The ROI of Switching to Canrez®: A Practical Migration Guide from Kalrez®

If your operation relies on perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) O-rings to survive extreme temperatures, aggressive chemicals, steam, or rapid gas decompression, you already know that Kalrez® has long been a safe choice. You also know the pain: long lead times, premium pricing, and supply volatility when you can least afford it. This guide shows how to make a risk-controlled, data-driven migration from Kalrez® to Canrez®—capturing equal (and sometimes better) performance while improving availability and total cost of ownership (TCO).

You’ll get a practical selection and qualification plan, a compact cross-reference for common compounds, and a simple ROI model. The objective is not hype, but a repeatable method your engineers and buyers can trust—one that protects uptime and margins.

Kalrez® is a registered trademark of DuPont. All brand names are the property of their respective owners.

Executive Summary

• Why switch: Shorter lead times, lower TCO, flexible compliance and packaging, and a broader set of “fit-for-purpose” grades (steam, AED, semiconductor clean, low-temperature, FDA/USP).
• What stays the same: Chemical and thermal envelopes, hardness targets, AED resistance, and quality documentation—held to the same operating windows you buy Kalrez® to meet.
• How to switch safely: Use compound mapping, small-lot sampling, fast lab verification, and a short pilot with defined success criteria. Keep a Kalrez® fallback for one maintenance cycle if you need it; retire it after the Canrez® lot proves itself.
• What you gain: Confidence in supply, faster outage recovery, and a tangible ROI that shows up in fewer line stops and lower inventory cost.

A Clear, Contained Migration Plan

1. Define the real applicational parameters
   Record continuous temperature and excursions, fluids and cleaners, pressure and motion, steam/CIP/SIP, and any AED/RGD decompression profile. Note compliance requirements (e.g., FDA, USP Class VI, API 6A, NORSOK M-710, NACE TM0297) and any clean-packing or traceability needs.
2. Pick the nearest Canrez® cross-reference
   Start from the compound mapping table in this guide or work with the Canyon Components engineering team to define the right material fit. Match the function first (steam, amines, oxidizers, AED, semiconductor clean, low-temperature), then refine hardness and temperature range.
3. Sample & verify
   Order a small Canrez® lot (same size and hardness). Verify hardness, dimensions, surface, and color. Use FTIR/TGA or your standard identification procedure to confirm polymer and filler class if your QMS requires it.
4. Pilot quickly, measure rigorously
   Run Canrez® on a single tool, loop, or line for one maintenance interval. Define “pass” in advance: leak criteria, cycles to maintenance, steam dwell tolerance, plasma time, or decompression window.
5. Approve and scale
   If the pilot meets or beats Kalrez® performance and passes documentation, roll Canrez® into the MRP and approve it as primary. Keep the Kalrez® callout as a second source if your spec needs it.

Compact Cross-Reference (Kalrez® → Canrez®)

Tables are concise by design; use them to shortlist only. Details and narrative follow below.

Notes and cautions

• Keep table entries as cues; always verify the final compound against your exact media and temperature profile. The Canyon engineering team can always help.
• Where multiple Canrez® options appear, pick by emphasis: “low set,” “steam,” “AED,” “ultra-high temp,” “FDA/USP,” or “semi/clean.”
• If you’re uncertain between two Canrez® grades, sample both; the cost of a second small lot is minor compared to a stoppage or rebuild. The Canyon engineering team can always help to clarify the best materials for your specific application.

What Changes (and What Does Not)

Stays the same

• Operating window: Temperature range, chemical resistance, steam dwell capacity, AED response, and clean/low-outgassing behavior—matched grade-for-grade.
• Compliance and paperwork: FDA or USP Class VI, oil & gas test references (where applicable), and lot traceability.
• Fit and function: AS568 size, durometer class, surface finish standards, and groove compatibility.

