Gasket Materials Guide
In short: choose a gasket material by matching three things to your application — temperature, pressure, and the media (chemical or fluid) it must seal — then confirm any compliance requirement (food, potable water, flame, aerospace). As a quick rule: soft rubbers, cork and paper suit low-pressure, low-temperature duties; non-asbestos fibre (CNAF) and PTFE handle higher pressures and aggressive chemicals; graphite, mica, ceramic and spiral-wound gaskets take over above ~450–500°C. Use the guide below — or tell us your spec and we’ll match it from 1,200+ in-stock grades.
A general guide to gasket materials; their properties and applications.
Let’s first look at some unit conversions:
1 bar = 14.5 psi = 100,000 N/m² = 100,000 pascals (Pa) 0°C = 32°F · 0 K = −273.15°C
How to choose a gasket material
Low pressure (under 1 bar / 14.5 psi), below 100°C (212°F)
- Lids and dust seals: foam rubber
- Mineral oils only: paper or cork
- Water, other liquids or gas present: rubber
- Food, electrical or chemical duty: special rubber or PTFE
- Good flanges and bolt loading: non-asbestos jointing
Low pressure, 100–220°C (212–428°F)
- Special rubbers or PTFE; or non-asbestos jointing where flanges and bolt loading are good.
High pressure and temperatures above 220°C (428°F) — up to 450°C (842°F), steam to 230°C (446°F)
- Non-asbestos jointing first; graphite for process cycling and steam. See Understanding Gasket Pressure and Operating Temperature.
Special applications
- Above 450°C with no oxygen present: graphite
- Extreme temperature, low pressure (e.g. turbochargers): mica
- Extreme conditions in pipework: spiral-wound gaskets
- Food-quality or pharmaceutical-grade where required
Specifying Gasket Material By Function
The following table, which gives a useful guide to specifying gasket materials by their uses, might also be helpful:
| Function | Material Types | Applications | Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti Vibration | Rubber | Neoprene | Nitrile | Cork | Electronic | Electrical Motors | Industrial Plant Machinery | Automotive | Aerospace and Defence |
| Flame Retardant | Silicone Foam – UL94, HT-800, HT-6360 | FPC, Fireblock Material | EC 2130 (Flame rated EMI) | R10400M (Flame rated Silicone Foam) | Residential and commercial lighting gaskets | Commercial Signage | Commercial cooking equipment and ventilation | Enclosure gaskets | Industrial Controls | Handheld Electronics | Rugged Cushion Pads | Flame rated EMI gaskets| Telecommunications Base Stations | FAR 25.853 – an FAA Flame test for aircraft interiors. Materials must be self-extinguishing under the vertical burn test |
| Dust | Poron® | Silicone Foam | Neoprene Foam | Clean Rooms | HEPA Filters | HVAC/air handling | LCD Displays | Touch Panel displays | Portable Electronics | Compression Cycling | Temperature | Outgassing | Cushioning | Test Requirements – Common testing for Dust applications include; NEMA Type 1, IP5X and IP6X (IP50 and IP60 have no water sealing requirements) |
| High Temperature | Rubber Materials – Urethane (less than 121⁰C) | Natural Rubber (less than 121⁰C) | Neoprene (less than 149⁰C) | Nitrile (less than 149⁰C) | EPDM (less than 204⁰C) | Fluorosilicone (204⁰C – 260⁰C) | Fluorocarbon (204⁰C-260⁰C) | Silicone (204⁰C-260⁰C) Higher Temperature Composite Materials – Non-asbestos jointing (Klinger Flexitallic etc;) | Ceramic Fibre (up to 1000⁰C) | Firefly (up to 1000⁰C) | Graphite (up to 450⁰C) | Metallic Gaskets (Spiral Wounds/Ring type joints) | Any application where heat is above ambient temperature. Composite gaskets and metallic considered when high temperatures and subsequent high pressure are involved | Heat aging is critical with rubber products as heat aging will gradually degrade all elastomers. The following testing all have heat aging requirements. ASTM D 1056 | ASTM D 573 | UL 50 | UL 48 | UL 508 | UL 157 |
| FoodSafe, FDA, Antimicrobial | Platinum Cured Silicone | Silicone Rubber/Foam | EPDM (white/blue) | Natural Rubber (white) | PTFE | Nitrile (white) | WRAS approved EPDM (potable water) | WRAS approved Aramid Fibre | PTFE Sheet Jointing | Nitrile Sheet Jointing BS7531 Grade Y | Food Manufacturing | Food Processing Plants | Pharmaceutical Machinery | Clean rooms | Just because it is white or blue in colour doesn’t mean it is food safe. FDA approved materials and FoodSafe approved materials EU 19235:2004 | FDA 21 CFR | USP Class VI | NSF/ANSI Standard 51 | Mil-STD 810 | EN1186 |
| Electrical | Nitrile Cork | Nebar Cork | Neoprene Cork | Polyethylene Foam | EPDM Foam | Silicone Rubber | EMI Shielding Rubber | Transformer gaskets | Oil and Water Tanks | IP rating (ingress protection) | IP Rating | NEMA | UL / IP rating | (See above Environmental Gasket Column) |
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose the right gasket material? Match three factors to your application — temperature, pressure and the media it must seal — then confirm any compliance requirement such as food contact, potable water, flame retardancy or aerospace.
What gasket material is best for food or pharmaceutical use? Platinum-cured silicone, white or blue EPDM, PTFE and WRAS-approved EPDM (potable water), confirmed to standards such as FDA 21 CFR, USP Class VI and NSF/ANSI 51. Colour alone (white or blue) does not make a material food-safe.
Which gasket material suits high temperatures? It depends on the level: EPDM to ~204°C, silicone and fluorocarbon to ~260°C, graphite to ~450°C, and ceramic or Firefly materials up to ~1000°C.
What is the best material for anti-vibration? Rubber, neoprene, nitrile or cork, depending on load and environment.
What material seals low-pressure dust or enclosure gaps? Poron, silicone foam or neoprene foam.
Specifying material for a production requirement? Use the Material Selector or contact our technical team for a traceable recommendation.