Today we are going to discuss about how effective a silicone rubber gasket is for sealing applications. It is getting very popular nowadays in various industrial fields and is hot in demand. What is it that makes it so popular and why are people stating that silicone rubber gaskets are the best available option in the market when it comes to insulation. We are going to try to answer some of these questions today and help you take an informed decision when it comes to deciding on the type of gasket that you would want to use.
But before going deep into the topic let us first gather some basic information. Let us first start by trying to understand.
What is a gasket and what is it used for?
A mechanical seal that is fitted between the space created between two or more joining surfaces is known as a gasket. A gasket is used to prevent leakages to happen from or into the objects that have been joined together.
Is there any difference between packing and gasket?
Packing usually means covering the whole object or product and gasket is a seal that is placed between objects to prevent leakages. The best example for gasket is the gasket used in the cylinders for household purposes. The gasket attached with the regulator serves two purposes, first is sealing of the gas filled in the cylinder from leaking out and regulating the flow of the gas to the burner( that is done by the regulator).
Now let us look at the material from which the silicone rubber gasket is prepared. That is right we are going to understand a bit about silicon rubber.
What is Silicone Rubber
Silicone rubber is known to be a material that is like rubber and is made of silicone and polymer. This material are specifically made for industrial use as they are non-reactive, stable and is resistant to extreme environmental conditions and temperature starting from -55 degree C to around 300 degree C and still does not lose its core properties. That means in spite of being used in such varied conditions and temperature this material dose not lose its shape, texture and does not get brittle or snaps off. That is why silicone rubber gasket is known to be best for using as insulation for various objects in industrial environment.
How did silicon rubber come into use?
The search for a more flexible and better insulating material for electric motors and generators drove us to develop the firs silicone insulator. The earlier used insulators which were made of resin-impregnated glass fibers was good but was not not up to the mark as glass was heat resistant but when it came to phenoic resins they could not endure high temperature. So although the material
was god for medium temperature levels, it used to fail in higher temperatures and was not fit for using in various levels. So the search for a material that could withstand varied degree of temperature started. After some research it was found that either organic rubber could be used or silicone rubber could be another option that can be tested for making gaskets. When the testing was done for organic rubber there were many flaws that were found which were not available in silicone rubber and that is when we found silicone rubber and started using them for insulation purposes.
Why silicone rubber and not organic rubber?
Severe testing at varied temperature proved that silicone rubber provides a much better and superior resistance to extreme conditions than organic rubber. That is possible because of some of the properties like elongation, creep, cyclic flexing, tear strength, compression set, dialectic strength specifically at high voltage, fire resistance and thermal conductivity that are found in silicone rubber and are not there in the organic rubbers. That is why organic rubbers get brittle after being used constantly in different normal weather conditions of heat and cold and is not fit for insulation purposes.
One more reason for silicone rubber being the best alternative is that it is highly inert and is not reactive to most of the chemicals. Its chemical stability prevents it from subtracting the substances that it is in contact with, for example water, blood, skin, ingredients that are active) Due to this features it is preferred to be used in chemical factories, industrial areas and hospitals and laboratories.
Defining silicone rubber gasket
These are high performance mechanical seals that have extraordinary resistance to extreme temperature. Silicon rubber gaskets can be used to prevent leakages in different types of applications.
Silicone rubber gasket is made of synthetic elastomer which has got wonderful non sticking and electrical insulation properties. Doesn't matter whether it is high or low temperature, it is able to maintain its flexibility and compression at all levels. That is why it is preferred in extreme weather and environmental conditions which can vary from -70 degree C to +250 degree C.
Apart from the resistance to temperature it is flexible and also lasts long without getting brittle or damaged. It is seen that it is very cost effective and it comes in various shapes and sizes. So you can use it for insulating various objects.
What are the key features of silicone rubber gaskets?
Here are a few features of the gasket which would kindle your interest
can withstand extreme temperature ( -70 Degree C to +25 Degree C)
Has got good release properties
Fantastic heat resistance and electrical insulation properties found
Standard shore hardness is 60 degree plus/minus 5 degree.
Comes in various shapes and sizes
Available in various colors
Flexible
Long lasting
Durable
Conclusion
Times have changed and industrial safety has become the buzz word nowadays. Let it be an ISO certification or any standardized certification that you need to acquire for for your factory the first thing that will be noticed is whether your equipment are safe or not. Whether they are tightly fastened and wherever needed the insulation is done properly or not. Any small gap or carelessness can account to a big disaster which can be very fatal and can amount to loss of life and irrecoverable damages. That is why the safety inspectors make sure that insulators and gaskets that are used in factories and industrial areas ( specially chemical factories and or factories where there is varied degree of high or low temperature) the right material is used for insulation and gasket. With so many advantages and features it can be very safely said that silicone rubber gasket is the best option available for use in the market at present.