We recently received a request from a customer who required a chemically resistant gasket for a laboratory ventilation system and they presented us with a list of thirteen chemicals that this gasket would need to seal at temperatures up to 250 F. Upon first review we thought that Viton (Fluoroelastomer) would be the ideal material. However, in analyzing the list of chemicals we realized that Viton was not compatible with oxygenated ketones, one of Viton’s few weaknesses. We then started to investigate using PTFE (Teflon) but quickly realized that the PTFE would not hold up against acetates at 250 F.
The next material that we investigated was flexible graphite. We determined that graphite was the best material for this application and would perform well as a gasket in sealing our customer’s list of chemicals. This material was readily available and we were able to ship parts the next day allowing our customer to meet his tight schedule.
We love being challenged, so please contact us with your design specifications and we will work to find a timely and economical solution.