Gasket

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Thisarticleisaboutmechanicalseals.Forotheruses,seeGasket(disambiguation).

Agasketisamechanicalsealwhichfillsthespacebetween
twoormorematingsurfaces,generallytopreventleakage
fromorintothejoinedobjectswhileundercompression.
Gasketsallow"lessthanperfect"matingsurfaceson
machinepartswheretheycanfillirregularities.Gasketsare
commonlyproducedbycuttingfromsheetmaterials.
Gasketsforspecificapplications,suchashighpressure
steamsystems,maycontainasbestos.However,dueto
healthhazardsassociatedwithasbestosexposure,non
asbestosgasketmaterialsareusedwhenpractical.
Itisusuallydesirablethatthegasketbemadefroma
materialthatistosomedegreeyieldingsuchthatitisable
todeformandtightlyfillsthespaceitisdesignedfor,
includinganyslightirregularities.Afewgasketsrequirean
applicationofsealantdirectlytothegasketsurfaceto
functionproperly.
Somesealsandgaskets

Some(piping)gasketsaremadeentirelyofmetalandrely
1.oring
onaseatingsurfacetoaccomplishtheseal;themetal'sown
2.fiberwasher
springcharacteristicsareutilized(uptobutnotpassingy,
3.papergaskets
4.cylinderheadgasket
thematerial'syieldstrength).Thisistypicalofsome"ring
joints"(RJ)orsomeothermetalgasketsystemssuchas
thosemadebyGrayloc(anOceaneeringInternationalcompany).ThesejointsareknownasRconand
Econcompressivetypejoints.[1]

Contents
1Properties
1.1Gasketdesign
1.2Sheetgaskets
1.3Solidmaterialgaskets
1.4Spiralwoundgaskets
1.5Constantseatingstressgaskets
1.6Doublejacketedgaskets
1.7Kammprofilegaskets
1.8Flangegasket
2Improvements
3Reasonsforfailure
3.1Unevendistributedpressingforce
3.2Stressrelaxationandtorqueloss
3.3Surfacenotsmooth
4Seealso

Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)gasket

4Seealso
5Sources
6Externallinks

Properties
Gasketsarenormallymadefromaflatmaterial,asheet
suchaspaper,rubber,silicone,metal,cork,felt,neoprene,
nitrilerubber,fiberglass,polytetrafluoroethylene
(otherwiseknownasPTFEorTeflon)oraplasticpolymer
(suchaspolychlorotrifluoroethylene).
Oneofthemoredesirablepropertiesofaneffectivegasket
inindustrialapplicationsforcompressedfibergasket
materialistheabilitytowithstandhighcompressiveloads.
Mostindustrialgasketapplicationsinvolveboltsexerting
compressionwellintothe14MPa(2000psi)rangeor
Compressedfibergasket
higher.Generallyspeaking,thereareseveraltruismsthat
allowforbestgasketperformance.Oneofthemoretried
andtestedis:"Themorecompressiveloadexertedonthegasket,thelongeritwilllast".
Thereareseveralwaystomeasureagasketmaterial'sabilitytowithstandcompressiveloading.The
"hotcompressiontest"isprobablythemostacceptedofthesetests.Mostmanufacturersofgasket
materialswillprovideorpublishtheresultsofthesetests.

Gasketdesign
Gasketscomeinmanydifferentdesignsbasedonindustrialusage,budget,chemicalcontactand
physicalparameters:

Sheetgaskets
Thepremiseissimpleinthatasheetofmaterialhasthegasketshape"punchedout"ofit.Thisleadsto
averycrude,fastandcheapgasket.Inprevioustimesthematerialwascompressedasbestos,butin
moderntimesafibrousmaterialsuchashightempgraphite(http://macrosealinc.com/high
temperaturegraphitegasketmaterials/)isused.Thesegasketscanfillmanychemicalrequirements
basedontheinertnessofthematerialusedandfitmanybudgetaryrestraints.Commonpractice
preventsthesegasketsfrombeingusedinmanyindustrialprocessesbasedontemperatureand
pressureconcerns.

Solidmaterialgaskets
Theideabehindsolidmaterialistousemetalswhichcannotbepunchedoutofsheetsbutarestill
cheaptoproduce.Thesegasketsgenerallyhaveamuchhigherlevelofqualitycontrolthansheet
gasketsandgenerallycanwithstandmuchhighertemperaturesandpressures.Thekeydownsideis
thatasolidmetalmustbegreatlycompressedinordertobecomeflushwiththeflangeheadand
preventleakage.Thematerialchoiceismoredifficult;becausemetalsareprimarilyused,process

contaminationandoxidationarerisks.Anadditionaldownsideisthatthemetalusedmustbesofter
thantheflangeinordertoensurethattheflangedoesnotwarpandtherebypreventsealingwith
futuregaskets.Evenso,thesegasketshavefoundanicheinindustry.