Improves with Canrez®

• Lead time and availability: Multiple high-runner FFKM families in stock or faster to build.
• Total cost of ownership: Reduced unit cost plus fewer lost hours waiting for parts.
• Portfolio breadth: Steam-rated, AED-rated, ultra-high temperature, low-temperature, life-science, and semiconductor-clean variants—all available under a single umbrella.

Grade-by-Grade Guidance (with ROI Callouts)

High-Temperature General Purpose

Kalrez®: 4079, 7075
Canrez®: CP75BK01, CP75BK02, CP75BK20, CP75BK31

• Use when: You need broad chemical compatibility and high thermal stability. 7075 emphasizes low compression set; 4079 is the classic GP workhorse.
• Canrez® angle: CP75BK01 and CP75BK02 match and exceed GP performance; CP75BK20 and CP75BK31 add ultra-high temperature and lower set.
• ROI lever: GP applications consume volume; moving these to Canrez® moves your price curve and your mean-time-to-repair in the right direction with the least effort.

Steam and Hot Water

Kalrez®: 3018 (90A), 7375, 7390 (90A)
Canrez®: CP90BK01, CP80BK21, CP75BK01

• Use when: Utilities, autoclaves, CIP/SIP, pressurized hot water cycles.
• Canrez® angle: CP90BK01 is a 90A steam specialist rivaling 3018/7390; CP80BK21 carries steam plus AED references where required; CP75BK01 offers steam + high-temp flexibility.
• ROI lever: Steam service often drives short change intervals; a Canrez® steam grade that extends by even one cycle pays back quickly.

Amines and Strong Bases

Kalrez®: 6380
Canrez®: CP75WH12, CP75WH18, CP70BK03, CP75BK03, CP80BK03

• Use when: Refinery amines, hot base cleanouts, gas sweetening.
• Canrez® angle: Blend white and black options by documentation needs; CP70BK03, CP75BK03, or CP80BK03 cover the amine chemistry with steam resilience.
• ROI lever: When amines are present, the “wrong” FFKM fails fast. A correct Canrez® match stabilizes intervals and reduces emergency buys.

Oxidizers/Reactive Media

Kalrez®: 7275
Canrez®: Match by process window (consult the Canrez® oxidizer-oriented grade)

• Use when: Nitric acid, EO, reactive monomers, oxidizing agents.
• Canrez® angle: Select an oxidizer-tuned Canrez® grade; run a short chemical-immersion verification if the oxidant is unusual or hot. The Canyon engineering team can always help to clarify the best materials for your specific application.
• ROI lever: Avoiding one reactive fail prevents cleanup, tool downtime, and batch loss.

AED/RGD Gas Service

Kalrez®: 0090 (95A)
Canrez®: CP90BK91 (AED; API 6A; NORSOK/M-710), CP90BK01 (AED)

• Use when: High-pressure gas, decompression steps, low-temperature gas startups.
• Canrez® angle: CP90BK91 is the ultra-low-temperature AED flagship; CP90BK01 covers AED in broader high-temp steam/gas duty.
• ROI lever: A wider safe decompression window simplifies operations and protects uptime.

FDA/USP Life Science

Kalrez®: 6221 (white), 6230 (black)
Canrez®: CP75WH18, CP75BK02, CP75BK04, CP75BK05, CP75BK50

• Use when: Food contact, pharma, bioprocess seals with sterilization or solvent cleanup.
• Canrez® angle: Choose white or black based on validation protocol; add steam capacity where required.
• ROI lever: Faster availability plus cleanroom packaging reduces validation lag and release risk.

Semiconductor Clean and Plasma

Kalrez®: 8475, 8575, 9100, 8002
Canrez®: CP80WH01, CP65TB11, CP60TA11, CP70TA11, CP70WH12

• Use when: Vacuum, low outgassing, low particles, plasma/ash resistance.
• Canrez® angle: CP80WH01 covers high temp + low temp + cleanliness; CP65TB11 mirrors 9100’s semiconductor profile; CP60TA11 or CP70TA11 add nano-PTFE fills for wear and stability.
• ROI lever: Longer mean time between cleans and fewer particle excursions matter more than unit price; this is where Canrez® often wins big.

