Designing with Thermal Insulating Gasketing and Gasketing Systems

In fluid sealing and non-fluid sealing gasket applications, the ultimate user aim may be reducing heat transfer. Material choices range from cellulose to asbestos (and asbestos substitutes), ceramics, cork, and fiberboard, engineering plastics, synthetic fibers, blends, and both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ composites. Engineering textbooks give conductance values of some materials, generally under free-state conditions, and non-elevated temperatures. In design gasketing, however, additional details on these and other factors may be required.