Session: CT-01-01 Design and Analysis of Bolted Flange Joints

Paper Number: 61730

Start Time: Thursday, July 15, 2021, 09:00 AM

61730 - High Temperature Aged Leakage Relaxation Screening Tests on Confined Flexible Graphite Gaskets 

Flexible graphite based gasket are used extensively in high temperature application as a replacement of asbestos based gaskets. The effect of aging and temperature exposure of flexible graphite sheet gaskets was the subject of a previous work by Derenne et al., however the effect when flexible graphite is in a confined gasket configuration is not known.
This study outlines the performance evaluation of the elevated temperature behavior of flexible graphite based gaskets under a confined configuration and long exposure time by means of HALR (High temperature Aged Leakage Relaxation) fixture. This ARLA-like HALR can retain the mechanical feature of the ATRS/HATR while allowing the cold leakage rate and weight loss measurement. Four different confined gasket configurations, namely corrugated metal, spiral wound, kammprofile and double jacketed, are evaluated within a temperature range of 800 to 1100 °F and exposure time of 2500 hours. Graphite weight loss, gasket thickness change, leakage and tightness parameter, creep and relaxation measurements were taken at regular intervals for each gasket styles. To better understand the aging process, These critical mechanical and leakage properties are scrutinized; the degradation process related to mainly graphite oxidation is further discussed, and a conclusion is drawn.

Keywords: Aging, temperature exposure, confined flexible graphite, degradation and oxidation, High temperature Aged Leakage Relaxation (HALR).

Presenting Author: Shubhra Kanti Das École de technologie supérieure

Authors:

Abdel-Hakim Bouzid École de technologie supérieure
Shubhra Kanti Das École de technologie supérieure