Common Valve Packing Materials and Their Service Temperatures

Valve packing materials play a crucial role in ensuring reliable sealing performance in industrial systems. Flexible graphite packing rings are widely used and can withstand service temperatures up to 600 °C, making them suitable for high-temperature environments. PTFE packing rings, on the other hand, are more appropriate for moderate applications, with a maximum service temperature of 200 °C.

For reinforced options, stainless steel wire combined with flexible graphite braided packing also offers durability and thermal resistance up to 600 °C. Expanded PTFE graphite tape braided packing provides enhanced flexibility but is limited to service temperatures of 250 °C. Traditional materials such as oil-impregnated asbestos rope and graphite-asbestos rope can operate in conditions up to 450 °C, offering economical solutions for certain applications, though their use is increasingly restricted due to health and safety considerations.

Common Valve Gasket Materials and Their Service Temperatures

Valve gasket materials vary significantly depending on the required temperature range and chemical compatibility. Rubber-based gaskets are generally used in low to medium temperature applications. Natural rubber can handle temperatures from -50 to 90 °C, while neoprene rubber extends the range to -40 to 100 °C. Nitrile rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) are suitable for -30 to 110 °C and -30 to 100 °C respectively. EPDM rubber, with a wider range of -40 to 130 °C, and fluororubber (FKM/Viton), with excellent resistance up to 200 °C, provide enhanced versatility. Asbestos rubber sheets can be used up to 300 °C, while synthetic fiber rubber accommodates a range of -40 to 200 °C.

For higher performance, PTFE gaskets are commonly applied at temperatures up to 200 °C, while composite gaskets combine metal and flexible graphite for superior durability. Low carbon steel with flexible graphite can withstand up to 450 °C, and stainless steel 304 with flexible graphite extends the capability to 650 °C. Jacketed gaskets made from pure aluminum sheet with asbestos rubber can operate at 200 °C, pure copper sheet with asbestos rubber up to 300 °C, and tin-plated or galvanized copper sheets with asbestos rubber up to 400 °C. Stainless steels such as 0Cr18Ni9, 00Cr19Ni10, and 00Cr17Ni14Mo2 when jacketed with asbestos rubber provide service temperatures up to 500 °C.

Wound gaskets also play an important role in sealing systems. 0Cr18Ni9 with special asbestos paper fiber can operate at 500 °C, while 0Cr17Ni14Mo2 with flexible graphite tape spiral wound gaskets withstand up to 650 °C. For applications requiring PTFE spiral wound gaskets, 00Cr17Ni14Mo2 can be applied within 200 °C. Composite serrated gaskets further extend performance, with 10 or 08 steel plus flexible graphite rated up to 450 °C, 0Cr13 plus flexible graphite up to 540 °C, and SS 304 plus flexible graphite up to 650 °C. SS 316 combined with PTFE serrated composite gaskets provides reliable performance up to 200 °C. Finally, PTFE with glass fiber reinforcement delivers excellent sealing properties in a wide range of temperatures, from -100 to 260 °C.

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