What is A Sealing Gasket: Material, Advantages, Tips & Applications

Sealing gaskets are components that act between two contact surfaces and usually have excellent sealing effects. In fields such as petrochemicals, the automotive industry, and natural gas pipes, the role of sealing gaskets cannot be ignored. Let's walk into the world of sealing gaskets and understand why they are so popular. 

Material Selection

There are many kinds of manufacturing materials for sealing gaskets. Depending on the application environment and medium, different materials of sealing gaskets need to be selected. The following are common sealing gasket materials, each of which has its own advantages and characteristics. 

Rubber

• Viton: High temperature resistance, good mechanical properties and chemical resistance, suitable for use in harsh environments.
• Nitrile Rubber: Excellent wear resistance and durability, and good oil resistance, suitable for use in industries such as petroleum and chemical industry.
• Silicone Rubber: Good heat resistance and thermal stability, good tensile strength, wide range of applications.

Plastic

• PTFE: Electrical insulation, excellent temperature resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, very suitable for use in chemical industrial systems.

Metal

• Metals: Excellent high pressure resistance and corrosion resistance, good resistance to chemicals, can maintain stable performance in high temperature and high pressure systems and harsh environments. 

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Sealing Gaskets?

Sealing gaskets has many good advantages, but everything has two sides, so it also has some disadvantages. The following are some of its common advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

Simple Structure, Easy to Install and Maintain

The structure of the sealing gasket is very simple, without complicated accessories. This also makes its installation and removal extremely simple, saving installation and maintenance time and cost.  

Excellent Sealing Performance

As a seal, the sealing effect that the sealing gasket can provide is obvious to all. As long as the gasket is not damaged or failed, its sealing performance will not be affected, and leakage will not occur in various systems and applications.

Good Durability

The durability of the gasket is also excellent, and its performance can be guaranteed in long-term use. Even in an environment that requires frequent disassembly and replacement, its performance will not be affected.

Good Chemical Resistance and Corrosion Resistance 

The materials of the sealing gasket have good chemical resistance and corrosion resistance, which allows it to be used in systems that transmit chemicals and in corrosive environments. When used in these environments, the sealing gasket will not be easily corroded due to its resistance.

Disadvantages

Prone to Failure in Extreme Environments

When operating in extreme high temperature and high pressure environments, the performance of the sealing gasket may be affected and reduced, and there may even be a risk of failure. Therefore, when the surrounding environmental conditions exceed the limit, the sealing gasket cannot maintain its performance.

Performance is Limited by Materials

Sealing gaskets made of different materials have different performance and advantages. Some sealing gaskets are not suitable for use in certain special environments, which will only lead to sealing failure. 

Tips for Sealing Gasket

To ensure that your sealing gasket can maintain good performance, here are some tips for your reference.

• Be sure to choose the right sealing gasket material according to your application environment, otherwise you may get an ineffective gasket. 
• Before selecting a sealing gasket, you need to confirm the type of medium to be transmitted to avoid reactions with the two and affecting the transmission efficiency.
• At the same time, the operating temperature range and pressure range of the application environment also need to be determined, because some materials of sealing gaskets have requirements for these environment conditions.
• If your application environment is more special, such as the food and beverage industry, then you need to carefully choose sealing gaskets that meet the standards and sizes.
• You need to regularly check whether the sealing gaskets are hardened, aged, cracked, deformed, etc., and replace the expired sealing gaskets in time to avoid affecting the operation of the system.

Application Industries of Sealing Gaskets

The application industries of sealing gaskets are very wide, and the following are some common application industries.

• Water Treatment Industry: Sealing gaskets can be used in water treatment systems to seal and prevent water from flowing out.
• Chemical Industry: When transporting chemicals and corrosive media in the chemical industry, the sealing effect of the sealing gasket will not be reduced.
• Oil and Gas Industry: Sealing gaskets can also play a good sealing role when transporting media such as oil, natural gas and fuel gas.
• Food and Beverage Industry: Sealing gaskets that meet standards and certifications can be used in the food and beverage industry, providing sealing without contaminating the transported food and beverages.

Conclusion

In industrial systems that need to be sealed in various industries, sealing gaskets are a good choice. It has excellent sealing ability, good durability and corrosion resistance, and can maintain performance in many application environments.

If you are considering purchasing sealing gaskets for your system, please feel free to contact us. We will provide you with the best quality products to make your project the most successful!