ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the gasket itself, the behavior of the joint from the viewpoint of the gasket, and the physical basis of gasket load limits. Gaskets were probably the earliest form of seal; they would have been used to seal early water ducts and simple pipelines. Gasketed flanged joints have long been highly standardized and are automatically supplied on most piping, valves, heat exchangers, pumps, etc. the chapter considers the diversity of gasket types available for use in bolted flanged joints. These can be grouped in the following broad categories: sheet gaskets, jacketed gaskets, flexible metal gaskets, and solid metal gaskets. A particularly important characteristic of gasketed joints is that the initial bolt load applied to the gasket is only partly concerned with controlling leakage. One stress-related factor that is particularly important for metal gaskets is the need to match, as far as practical, the thermal expansion of the gasket, the flanges, and the bolting.
