Difference between an ‘O’ ring and a gasket

Despite the fact that they are both used for sealing, gaskets and ‘O’ rings are actually quite distinct in their appearance and application. In order to avoid unnecessary cost and extended downtime, it is essential to specify the right type of seal for the job. Here, TRP Polymer Solutions explains the difference between gaskets vs ‘O’ rings.

In the engineering world, some sealing products appear to be interchangeable. However, in the case of ‘O’ rings and gaskets, these two distinctive seals have very specific uses that set them apart. Here is a brief overview of the differences to help with your decision-making process the next time you want to specify a gasket or ‘O’ ring for your sealing application.

Gaskets

Gaskets are used to seal connections between two flat-surfaced flanges or components in order to prevent leaking. A variety of elastomeric materials are used to manufacture gaskets, including Viton, EPDM, Nitrile and Neoprene – to name but a few. Gaskets are used across countless industries, such as pulp and paper, oil and gas and electric generation.

As a general rule of thumb, when any equipment is taken apart and reassembled the gaskets should be replaced. Commonly used as static seals, gaskets are available in a vast array of sizes and shapes and can be tailored to fit your specific needs.

At TRP Polymer Solutions, we offer high-performance gaskets, manufactured from high-grade materials, which are suited to specialist applications. For example, we have developed PTFE protected gaskets for chemical processing applications and FDA gaskets for food processing applications.

’O’ rings

‘O’ rings are generally circular in shape and are also available in a range of sizes and materials. Wherever machines require fluids to be contained and separated from other environments, ‘O’ rings will be utilised. In which case, ‘O’ rings will be found pressed between two of the machine’s components to create a seal.

Elastomeric ‘O’ rings work together with the glands within which they are installed. These glands, which are normally cut from the metallic hardware, work with the ‘O’ ring to form the seal. The ‘O’ ring and gland should ideally be designed at the same time to guarantee the best performance.

TRP Polymer Solutions manufactures a range of high-performance ‘O’ rings. We employ a selection of durable, high specification materials, including Perfluoroelastomer (FFKM), Fluoroelastomer (FKM) and Silicone. Our high-performance ‘O’ rings are available to AS-568A / BS1806 / BS ISO 3601-1 / BS ISO 3601-2 standard sizes and are supported by a large range of non-standard tooling.

Why choose TRP Polymer Solutions?

TRP Polymer Solutions’ technical experts have many years of experience developing and specifying high performance ‘O’ rings and gaskets and are only too happy to offer guidance and advice on material selection and product development. We aim to develop long-term relationships with our customers to enable us to enhance their product performance.

With our flexible production process, we are able to offer short lead times for both custom products and high-performance FFKM ‘O’ rings, with the ability to meet short prototype development targets. Speak to one of our experts today on 01432 268899 or email sales@trp.co.uk.

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