REDUCTION OF FUGITIVE EMISSIONS FROM BOLTED FLANGED CONNECTIONS BY USING PTFE BLENDED GASKET

Gasket is the key element which determines the tightness of bolted flanged connection. PTFE blended gaskets which have recently been developed and come onto the market have a superior sealing performance as well as the chemical and temperature resistances and can contribute to reduce fugitive emissions. This paper deals with the sealing behaviors of the PTFE blended gasket and the tightness of a bolted flanged connection in which the gasket is used. The gasket is mainly composed of PTFE and graphite and has a high tightness and heat resistance up to 300 degree C. The creep characteristic is improved by the graphite filler. In this paper, the estimation method of the tightness of bolted flanged connections based on the sealing behavior of gasket is demonstrated. The estimated results are validated by experiments using a flange connection. It is shown that the leak rate below the tightness class 4 defined in the Room Temperature Tightness Test (ROTT, Pressure Vessel Research Council) can be obtained using the PTFE blended gasket.