Flange Free™ Anti-Stick FAQ's
1. What is the Garlock Flange Free™ anti-stick made of? Is it safe?
The Flange Free™ anti-stick is a propriety anti-stick material that has been developed by Garlock engineering to specifically address gasket adhesion issues with flanges. The material is an inorganic formulation that is resistant to very high temperatures (well over the rating of the gaskets themselves) and is also very chemically resistant.
The Flange Free ™ anti-stick coating is very safe and an MSDS can be located here.
2. Will Flange Free™ anti-stick make my gaskets blow out more easily?
No. Testing has been performed specifically to answer this question. In our testing, which was performed in standard ASME serrated flanges, gaskets blew out at pressures equal to the uncoated gaskets.
3. How can I tell if there is Flange Free™ anti-stick on my gaskets?
Simply wipe your hand on the sheet and sheen should appear on your hand indicating that the sheet was properly coated. Some customers have used cloth materials in the past to wipe sheets and determine if anti-stick was present. The new Flange Free™ remains on the sheet and resists being wiped away.
4. Is Flange Free™ anti-stick fire safe?
Yes. It is an inorganic material that will not oxidize when exposed to flame, nor will it support flame.
5. Will Flange Free™ anti-stick on my gaskets cause the gaskets to crush more easily?
Garlock recommends a maximum compressive stress of 15,000 psi on our fiber-based and GYLON® products. Testing showed that the gaskets were not crushed (split and extruded) when tested to stresses above 15,000 psi. Testing of gaskets coated with grease based anti-seize products, however demonstrated crush at approximately half the load.
6. How much additional will Flange Free™ anti-stick cost for my gasketing?
Flange Free™ anti-stick is applied to all Garlock Extreme Grade gasketing products at no additional charge. Garlock is proud to supply the best available gasket technology for resistance to flange adhesion and is happy to do so at no additional charge.
7. I use a grease based anti-seize on my gasketing material. Is that ok?
No! Grease based anti-seize products can attack gasket binders, can cause the gasket to crush much more easily, can cause foreign material to enter the process, can cause premature blow-out and can cause poor sealability between the gasket/flange interface.
8. What causes gaskets to stick to flanges?
Garlock has conducted extensive research into what makes gaskets stick to flanges, and determined that the rubber binders used in fiber gaskets act as visco-elastic materials that tend to flow at elevated temperatures and pressures. As the binders ‘wet out’ and make intimate contact with the metallic face of the flange, chemical adhesion, mechanical interlocking and other modes of adhesion come into play. As a result, removing such gaskets can be a tedious and laborious task that can damage equipment and consume unnecessary labor hours. The amount of time spent on cleaning flanges can be significant, and in many services, the plant must remain off-line longer while the gaskets are removed, creating a loss of production time.
*For any other questions, please contact Garlock application engineering at 1-800-448-6688 or email us at gasketapp@garlock.com.
The Flange Free™ anti-stick is a propriety anti-stick material that has been developed by Garlock engineering to specifically address gasket adhesion issues with flanges. The material is an inorganic formulation that is resistant to very high temperatures (well over the rating of the gaskets themselves) and is also very chemically resistant.
The Flange Free ™ anti-stick coating is very safe and an MSDS can be located here.
2. Will Flange Free™ anti-stick make my gaskets blow out more easily?
No. Testing has been performed specifically to answer this question. In our testing, which was performed in standard ASME serrated flanges, gaskets blew out at pressures equal to the uncoated gaskets.
3. How can I tell if there is Flange Free™ anti-stick on my gaskets?
Simply wipe your hand on the sheet and sheen should appear on your hand indicating that the sheet was properly coated. Some customers have used cloth materials in the past to wipe sheets and determine if anti-stick was present. The new Flange Free™ remains on the sheet and resists being wiped away.
4. Is Flange Free™ anti-stick fire safe?
Yes. It is an inorganic material that will not oxidize when exposed to flame, nor will it support flame.
5. Will Flange Free™ anti-stick on my gaskets cause the gaskets to crush more easily?
Garlock recommends a maximum compressive stress of 15,000 psi on our fiber-based and GYLON® products. Testing showed that the gaskets were not crushed (split and extruded) when tested to stresses above 15,000 psi. Testing of gaskets coated with grease based anti-seize products, however demonstrated crush at approximately half the load.
6. How much additional will Flange Free™ anti-stick cost for my gasketing?
Flange Free™ anti-stick is applied to all Garlock Extreme Grade gasketing products at no additional charge. Garlock is proud to supply the best available gasket technology for resistance to flange adhesion and is happy to do so at no additional charge.
7. I use a grease based anti-seize on my gasketing material. Is that ok?
No! Grease based anti-seize products can attack gasket binders, can cause the gasket to crush much more easily, can cause foreign material to enter the process, can cause premature blow-out and can cause poor sealability between the gasket/flange interface.
8. What causes gaskets to stick to flanges?
Garlock has conducted extensive research into what makes gaskets stick to flanges, and determined that the rubber binders used in fiber gaskets act as visco-elastic materials that tend to flow at elevated temperatures and pressures. As the binders ‘wet out’ and make intimate contact with the metallic face of the flange, chemical adhesion, mechanical interlocking and other modes of adhesion come into play. As a result, removing such gaskets can be a tedious and laborious task that can damage equipment and consume unnecessary labor hours. The amount of time spent on cleaning flanges can be significant, and in many services, the plant must remain off-line longer while the gaskets are removed, creating a loss of production time.
*For any other questions, please contact Garlock application engineering at 1-800-448-6688 or email us at gasketapp@garlock.com.
