular content certification, adding a sustainability credential alongside the elimination of fluorosurfactants from the polymerisation process.

What is Syensqo's roadmap for eliminating fluorosurfactants across its fluoropolymer range?

Syensqo has publicly committed to transitioning its Spinetta Marengo manufacturing site in Italy toward nearly fluorosurfactant-free fluoropolymer production by 2026. The ionic curable grades of Tecnoflon FKM are already produced without fluorosurfactants. Peroxide curable grades are in active transition, with samples available across the range. The company states it quadrupled its research and innovation investment since 2019 to develop the non-fluorosurfactant polymerisation technology.

What are the procurement and supply chain implications of PFAS restrictions for sealing applications?

The EU REACH PFAS restriction proposal, updated in August 2025 to include sealing applications, remains at proposal and evaluation stage rather than adopted regulation. However, procurement teams at OEMs and tier-one suppliers are already qualifying alternatives to avoid supply chain disruption if restrictions are adopted. The Syensqo and Freudenberg collaboration demonstrates that fluorosurfactant-free peroxide-curable FKM can meet engine sealing performance thresholds and reach vehicle application, providing a qualification reference for supply chain teams assessing transition options. Syensqo's Tecnoflon FKM NFS is processed by injection moulding, consistent with existing FKM manufacturing workflows.

Syensqo’s fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing technology earns Freudenberg supplier recognition

Category: Automotive, Components & Technology, Materials, Materials & Manufacturing, Policy & Market, Regulation & Policy

June 22, 2026

Representatives from Syensqo and Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies at the 2025 SEAL Award presentation, recognising Syensqo's fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing collaboration with Freudenberg.

Gold level SEAL recognition for Syensqo reflects a supplier relationship that has already put fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing into GM vehicle applications

(Image courtesy of Syensqo)

Syensqo has received Gold level recognition in the chemical segment of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies‘ 2025 Supplier Excellence Achievement Level (SEAL) Award. The recognition reflects a collaboration that has also delivered a production application. Working with Freudenberg, Syensqo co-developed a Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve O-ring using its patented fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing technology, eliminating PFAS-based surfactants from peroxide-curable fluoroelastomer production. The component is now implemented in recent General Motors vehicles.

Fluorosurfactant-free FKM sealing in recent GM applications

The PCV valve O-ring features Syensqo’s Tecnoflon FKM NFS, produced without the fluorosurfactant process aids traditionally used in emulsion polymerisation. The component won the Materials Category at the 54th SPE Automotive Innovation Awards in November 2025. The official SPE Automotive Innovation Awards winners release, published by the SPE Automotive Division on November 5, 2025, identifies the application as the 2025 model year Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. It documents performance specifications including a temperature operating range of 175°C to −40°C, resistance to hot oil and blow-by gases, and tear strength of at least 18 kN/m to ASTM D624. Compression set performance is specified at 175°C over 72 hours at 15% compression, with at least 30% retained force in compression stress relaxation. The SPE award submission notes the polymerisation approach is, to the industry’s knowledge, without prior precedent for this class of fluoroelastomer.

Syensqo confirmed in a separate announcement accompanying the SPE award that Tecnoflon FKM NFS now holds circular content certification. The company has publicly committed to transitioning its Spinetta Marengo manufacturing site toward nearly fluorosurfactant-free fluoropolymer production by 2026, with ionic curable FKM grades already completed and peroxide curable grades in active transition.

The regulatory pressure behind the collaboration

The wider context is a PFAS regulatory environment that is still evolving. In August 2025, ECHA published updated PFAS restriction materials following review of more than 5,600 consultation comments on the original January 2023 proposal. Those updated materials expanded the sectors under assessment to include sealing applications, though the process remains at proposal and evaluation stage rather than adopted regulation. For procurement and specification teams, that uncertainty makes production-validated fluorosurfactant-free alternatives relevant ahead of any final decision.

Conventional peroxide-curable FKM has historically depended on PFAS-based surfactants during emulsion polymerisation. A component meeting the engine sealing performance thresholds documented in the SPE submission, and present in a current high-volume truck application, gives supply chain teams a qualification reference that most published PFAS transition guidance has not yet provided.

The SEAL award itself covers a broader supplier relationship, evaluated across approximately 300 direct material suppliers on quality, delivery, cost management, technology, and customer service. The PCV O-ring collaboration and its recognition at the SPE Automotive Innovation Awards is where the long-term significance of that partnership is most clearly demonstrated for a technical audience.

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