REINZ-AFM 5 A New Asbestos-Free Cylinder Head Gasket Material

This paper describes a new asbestos-free cylinder head gasket material where asbestos has not been replaced by the usual fiber alternatives but by a change in the basic material structure. In this concept, the metallic carrier or substrate plays an important role.

Structure and characteristics of the new gasket material, as compared to those of conventional, asbestos containing, cylinder head gasket materials, are discussed; this comparison shows that the asbestos-free material excels in terms of relaxation and torque retention. Finally, engine tests on the asbestos-free material are described which confirm the favorable relaxation characteristics and, therefore, prove that the material is highly suitable for non-retorque cylinder head gasket assemblies.