Viton Full Face Gaskets: Ideal Uses and Applications

03 December 2018

Full face gaskets are wide enough to cover an entire flange. That means the ring starts at the edge of the flange face, moves in towards the internal pipe diameter, and thus covers the whole seal surface. Securing bolts pass through the gasket, so there’ll be bolt holes included on the die-cut material. Talking of materials, Viton is the selected base here, with its fluoroelastomer-backed features dispensing heat-resisting resilience. 

Outstanding Mechanical Performance

Applications include processing constructs that carry pressurized petroleum-based fluids. In large-scale pipes, oil refinery zones and fuel depot sections convey corrosive oils and fuels. In here, Viton type full face gaskets retain their sealing characteristics when they’re exposed to high pressures. Similarly, in chemical processing environments, the ring gaskets, compressed by circles of tightened fastener bolts, refuse to be impacted by dynamic state changing events, as encountered in catalyst-rich processing plants. 

Heat Resistance Applications

Heat exchangers use streams of pressurized steam to warm independently connected heating networks. Stack and tube configurations channel the steam in, the second stream of cooler water is warmed, and the system works its heat exchanging magic. Thanks to Viton’s high-temperature capabilities, full-face gaskets made from the fluoroelastomer perform grandly in boiler-side applications. If the steam is super-pressurized or carrying hundreds of degrees of thermal energy, it just won’t matter; the bolt-tightened Viton sealed flanges will safely and surely channel the super-hot (+200°C), super-pressurized fluid. Granted, a regular Viton gasket can also manage high-temperature fluids, but blowout dangers are more likely when these seals are selected. To manage high temperatures and higher pressures, the design engineer opts for a stronger, more resilient solution. And that’s where Viton full-face gaskets enter the scene. 

Chemically Based Heat Exchangers

Since Viton features moderate low-temperature capabilities (-20°C), let’s stick with the synthetic rubber’s heat-biased applications. In the above paragraph, heat exchanger technology was discussed, but the usage domain was strictly limited to hot water. That’s a popular and essentially important industry, but heat exchangers are also employed in the chemical processing sector. Efficiently isolating two or more chemical phases, Viton seals resist this triple threat. They contain heat, retain their mechanical form when high pressures flow, and they also handle incredibly corrosive chemical reagents. That three-way threat exists in chemically-based heat exchangers, so Viton full-face gaskets are also on-hand to manage the multiple fluid hazards. 

Skipping up a level, flanges assume raised faces. Meanwhile, flat-surface or full-faced gasketing applications demand a compressible but rigid material base. Cut with bolt holes, the fluoroelastomer isn’t weakened by those rings of fastening apertures. To the contrary, they function with reinforced heat and pressure resisting strength across countless industrial applications.

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