Chemical Engineering June 2010 - 50

Sealing Special Advertising Section
Peak performance from this new gasket material
Flexitallic's Thermiculite gasket material combines peak performance with
environmental safety, avoiding some of the drawbacks of graphite
T
he search for an
effective alternative
to traditional mineral
fiber material in sheet
gaskets has
often been
an exercise
in frustration.
Once-promising
graphite has shown mixed
results, especially at
higher temperatures
in oxidizing environments.
When the carbon
in graphite reacts with
atmospheric or process
oxygen to form carbon
dioxide (O2 (gas) +
C(solid) > CO2 (gas)), oxidation occurs.
In addition, naturally occurring impurities
cannot be refined from raw graphite, creating
another set of performance problems.
Some gasket manufacturers have
attempted to compensate by incorporating
oxidation-inhibitor additives into their
graphite-based products, but these stopgap
measures have been effective only at
delaying - not eliminating - the eventual
effects of time and temperature.
The most promising alternative to traditional
mineral fiber materials and graphite
has been Vermiculite-based materials.
Vermiculite is a hydrated lamellar mineral
composed of aluminium-iron magnesium
silicate. Unlike the traditional mineral fiber
(an aluminosilicate fiber) Vermiculite is
a plate structure: non-oxidizing, capable
of exfoliating, thermally stable and firesafe,
with broad chemical resistance and a
plate-shaped primary particle-all excellent
properties for gasket raw materials.
Flexitallic, a company with U.S. headquarters
in Deer Park, Texas and manufacturing
plants in the U.K. and China,
has used the remarkable properties of
Vermiculite to develop Thermiculite, a gasket
material that seals as effectively as traditional
mineral fiber materials and more
effectively than graphite without negative
consequences.
Thermiculite is composed of chemically
and thermally exfoliated Vermiculite, simulating
the structure of exfoliated graphite
with some notable exceptions - it maintains
integrity through a wide range of
temperatures, from moderate to extreme,
and it maintains broad chemical resistance
and freedom from oxidation. It is suitable
for replacing aramid fiber, glass fiber,
carbon fiber, PTFE and graphite in a wide
array of applications.
Thermiculite is available in a wide and
flexible array of configurations, from spiral-wound,
serrated metal and sheet gaskets
to braided packing.
www.flexitallic.com
Harness the power of
positive press.
Contact The YGS Group
at 717.399.1900 x100 or
learn more online at
www.theYGSgroup.com/reprints
The YGS Group is the authorized provider of
custom reprints from Chemical Engineering.
Custom reprints from
Chemical Engineering
could be one of the
smartest marketing
decisions you make.
50 ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com JUne 2010
Chem Eng_HalfHorz_bleed.indd 1
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http://www.flexitallic.com http://www.theYGSgroup.com/reprints http://www.Che.Com
Chemical Engineering June 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering June 2010