Spiralwoundgaskets
Spiralwoundgasketscompriseamixofmetallicandfillermaterial.Generally,thegaskethasametal
(normallycarbonrichorstainlesssteel)woundoutwardsinacircularspiral(othershapesarepossible)
withthefillermaterial(generallyaflexiblegraphite)woundinthesamemannerbutstartingfromthe
opposingside.Thisresultsinalternatinglayersoffillerandmetal.Thefillermaterialinthesegaskets
actsasthesealingelement,withthemetalprovidingstructuralsupport.
Thesegasketshaveproventobereliableinmostapplications,andallowlowerclampingforcesthan
solidgaskets,albeitwithahighercost.[2](http://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=spiral+wound+gaskets&id=8C264F3FFBAA6AC593C155D7075E811633CDF20F&FORM=IQFRBA)

Constantseatingstressgaskets
Theconstantseatingstressgasketconsistsoftwocomponents;asolidcarrierringofasuitable
material,suchasstainlesssteel,andtwosealingelementsofsomecompressiblematerialinstalled
withintwoopposingchannels,onechanneloneithersideofthecarrierring.Thesealingelementsare
typicallymadefromamaterial(expandedgraphite,expandedpolytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE),
vermiculite,etc.)suitabletotheprocessfluidandapplication.Constantseatingstressgasketsderive
theirnamefromthefactthatthecarrierringprofiletakesflangerotation(deflectionunderbolt
preload)intoconsideration.Withallotherconventionalgaskets,astheflangefastenersaretightened,
theflangedeflectsradiallyunderload,resultinginthegreatestgasketcompression,andhighestgasket
stress,attheoutergasketedge.
Sincethecarrierringusedinconstantseatingstressgasketstakethisdeflectionintoaccountwhen
creatingthecarrierringforagivenflangesize,pressureclass,andmaterial,thecarrierringprofilecan
beadjustedtoenablethegasketseatingstresstoberadiallyuniformacrosstheentiresealingarea.
Further,becausethesealingelementsarefullyconfinedbytheflangefacesinopposingchannelson
thecarrierring,anyinservicecompressiveforcesactingonthegasketaretransmittedthroughthe
carrierringandavoidanyfurthercompressionofthesealingelements,thusmaintaininga'constant'
gasketseatingstresswhileinservice.Thus,thegasketisimmunetocommongasketfailuremodesthat
includecreeprelaxation,highsystemvibration,orsystemthermalcycles.Thefundamentalconcept
underlyingtheimprovedsealabilityforconstantseatingstressgasketsarethat(i)iftheflangesealing
surfacesarecapableofattainingaseal,(ii)thesealingelementsarecompatiblewiththeprocessfluid
andapplication,and(iii)thesufficientgasketseatingstressisachievedoninstallationnecessaryto
affectaseal,thenthepossibilityofthegasketleakinginserviceisgreatlyreducedoreliminated
altogether.

Doublejacketedgaskets
Doublejacketedgasketsareanothercombinationoffillermaterialandmetallicmaterials.Inthis
application,atubewithendsthatresemblea"C"ismadeofthemetalwithanadditionalpiecemade
tofitinsideofthe"C"makingthetubethickestatthemeetingpoints.Thefillerispumpedbetweenthe
shellandpiece.Wheninusethecompressedgaskethasalargeramountofmetalatthetwotips
wherecontactismade(duetotheshell/pieceinteraction)andthesetwoplacesbeartheburdenof

sealingtheprocess.Sinceallthatisneededisashellandpiece,thesegasketscanbemadefromalmost
anymaterialthatcanbemadeintoasheetandafillercanthenbeinserted.Thisisaneffectiveoption
formostapplications.

Kammprofilegaskets
Kammprofilegasketsareusedinmanyoldersealssincetheyhavebothaflexiblenatureandreliable
performance.Kammprofilesworkbyhavingasolidcorrugatedcorewithaflexiblecoveringlayer.This
arrangementallowsforveryhighcompressionandanextremelytightsealalongtheridgesofthe
gasket.Sincegenerallythegraphitewillfailinsteadofthemetalcore,Kammprofilecanberepaired
duringlaterinactivity.Kammprofilehasahighcapitalcostformostapplicationsbutthisiscountered
bylonglifeandincreasedreliability.

