Using a Chemical Resistance Chart to Choose the Right Gasket Material

The question of gasket material is a tricky one when you are trying to determine which type of gasket will give you the maximum performance. One of the first things you should do is check a chemical resistance chart, which will explain what types of materials will properly seal the application you are working on. After all, the last thing you need is to select a gasket material that will simply melt or react badly with your application causing a leak.

Some of the options include sheet rubber Such as Viton, Neoprene, Nitrile, EPDM or SBR just to name a few, or compressed non-asbestos, compressed fiber or Cork and rubber gaskets, PTFE, and flexible graphite gaskets. Understanding the differences in these components and how they react with various chemicals and materials is vital to keeping your application functioning properly and not leaking. Here are three things to look for when using a chemical resistance chart:

• Grade A is best on most charts. Just like in school, you want to look for the A letter grade. A stands for acceptable, which means that a particular type of gasket material will work for the type of job you need it for. NS means that the material is not suitable for what you need it to do, and C means use it with caution. Chemical resistance charts usually come with a legend explaining their specific codes, and each company has its own chemical resistance chart. Be sure to examine the legend before you look closely at the chart because these letter grades are not always in use. A lot of chemical resistance charts will also mention an optimum operating temperature. The pressure behind the gasket should also be considered.
• Look for the type of material or chemical you are working with. When you locate the material, you can find the rating for each gasket material on the chart. This will show you whether there will be any sort of reaction that you should make sure to avoid. A chemical resistance chart makes it easy to find the best gasket material.

Remember that choosing the best gasket material is only the first step. There are also other factors to keep in consideration, like the size and density of the gasket. Understanding and using a chemical resistance chart can be rather difficult, especially since there are so many different kinds of charts out there, but the experts at Blaylock Gasket and Packing will help you understand it and make the right selection. Blaylock Gasket will help you choose the proper gasket material to maximize the performance you get out of your machine. Information factoring in selecting the proper material. As stated the most important factor is whether the material selected for your custom gasket is chemical resistance. Operating Pressure and Temperature are also important so it is helpful to have this information available when we discuss your specific application.

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