Low-Temperature Specialty

Kalrez®: 0040
Canrez®: CP75BK91, CP90BK91, CP80BK78, CP90BK21

• Use when: Cryogenic or arctic duty where FFKM purity is still required.
• Canrez® angle: CP75BK91 and CP90BK91 push low-temperature capability; CP80BK78 and CP90BK21 provide additional very-low-temperature options.
• ROI lever: Eliminating warm-up delays and cold-start leaks can justify the migration on time savings alone.

Broad Chemical Windows at Heat

Kalrez®: 6375
Canrez®: CP70BK03; CP75BK03; CP80BK03; CP75BK01; CP75BK02

• Use when: Mixed fluids and cleaners, hot process streams, utility cross-contamination.
• Canrez® angle: CP70BK03; CP75BK03; CP80BK03 -family grades deliver the breadth; CP75BK01; CP75BK02 provide high-temp GP equivalents with steam flexibility.
• ROI lever: One Canrez® stocking grade that covers your mixed chemistry reduces spares and simplifies MRO.

High-Hardness/Extrusion Control

Kalrez®: 7090
Canrez®: CP90BK01; CP90BK00; CP90BK03

• Use when: High pressure with imperfect clearances, loaded dynamics, or where nibbling was observed.
• Canrez® angle: CP90BK01 is the 90A cornerstone; CP90BK00; CP90BK03 provide adjacent use-cases and AED variants.
• ROI lever: Fewer teardown repairs, fewer scrap components from extrusion damage.

Risk Controls That Make the Switch Routine

• Steam and hot water: Confirm corner radii and gland fill; consider moving to the steam-emphasized Canrez® grade if your utilities are aggressive.
• Amines: Validate at temperature; amines punish the wrong grade. Start with CP70BK03; CP75BK03; CP80BK03 family or the white variants if documentation requires.
• AED/RGD: Keep your decompression profile; run a quick ramp matrix on the pilot and record dwell times. CP90BK91 is the low-temperature AED leader; CP90BK01 covers many mixed steam/gas use-cases.
• Semiconductor clean: Specify low outgassing and particle targets; request clean double-bagging and lot traceability. CP80WH01, CP60TA11 or CP70TA11, and CP65TB11 are common starts.
• FDA/USP: Ask for certificates with the first lot; keep them attached to the part number in your QMS.
• Hardness/fit: Moving to 90A improves extrusion control; verify assembly methods, surface finish, and any need for backup rings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will we lose performance by switching?
No—provided the correct Canrez® material is selected. The cross-reference above exists to protect the chemical, thermal, steam, AED, or cleanliness envelope you already rely on. The Canyon engineering team can always help to clarify the best materials for your specific application.

What if a regulator or customer requires the Kalrez® brand?
Supply the named brand and keep the Canrez® cross-reference on file as a qualified alternate. Many customers allow equivalent alternates once they see the data.

Can we run a mixed fleet during transition?
Yes. Place Canrez® in one system or line, keep Kalrez® in the rest for one cycle, and compare. This reduces perceived risk and makes the ROI visible.

What if something fails during pilot?
Roll back, capture the failure data, and adjust the Canrez® grade or groove detail. Because sampling is small, the cost and time penalty are light. The Canyon engineering team can always help to clarify the best materials for your specific application.

Putting It Together

1. Pick the Canrez® cross-reference that matches your Kalrez® use-case.
2. Sample a small lot, verify in the lab, and run a short pilot with written pass/fail.
3. Approve the Canrez® lot, roll it into procurement, and reduce your safety stock and lead-time exposure.
4. Retire the Kalrez® callout after one maintenance cycle—or keep it as a second source if your specification requires it.

Result: Equal performance where it matters, more reliable supply, and a clean ROI that comes not only from price but from fewer hours lost waiting for seals.