Speedy gasket replacement for vessels and heat exchangers

Introduced by Garlock Sealing Technologies, Graph-Lock joint sealant helps to avoid costly downtime associated with prefabricated gaskets. The joint sealant is a stainless steel foil and carbon fibre reinforced yarn encapsulated in graphite and is available on spools in lengths of 8 and 15 m. The product is designed to be applied to a sealing face and joined with a skive cut – even gasket ribs can be made by overlapping joints and pressing together. A highly compressible material that never hardens or dries, sections are available as square semi-round and rectangular. On compression a homogeneous mass forms at the joint providing a highly efficient seal at temperatures up to 1,000°C and pressures up to 310 bar. Typical applications include shell and tube heat exchangers, particularly where they are positioned in confined spaces. The system avoids the need to remove the tube bundle as there is no need to pass the tubes through the gasket as with conventional metallic gaskets. Removal of the head and slackening of the tubesheet to access the shell seal face is generally all that is required saving many hours of plant down time.