Design
WHY ARE GASKETS USED...?
Gaskets are used to create a static seal between two stationary members of a mechanical assembly and to maintain that seal under operation conditions which vary dependent upon changes in pressures and temperatures. If it were possible to have perfectly mated flanges and if it was possible to maintain intimate contact of these perfectly mated flanges throughout the extremes of operating conditions, a gasket would not be required.This is virtually an impossibility either because of :
It
follows then that in a properly designed gasket closure,
three major considerations must be taken into account in
order for a satisfactory seal to be achieved.
The selection of the gasket material must be such that it will withstand the pressures exterted against the gasket, satisfactory resist the entire temperature range to which the closure will be exposed and withstand corrosive attack of the confined medium.