Improving Flange Sealing and Gasket Performance with Liquid Gaskets

It’s a fact of life. While surface irregularities are the most frequent cause, other causes include:

• Gasket relaxation – compression set
• Gasket displacement/extrusion
• Flange bowing
• Flange deformation

No matter what the cause, there are two ways LOCTITE^® can help.

The Issues with Mechanical Gaskets

• Over time, they lose their elastic properties and become less resilient
• Continual pounding of the gaskets by the flanges causes a decrease in the gasket thickness, which can lead to leaks 
• Gaskets can be squeezed out between flanges by a combination of compression and internal pressure 
• Over-tightening of cover plates and bolt-holes can easily break/distort cut gaskets
• Finding replacement gaskets for older machinery can be impossible
• Gaskets do not always store well and can become brittle or get damaged while in storage, and keeping the right one for each equipment application can get costly

The Solution: LOCTITE Liquid Gaskets

All LOCTITE gasket solutions provide for reliable, leak-proof seals

• Will not settle, slip or relax - maintains fastener tension
• Fill all voids and gaps - preventing leaks and weeping
• Distribute stress evenly and will not crack or tear
• Require no re-torquing
• Prevent corrosion ensuring ease of disassembly
• Have excellent chemical resistance, high blowout resistance and are easy to apply

LOCTITE 518
Flexible, high-strength anaerobic gasketing material for use on rigid iron, aluminum and steel flanged mating surfaces. LOCTITE 518 features:

• Greater tolerance of surface contaminants for a more consistent cure
• Better flexibility for thinner, lighter weight flange designs
• Better gap cure seals flanges with reduced machining tolerances
• High performance on inactive metals without an activator

The Solution: LOCTITE Liquid Gaskets

All LOCTITE gasket solutions provide for reliable, leak-proof seals

• Will not settle, slip or relax - maintains fastener tension
• Fill all voids and gaps - preventing leaks and weeping
• Distribute stress evenly and will not crack or tear
• Require no re-torquing
• Prevent corrosion ensuring ease of disassembly
• Have excellent chemical resistance, high blowout resistance and are easy to apply

LOCTITE 518
Flexible, high-strength anaerobic gasketing material for use on rigid iron, aluminum and steel flanged mating surfaces. LOCTITE 518 features:

• Greater tolerance of surface contaminants for a more consistent cure
• Better flexibility for thinner, lighter weight flange designs
• Better gap cure seals flanges with reduced machining tolerances
• High performance on inactive metals without an activator

Anaerobic or Silicone? How to Pick the Right Gasket Sealant

Knowing the differences between the two major types of LOCTITE gasket sealants can help you select the right one for your application.

Just Select:

• Your flange type
• The gap size to be filled
• The temperature resistance required

Benefits of LOCTITE^® Gasket Sealants

With Henkel gasketing sealants, customers can be sure of:

• No shimming effect; controlled tolerances mean no need for re-torquing
• All voids filled, reducing the need for a fine surface finish of flanges
• Parts can be disassembled easily even after extended service
• Resistance to high pressure when fully cured
• Widely used as formed in place gaskets that produce leak proof seals between mating flanges
• Prevents leakage of moisture, gasses, fluids, or contaminants
• Remains a liquid when exposed to air, but cure when confined between mating flanges
• Provides a low cost, high quality alternative to moulded rubber, paper, metal and other hard gaskets

Henkel gasket sealant products can be applied manually or by automated methods such as tracing, stenciling, and screen-printing. These sealants are equally effective on a variety of metal surfaces, including aluminum, and most are resistant to petrol, oil, and other solvents.