This gasket family is commonly referred to under its truncated label, CNAF. In its entirety, Compressed Non-Asbestos Fibre materials are exactly that, a gasket type that doesn’t rely on an asbestos base. However, the easily classifiable materials list ends right there, for this is an umbrella term. Many different fibre types and binder groups occupy the CNAF category, and they’re all gifted with their own unique sealing features.

The Principal Material-Defining Factor 

Straight to the point, Compressed Non-Asbestos Fibre gaskets are best-suited for extreme processing conditions. If there are hydrocarbons and oils in the vicinity, or there are solvents and caustic chemicals around, then sheets of CNAF can be cut to fit while they guarantee a fatigue-free seal. Imagine a 0.25 mm thick product functioning as an acid pipe seal. Alternatively, if temperature extremes and high pressures are part of the application’s daily runnings, then an upscaled 3 mm thick sheet will do the job.

Table Selection Methods 

The CNAF category is organized tables. The categorized list, framed in a tabulated form, incorporates glass and aramid fibres, nitrile and other synthetic rubber binders, and all kinds of metallic inserts. As a finger runs down the listed materials, application attributes come to mind. There’s the need for a maximum processing temperature, a matching need for outstanding performance, and a reserved area of the rows and columns that states which hazards are best handled. Typically, the gaskets will maintain their features when solvents and petrochemical oils are the source flow medium. However, this general purpose build adapts to include fibre types that hold strong when steam, refrigerants, and specific chemicals are flowing.

The Multiplicity Factor 

Imagine all of the active chemicals and fluid conditions that dominate countless industrial and commercial applications. A single gasket type will likely satisfy the stringent codes that are enforced by one or two of these sites, but there’s no way they’ll fit every process. That’s the real power of CNAF, the group’s nearly unlimited number of gasketing options. Glass and aramid fibres dominate, but then there are carbon fibres, Kevlar and several other mineral bases. The key, therefore, is to stop this strength from being perceived as a weakness.

The best way to take advantage of CNAF is to be familiar with the material/features tables. Begin by learning about the various mineral bases, refine that approach by assessing mechanical strength. That latter feature could be woven into the fibre or be incorporated as a mild steel ring. Finally, select a binder, a synthetic rubber, that won’t be the weak link in this compounded non-asbestos gasketing solution.

A nation’s welfare relies on the strength of its infrastructure. Sure, the modern conveniences are important, but electrical currents aren’t vital, not in the same way as a clean water supply. Water supports life while waste disposal networks remove dirty sewage. Keep these infrastructural consequences firmly in mind now as we evaluate the common gasket materials employed in a typical fluid-based framework. Choose them wisely, and reap the rewards.

Drinking Water Seals 

What factors affect the quality of a region’s drinkable water? Well, there are probably contaminants suspended in the life-sustaining fluid. They’ve been leached from the soil or introduced by way of a secondary contaminant source. Chlorine is often added to regional water lines, as are other additives. A capable water supply gasket needs to withstand the pressure variances that alter as the water flows through kilometres of pipe. Furthermore, the selected gasket material has to retain its material characteristics, no matter how abrasive these added chemicals and suspended particulates become in any pipeline section. To deal with these line factors, potable water quality is protected by styrene butadiene (SBR) flange gaskets, by acrylonitrile butadiene (NBR) rubber and other chemically stable polymer solutions. Better yet, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber has made large inroads here, with its synthetic material backbone performing as a superior defence against chloramine penetration. Basically, EPDM water supply gaskets won’t fail when harsh chemical additives attack crucial infrastructural lines.

Toxic Sewerage Systems 

If this noxious discharge penetrates a substandard seal, it’ll impact the ecosystem. The soil above the leak then becomes a stinky swamp while the effluent load makes its way towards the local water table. A healthy mains water grid simply can’t afford that kind of damage. To make sure this threat never becomes a reality, we use the toughest, most chemically toughened sealing materials. EPDM is again the tried-and-trusted nominee here, for this synthetic rubber is extremely durable, even when the wastewater discharge is packed with nasty acids and reactive chemical compounds. Notably, however, EPDM gaskets are not suited for petrochemical applications. That one drawback isn’t likely to trouble a regular wastewater line, not unless some reckless individual decides to pour motor oil down into the drainage channels.

Styrene Butadiene and neoprene are the preferred polymer solutions when the gaskets are expected to handle average water supply issues and corresponding sewage loads. Still, should the soil conditions and wastewater problems call for something tougher, EPDM is the steadfast gasketing candidate, one that will withstand every water-bound contaminant and every wastewater toxin.