Certification and material claims are only meaningful when tied to the exact compound supplied. This page explains the distinctions that matter when specifying a critical seal.
A polymer family name (e.g. FKM) describes a broad chemistry class, not a specific product. A compound is a specific formulated recipe within that family. The finished O-ring is molded from a specific compound batch. Certification and performance data apply at the compound level, not the polymer-family level.
Shore A hardness is one data point among many \u2014 it says nothing about chemical resistance, compression set, or temperature performance. Two compounds at the same hardness can behave completely differently in the same application.
Batch-level traceability links a finished O-ring back to its raw polymer lot through compounding, molding and final inspection \u2014 essential for regulated and flight-critical applications.
Documentation specific to the manufactured batch, not a generic datasheet for the polymer family.
Confirmation that the supplied batch meets the specified requirement \u2014 provided where available and verified for the exact compound supplied.
Third-party or internal test reports for the specific compound and batch, where required by the application.
FDA, USP Class VI, EC 1935/2004, NORSOK and similar approvals apply only to the exact compound tested and documented \u2014 never assumed from the base polymer alone.
Verification that the finished part meets the specified dimensional tolerance, independent of material certification.
A certificate issued for one compound or grade cannot be used as evidence for a different compound, even within the same polymer family. FITCO will confirm the certification scope for the exact compound quoted.