This technical information has been contributed by
Pacific States Felt & Mfg. Co., Inc.
Click on Company Name for a Detailed Profile

Gaskets - Materials and Applications

A gasket is a mechanical seal that serves to fill the space between two objects, generally to prevent leakage between the two objects while under pressure. Gaskets are commonly produced by cutting from sheet materials, such as rubber, silicone, metal, felt, fiberglass, or a plastic polymer. It is usually desirable that the gasket be made from a compressible or slightly compressible material such that it tightly fills the space it is designed for.

Typical gasket seal applications include: fluids, such as petroleum, oil, water and distillates; ambient and pressurized air and dust. Also, gaskets are used to maintain spacing, dampen vibration and enhance appearance.

Material specification and selection is critical to cost effective, quality products. Look for a job shop whose material expertise is broad and is experienced in utilizing the full range of materials, laminates and finishes. Gaskets can typically be made available with pressure sensitive adhesives. The following is a list of common gasket materials, but a quality job shop will quote other materials, if specified, and recommend economical substitutes where applicable:

• Cork
• Cork and rubber
• Rubber compounds, SBR, NBR
• Rubber foams
• Cork and Silicone
• Cellulose and rubber
• Fiber reinforcement graphite
• Felts, cloths, non-woven fabrics, scrims
• Chipboard
• Coated papers
• Cross-Linked polyethylene foam
• PVC foams, closed cell
• Open cell urethanes
• Closed cell urethanes
• Light gauge metal films

Applications

The list of Gasket products grows constantly as customer imagination and job shop innovation combine to apply low cost, high quality production techniques to new products.

The following is a partial list of typical gasket product applications:

• Hydraulic cylinders, valves, fittings
• Speakers
• Power garden tools
• Compressors
• Pumps and pumping equipment
• Motors
• Generators
• Heavy Equipment
• Power Garden tools
• Industrial controls
• Truck and automobile lighting
• Telecommunications equipment
• Electronic components
• Small Appliances
• Seating and furniture
• Pneumatic tools
• Electrical outlets - waterproof
• Switches and circuit breakers
• Transmission, speed changers, high speed drive
• Appliances-refrigerators, washers, dryers, air conditioners
• Outdoor and indoor lighting-commercial, industrial, institutional, residential
• Electrical equipment for internal combustion engines, starter, generators and switches
• Internal combustion engine accessories-carburetor, water pump, muffler, transmission
• EMI/RFI Shielding