Rubber/PVC Materials

Rubber is the most cost-effective material to use where temperatures and pressures are low and the chemical environment is mild. Different elastomers offer different mechanical and chemical properties. Cloth inserted materials are better able to handle movement and high compression loads.

Sponge

Neoprene, Nitrile, Silicone and Viton® are also available in sponge form. Closed cell sponge is available for applications requiring high compressibility. Open cell is available for cushioning applications where sealing is not an issue. The basic physical and chemical properties are the same as for the elastomers in the table above.

Material Temp. (F) P Max (psi) Thick. (in.) Applications/Features
Butyl -40 to 225 150 1/16 to 1/4 Gases, inorganic acids & alkalis. Excellent weather/abrasion resistance.
EPDM -40 to 212 150 1/16 to 1/4 Water, steam, animal/vegetable oils, oxygenated solvents. Excellent weather resistance.
Natural (Pure Gum) -20 to 140 100 1/32 to 1 Acids, organic salts & alkalis. Non-toxic. Abrasion resistant. Soft.
Neoprene -20 to 170 150 1/32 to 2 Oil/gasoline. Excellent weather resistance.
Neoprene - Cloth Inserted -20 to 170 150 1/32 to 1/4 Oil/gasoline. Excellent weather resistance. Handles movement. High tensile strength.
Nitrile (NBR, Buna-N) -25 to 170 150 1/32 to 2 Oil/Aromatic fuels, mineral, animal and vegetable oils, solvents and hydraulic fluid. Available in commercial, premium and FDA grades.
SBR (Red Rubber) -20 to 170 150 1/32 to 1/4 Air, hot/cold water.
SBR - Cloth Inserted -20 to 170 150 1/16 to 1/4 Air, hot/cold water, saturated/low pressure steam. Excellent for high compression loads. Handles movement.
Silicone to 400 150 1/32 to 1/4 High temperature air or water (not oil or steam). Soft. Available in FDA grade.
Vinyl 20 to 160 150 1/16 to 1/4 Water, oxidizing agents. Excellent weather/abrasion resistance.
Viton® to 400 150 1/32 to 1/4 Oil/Aromatic fuels, mineral, animal and vegetable oils, solvents and hydraulic fluid.

Non-Asbestos Materials

Non-Asbestos gasket materials enhance the temperature and pressure performance of rubber and vinyl by combining non-asbestos fibers with the rubber. Metal inserted materials are able to operate at even higher pressures. Non-Asbestos materials replace natural asbestos fibers in traditional gasket materials with various combinations of fiberglass, aramid, inorganic and synthetic fibers. Mercer carries Donex®, Durabla®, Garlock® and Thermoseal® (Klinger) & Victor Reinz® brands of non-asbestos gasket materials. These materials are available in thicknesses 1/64″ through 1/4″.

Material Max T (F) Max P (psi) Creep Relax'n (%) Applications/Features
Non-Asbestos/ EPDM 800 1200 15 Steam/oxygenated solvents/ mild organic acids/alkalis. Excellent aging properties.
Non-Asbestos/ Hypalon 400 900 40 Strong organic & inorganic acids/oils/aromatic hydrocarbons, powerful oxidizing agents.
Non-Asbestos/ Neoprene 800 1200 15 Fuel/oils. Good general purpose material.
Non-Asbestos/ Nitrile 800 1500 15 Steam/oil/fuel/solvent. Excellent general purpose material with wide chemical resistance.
Non-Asbestos/ Nitrile - Metal Inserted 850 2500 15 Hot gases. High load/stress environments. Available with galvanized low carbon steel foil or mesh insert.
Non-Asbestos/SBR 800 1500 15 Steam/industrial gases. Low pressure/temperature.

PTFE Based Materials

PTFE-based gasket materials are able to withstand significantly more aggressive chemical environments (including highly oxidizing environments) than standard non-asbestos gasket materials. However their temperature, pressure and mechanical performance is inferior to standard non-asbestos gasket materials. Metal inserted and expanded PTFE are able to operate at higher pressures. Mercer carries Garlock, Thermoseal and Gore-Tex brands of PTFE-based gasket materials. These materials are available in thicknesses 1/32″ through 1/4″.

Material Max T (F) Max P (psi) Creep Relax'n (%) Applications/Features
Pure PTFE 500 800 35 - 55 Excellent chemical resistance.
Filled PTFE 500 1200 11 - 40 Excellent chemical resistance.
Filled PTFE - Metal Inserted 500 2500 20 Excellent chemical resistance. 316 SS perforated core.
Expanded PTFE 600 3000 30 Excellent chemical resistance. Highly compressible.

Carbon and Graphite Materials

Carbon Fiber and Graphite Flake sheets are able to withstand significantly more aggressive chemical environments (other than powerful oxidizing environments) and higher pressures than standard non-asbestos gasket materials. Metal inserted materials are able to operate at even higher pressures. In reducing environments, pure graphite can handle up to 5000F. Mercer carries Garlock, Thermoseal and Grafoil brands of carbon and graphite based gasket materials. These materials are available in thicknesses 1/32″ through 1/4″.

Material Max T (F) Max P (psi) Creep Relax'n (%) Applications/Features
Carbon or Graphite/Nitrile 840 1900 20 Excellent for steam. Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents.
Carbon or Graphite/SBR 900 2000 14 Excellent for steam. Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents.
Pure Flexible Graphite 950 2100 5 Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents. Available laminated or homogeneous.
Pure Flexible Graphite - Metal Inserted 950 2800 7 Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents. Available with 316 SS Foil, Mesh or Tang Core. Available laminated or homogeneous.

Metals

Mercer fabricates solid or jacketed gaskets from any metal in any thickness. Below is a selection of the more popular metals and their performance characteristics.

Material Max T (F) Metals
Copper 600 Excellent for steam. Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents.
Brass 500 Excellent for steam. Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents.
GHL 212 Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents. Available laminated or homogeneous.
Grafoil ® 800 Excellent chemical resistance except powerful oxidizing agents. Available with 316 SS Foil, Mesh or Tang Core. Available laminated or homogeneous.
Titanium 1000 Similar strength to 300 series stainless, but tougher and much less dense. Excellent resistance to chloride solutions (sea water) and bleaching solutions.
Soft Iron, Low Carbon Steel 1000 Soft. Will corrode in water. Mostly used where immersed in liquid hydrocarbons.
Stainless Steel, Type 304 1000 A general-purpose, soft, corrosion-resistant, non magnetic stainless that will not harden under heat.
Stainless Steel, Type 316 1000 Not as strong as 304, but more corrosion-resistant in chemical solutions (except for a limited range of oxiding acids)
Stainless Steel, Type 321 1600 Stronger than 304. Used when similar performance to 304 is needed at higher temperatures.
Stainless Steel, Type 347 1600 More corrosion-resistant and harder than 321.
Stainless Steel, Type 410 1200 Commonly referred to as “Chrome”. This stainless will harden when heat-treated. It is highly magnetic, hard and strong, but not very corrosion-resistant.
Stainless Steel, Type 430 1400 More corrosion-resistant than 410, but will not harden when heat-treated. This stainless is soft and no stronger than 300 series stainless.
Nickel 1400 Exhibits good corrosion and erosion resistance at moderate temperatures.
Monel® 1500 A family of nickel/copper alloys that offer greater corrosion and erosion resistance than nickel alone. Particularly useful in sea water applications.
Inconel® 2000 A family of nickel/chromium alloys that are non-magnetic and take corrosion resistance to elevated temperatures.
Hastelloy® 2000 A family of Nickel/chromium/molybdenum alloys for use in highly aggressive chemical environments at elevated temper