Heater Drain Tank Barrel Flange Gasket

Problem

Gasket failed on a Heater Drain Tank Barrel Flange at a nuclear plant. The flange is subjected to temperature cycling and vibration. It was discovered that there was insufficient load for the spiral wound gasket used at the time of failure. Temperature is 380 Deg F. Pressure is 200 psig. Failure of this gasket can disrupt turbine efficiency; therefore leakage of any kind is not tolerable.

Solution

Gasket was replaced with a flexible graphite Hochdruck (Style 6500) sheet material. The ability to seal at lower bolt loads than spiral wound gaskets along with the excellent sealability of Hochdruck graphite sheet proved to be a good choice for this application. Style 6500 is available in a Nuclear Grade sheet certified to meet Specification D50YP12.

Product Info

AP STYLE 6500