20/07/2023, 15:12 Gaskets for Strong Caustic Service I Canada Rubber Group

Sk

Gaskets for Strong Caustic Service

Home / Blog / Gaskets for Strong Caustic Service

In a recent blog, we looked at selecting gaskets for strong acid service. Strong acids and bases (alkalies, or caustics) are
commonly found corrosive substances. In this blog, we look at how to choose gaskets for strong caustic service.

Caustics are essentially bases dissolved in water. A base is a substance that can accept a hydrogen ion from another
substance. Strong bases give off a hydroxide ion (OH-) when dissolved in water, forming alkaline solutions with a pH greater
than 7.0. Strong alkalies, or caustics, include sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), calcium hydroxide
(CaOH2), and others. These strong caustics have very high pH values. Because strong caustics are aggressive compounds
that are extremely corrosive, achieving effective seals in applications which use these substances can be challenging.

Strong caustics are often used in applications within the following industries:

Pulp and paper

Textiles
Soap and detergents

Bleach manufacturing Canada Rubber Group

Petroleum products Our live chat is offline right now,
Aluminum production
Please note that we are a custom products
Chemical processing manufacturer specifically focused on
Business-to-Business supply, serving
Purchasers, Engineers, Owners and Project
Choosing the right gasket for strong caustic service is important since seals that cannot withstand the aggressive chemical
Teams.
attack will likely fail, causing leaks and possible personal injury.
Please leave us a message including your name,
email
Gasket materials that can be used to produce gaskets for strong caustic service address,
include the the name of your organization,
following:
and your gerenal requirements, and we'll get in
touch via email during our regular business
EPDM rubber. This elastomer offers good resistance to ozone, steam,hours!
strong acids and alkalies, but is not
suitable for solvents and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Write a reply...
Fluoroelastomer (FKM). This elastomer is a fluorinated hydrocarbon which offers excellent resistance to
acids, alkalies, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and many aggressive chemicals. It is not suitable
Chat byfor amines,
Drift
esters, ketones or steam. Viton® is a brand of fluoroelastomer developed by DuPont. Viton® GF-S material
demonstrates excellent resistance to strong caustics. Following immersion in a 30 percent potassium
hydroxide solution for 1 week at 100°C, this polymer exhibited high retention of properties and low volume
swell, even versus a dedicated base resistant TFE / Propylene copolymer.

PTFE**.** PTFE has extremely wide chemical resistance - PTFE gaskets are attacked only by molten alkali
https://www.canadarubbergroup.com/en-ca/blog/gaskets-for-strong-caustic-service 1/3
20/07/2023, 15:12 Gaskets for Strong Caustic Service I Canada Rubber Group

metals and fluorine gas. PTFE gaskets also have high compressibility, which allows them to conform well to
flange surface irregularities. While these gaskets are easy to handle, have low permeability and an extremely
low coefficient of friction, the material can be prone to relaxation and creep. To avoid issues with relaxation
and creep, CRG manufactures PTFE gaskets using the following materials:

Restructured manufactured PTFE sheet.Restructured manufactured sheet is now the preferred

gasket material for strong caustic service where the operating temperature is less than 204.4°C
(400°F). Restructured PTFE sheet will do an excellent job in these applications. CRG uses Tealon™ TF
1570, TF 1580, and TF 1590 restructured PTFE gasket material for moderate and strong
caustic service. Tealon™ sheet, manufactured by Teadit North America, is a premium quality
restructured sheet that is the exact material equivalent of Gylon®. The unique manufacturing process
for Tealon™ results in a sheet that has less creep and cold flow than that normally associated with
PTFE gasket material.
Multi-directionally expanded PTFE sheet.CRG supplies gaskets manufactured from Teadit 24SH
sheet. 24SH gasket sheet is manufactured by expanding 100% virgin PTFE using a proprietary process
that produces a uniform and highly fibrillated microstructure with equal tensile strength in all directions.
The resulting product exhibits characteristics significantly different than conventional PTFE sheet. This
style is much softer and more flexible than regular PTFE sheet and thus conforms easily to irregular
and rough surfaces. In addition, the material is easier to compress and minimizes creep and cold flow.
Gaskets made from 24SH sheet will seal all aggressive chemicals over the entire 0-14 pH range,
except for molten alkali metals and elemental fluorine.

CRG can supply gaskets produced from EPDM, FKM (including Viton®), PTFE, or other materials especially designed to
handle strong caustic service. If you have a strong caustic application, our sales team will be pleased to review your needs and
discuss the material options available. Contact our sales team directly at crg@canadarubbergroup.com.

Previous Next

Related articles on CRG

Canada Rubber Group

Our live chat is offline right now,

Please note that we are a custom products

manufacturer specifically focused on
Business-to-Business supply, serving
Purchasers, Engineers, Owners and Project
Non-Asbestos Gaskets
Teams.

Please leave us a message including your name,

email address, the name of your organization,
and your gerenal requirements, and we'll get in
touch via email during our regular business
hours!

Write a reply...

Chat by Drift

Non-Metallic Gaskets

https://www.canadarubbergroup.com/en-ca/blog/gaskets-for-strong-caustic-service 2/3
20/07/2023, 15:12 Gaskets for Strong Caustic Service I Canada Rubber Group

A Quick Guide to Performance Sheet Rubber Materials

Contact Information Location

crg@canadarubbergroup.com 405 Lake Road

1.800.668.0646 Bowmanville, L1C 4P8

© 2023 - Canada Rubber Group Careers Privacy Policy Accessibility Plan

Canada Rubber Group

Our live chat is offline right now,

Please note that we are a custom products

manufacturer specifically focused on
Business-to-Business supply, serving
Purchasers, Engineers, Owners and Project
Teams.

Please leave us a message including your name,

email address, the name of your organization,
and your gerenal requirements, and we'll get in
touch via email during our regular business
hours!

Write a reply...

Chat by Drift

https://www.canadarubbergroup.com/en-ca/blog/gaskets-for-strong-caustic-service 3/3