Reusing Gaskets: The General Opinion of Reputable Gasket Suppliers
26 April 2022Different industries use a wide range of mechanical components to ensure that their tools and devices work perfectly. One of the components they use is a gasket.
Gaskets are mechanical components that can fill the space between two or more surfaces of a part or product. The primary purpose of these mechanical sealing products is to prevent leakage from or into the unified surfaces. Additionally, gaskets can stop intense vibration from affecting the functions of the involved part or product.
The Average Life of Gaskets
The average life of gaskets depends on various factors. These factors include their storage temperature, material, and surrounding conditions.
Gaskets can only last for a long time if they are stored in a location that has around 4 to 27 degrees Celsius. Moreover, their storage area must not be exposed to direct sunlight, chemical vapour, and excessive humidity. These elements, after all, can deteriorate the materials used for creating the gaskets.
And speaking of the materials, gaskets’ average life can likewise depend on their overall materials. Gaskets out of silicone and Viton have a proposed shelf life of 20 years, while those made from non-asbestos fibre, neoprene, EPDM, butyl, and nitrile can last between 5 and 10 years. Natural rubber and natural fibre gaskets, ultimately, have a recommended shelf life of up to 5 years.
As for their operations, gaskets’ service life can be negatively affected if they are exposed to ozone, light, heat, oxygen, humidity, oils, water, solvents, acids, and vapours.
Using Gaskets Repeatedly
The service life of gaskets that have already been used for specific applications is expected to decrease over time. Hence, reputable gasket suppliers would normally suggest that the gaskets not be utilised again once they have been used, even just for a short time.
Gasket suppliers, however, can permit the reuse of gaskets if they have not been exposed to heat. Gaskets that have not been exposed to any fluid can likewise be used again for other applications. Ultimately, industries can reuse their gaskets if their overall thickness and compressibility are still intact.
Gaskets that do not meet the mentioned qualities above cannot be reused since they will not be able to fill the space of the surfaces and save them from leakage issues. Gaskets that have been exposed to elevated temperatures, after all, can already deteriorate their material composition. And when heated, the gaskets may already stiffen up and get brittle. Gaskets that have been saturated with fluid, on the other hand, will only get swollen once they will be reused.
Purchase Quality Gaskets
Even though some gaskets can still be reused, the consensus among gasket suppliers is to never reuse a gasket. After all, the quality of used gaskets has already been affected by many factors. Using a new set of gaskets is much more recommended since they guarantee better sealing and minimal downtimes.
To purchase quality gaskets for your application, you can contact us at Gasketech.
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