Email LinkNSF-61 CERTIFIED COMPOUNDS
Drinking water systems require specially approved materials.
In many sealing applications, the primary concern is simply, “Does
the seal work?” That is, does the seal do the job for which it
was selected or designed? If so, other issues (such as price and availability)
can then be addressed. For applications in which sealing materials come
into contact with food and water, however, there is another major concern
beyond functionality: health. “Does the seal have any effect on
the consumables it contacts? If so, in what way?” Answering those
questions is the primary concern of the NSF.
CONDUCTING THE TESTS
Founded over fifty years ago as the National Sanitation Foundation, NSF International fosters public health safety and environmental protection by developing standards, certifying services, and testing products. For example, rubber compounds designed to come into contact with potables (such as drinking water) can be submitted to NSF for water extraction analysis and a wide variety of other tests.
The most well known tests are NSF 51 for articles contacting food and NSF 61 for articles contacting water. Materials passing such tests are then certified as meeting NSF standards. Periodic retesting is done at specific intervals (typically once a year) in order to maintain certification. The NSF certification program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as well as by the Dutch Council for Accreditation (RvA) and by the Standards Council of Canada.
MEETING THE STANDARDS
RL Hudson is proud to offer three compounds that have been certified for use in drinking water systems. All three are included in the NSF official listings. The first of these ANSI/NSF Standard 61-certified compounds is N1030-70, a 70-durometer nitrile certified for use in water temperatures up to 140°F. The second is E3030-70, a 70-durometer ethylene propylene compound, and the third is S5030-70, a 70-durometer silicone. Both the ethylene propylene and silicone compounds have been certified for use in water temperatures up to 180°F. Faucet and valve manufacturers are already using both the nitrile and ethylene propylene compounds.
If you have an application requiring an NSF 61-certified material, ask your account or territory manager if one of our compounds might be right for you. For more information on NSF history and procedures, be sure to visit their web site at www.nsf.org. While there, you can review RL Hudson’s certification and compound numbers by selecting Certified Products and typing in “RL Hudson.”
