Designing With the New Asbestos-Free Gasket Materials

A growing number of asbestos-free materials are being developed for use as direct substitutes for the ASTM F 104 Type 1 gasket materials. Using these materials in application opens up both opportunity and problem areas.

The scope of this paper is to point out the strengths, weakness, and potential opportunities involved with the new generation of asbestos-free products. The scope of this paper also includes those materials currently capable of being classified under ASTM F 104 designation as well as hard gaskets and exhaust gasket materials containing metallic members.