Flangegasket
Aflangegasketisatypeofgasketmadetofitbetweentwo
sectionsofpipethatareflaredtoprovidehighersurface
area.
Flangegasketscomeinavarietyofsizesandare
categorizedbytheirinsidediameterandtheiroutside
diameter.
Therearemanystandardsingasketforflangesofpipes.
Thegasketsforflangescanbedividedinmajor4different
categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Copperflangegasketsusedforultrahigh
vacuumsystems

Sheetgaskets
Corrugatedmetalgaskets
Ringgaskets
spiralwoundgaskets

Sheetgasketsaresimple,theyarecuttosizeeitherwithboltholesorwithoutholesforstandardsizes
withvariousthicknessandmaterialsuitabletomediaandtemperaturepressureofpipeline.
RinggasketsalsoknownasRTJ.Theyaremostlyusedinoffshoreoilandgaspipelinesandare
designedtoworkunderextremelyhighpressure.Theyaresolidringsofmetalindifferentcross
sectionslikeoval,round,octagonaletc.Sometimestheycomewithholeincenterforpressure.
Spiralwoundgasketsarealsousedinhighpressurepipelinesandaremadewithstainlesssteelouter
andinnerringsandacenterfilledwithspirallywoundstainlesssteeltapewoundtogetherwith
graphiteandPTFE,formedinVshape.InternalpressureactsuponthefacesoftheV,forcingthegasket
tosealagainsttheflangefaces.

Improvements
Manygasketscontainminorimprovementstoincreaseorinferacceptableoperatingconditions:
Acommonimprovementisaninnercompressionring.Acompressionringallowsforhigher
flangecompressionwhilepreventinggasketfailure.Theeffectsofacompressionringare
minimalandgenerallyarejustusedwhenthestandarddesignexperiencesahighrateoffailure.

Acommonimprovementisanouterguidingring.Aguidingringallowsforeasierinstallationand
servesasaminorcompressioninhibitor.Insomealkylationusesthesecanbemodifiedon
DoubleJacketedgasketstoshowwhenthefirstsealhasfailedthroughaninnerliningsystem
coupledwithalkylationpaint.

Reasonsforfailure
Unevendistributedpressingforce
Unevenpressingforceiscausedbyavarietyoffactors,firstisthehumanfactor:asymmetric
constructionofthepreloadbolt,thisfactorcaneliminateconstruction;theoryontheflangepressed,
thesealingsurfaceisabsolutelyparalleltothepractice,however,thecenterlineofapipelinecannot
beabsolutelyconcentric,andthustightentheboltsontheflangemoment,sothattheflange
discontinuity.Asymmetricalconnection,thesealingsurfacemoreorlessdeformed,sothatsealedthe
pressingforceisreduced,therunningload,pronetoleakage.Third,thedensityofboltarrangementon
thepressuredistributionmoreobviousimpact,thecloserthebolts,themoreuniformthepressure.

Stressrelaxationandtorqueloss
Tightenboltsontheflange,duetothevibrationofthebodies,thetemperatureincreasedordecreased
andotherfactors,theworkingprocessofthespiralwoundgasketsstressrelaxation,thebolttension
willbegraduallydecreased,resultinginlossoftorque,causingaleak.Ingeneral,longbolts,the
remnantsofthetorque,thesmallerthediameterthemoreadvantageoustopreventthelossof
torque,withlong,thinboltisaneffectivewaytopreventtorqueloss.Heatingacertainperiodoftime
tomakeitstretchthebolt,andthentomaintainagiventorque,isveryeffectivetopreventthelossof
torque.Thereisagasketisthinnerandsmallerthelossoftorque.Inadditiontopreventthestrong
vibrationofthemachineandthepipeitself,andexcludetheimpactofadjacentequipmentvibration,
theimpactofthesealingsurfaceisnotmeaningless,nottobeattheboltstightened,canpreventthe
lossoftorque.

Surfacenotsmooth
Itisimportanttomakethesealingfinishproperlyotherwiseitwillcauseleakage.

Seealso
Oring
Ozonecracking
Polymerdegradation
Vacuumflange
Washer(mechanical)

Sources
1. [1](http://www.oceaneering.com/subseaproducts/grayloc/)

1. Bickford,JohnH.:AnIntroductiontotheDesignandBehaviorofBoltedJoints,3rded.,Marcel
Dekker,1995,pg.5
2. Latte,Dr.JorgeandRossi,Claudio:HighTemperatureBehaviorofCompressedFiberGasket

Materials,andanAlternativeApproachtothePredictionofGasketLife,FSApresentedPaper,
1995,pg.16

Externallinks
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