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Why Polyurethane is the Preferred Material for Gaskets

urethane gaskets

Many industries are turning to polyurethane parts for a variety of applications. Polyurethane offers many unique advantages over conventional materials such as rubber.  Urethane products deliver excellent product longevity and versatility as well as superior heat, chemical, and impact resistance. Urethane is quickly becoming the preferred material for parts that need to perform reliably and endure intense applications. Gaskets is one application where polyurethane stands out from the competition.

What Are Polyurethane Gaskets?

A gasket creates a seal between two parts.  It stops dirt, gas, dust, or fluid from leaking out of, or into, the parts it joins.  Gaskets fill the gap between two objects to prevent leakage and act as a vibration dampener while under compression. This is accomplished even when temperatures or pressures change or when applied to imperfect mating surfaces. A proper sealing gasket will prevent leaks and is flexible enough to fill any physical irregularities between the surfaces being sealed. Gaskets must not only ensure a tight seal, but also be durable enough to hold up in a wide range of applications and operating conditions.

Many industries make use of gaskets within their engine technology and manufacturing processes, including the food processing, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and military sectors. Though simple in appearance, gaskets play an essential role in an innumerable number of applications. A poor quality or ill-fitting gasket could cause chronic leaks or failures, resulting in a catastrophic impact on a product or process – so gaskets are vital to many sectors.

Gaskets come in a variety of designs, sizes, thicknesses, and materials.  The final material and design of a gasket will depend on its application, but in general, the benefits of urethane gaskets far outweigh those made of rubber or other materials.

Benefits of Polyurethane Gaskets

Polyurethane is the toughest of all elastomeric materials and is the preferred material for gaskets due to its ultra-high strength and durability under pressure. Below are several key reasons why polyurethane is the preferred material for gasket applications.

  • Highly Flexible In A Variety of Temperatures: polyurethane gaskets are well-known for their ability to conform to the shape of their application, withstand changing weather conditions, and remain flexible across a wide range of temperatures.  Urethane gaskets, unlike rubber, can be formulated to remain flexible in arctic-like conditions and to withstand fluctuations in temperature, from -90°F to 250°F.  PSI’s standard formulas will remain flexible at -40°F on the Bell Brittle Test.
  • Extremely Durable: an excellent choice for even the most severe applications, precision cast urethane is one of the strongest, toughest and most durable materials on the market. This translates to less down time for your machinery and higher production rates.
  • Strong Abrasion Resistance: abrasion resistance is a material’s ability to resist wear caused by friction, a condition that is inherent to most gasket applications. Urethane is the most abrasion-resistant of all elastomeric materials. When severe abrasion is a factor, PSI’s products have been known to outwear other materials like rubber.
  • Resistant to Natural Elements and Chemicals: polyurethane gaskets are resistant to various chemicals including oils and acids. Polyurethane can also withstand changing weather conditions such as wet, damp, or dry, and are more resistant to sunlight and changing weather conditions than rubber. When submerged in water, PSI’s urethane gaskets will absorb almost no water.
  • High Load Bearing Capacity: to do their job effectively, gaskets must create a reliable seal, even under heavy vibration and intense pressure. Urethane has a markedly higher load bearing capacity than conventional rubber, which is an important characteristic to have for applications that are inherently high-stress and/or high-load.
  • Longevity: when compared to precision cast urethane gaskets, rubber gaskets degrade more over time and often need more frequent replacement. For this reason, polyurethane gaskets typically outlast rubber gaskets and lead to higher operations productivity.
  • Range of Durometers: at PSI, we produce urethane material from “OO” to “D” scale to provide our customers with the best hardness for their specific application. When formulated to 90 or 95A durometer, rubber can have compromised physical properties. This could pose a serious problem when it comes to making sure gasket seals are secure, strong, and reliable. Urethane, on the other hand, will maintain its advantageous physical properties and superior performance characteristics regardless of its hardness.
  • Custom Formulas: the experts at PSI tailor-make precision cast urethane gaskets to meet the specifications of your industry.  Nearly every detail can be customized including the tooling or sheet size, durometer, thickness, color, as well as special features like chamfers, steps, tapers, and bonding to substrates.

Would your product benefit from the durability, strength, and reliability of polyurethane gaskets?

Contact the professionals at PSI to learn more about our custom solutions for polyurethane gaskets.

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PSI Urethanes’ Polyurethane Gaskets

More and more companies are discovering that urethane parts offer distinct and attractive advantages over conventional rubber parts, and that includes gaskets. The characteristics that can be customized include:

  • Various Sizes: we cut gaskets from precision urethane sheets that can be produced in thicknesses of .010″ to .375″ x 38.5 x 122.5. This allows for a good seal with less torque and less movement of parts. We also have a wide range of ID/OD tubes that can be machined and parted to fit your requirements.  Both of these options are great alternatives to making molds, however if neither of those options fulfill your needs, we also have the capability to provide molded product.
  • Thickness Tolerance: you can select a thickness tolerance as close as to ±0.001″, with ±.005″ to ±.010″ on our precision cast sheeting.
  • Range of Colors: choose our natural honey amber color or from one of our other standard colors of black, brown, orange, yellow, red, green, peach, white, blue and dark blue.
  • Various Durometers: at PSI, we produce urethane material from “OO” to “D” scale to provide our customers with the best hardness for their specific application.
  • FDA Approved Formulas: PSI’s precision cast urethane can be formulated to meet FDA wet or dry food application requirements.
  • Wax Options: if your gasket needs to have a pressure sensitive adhesive backing, precision cast sheets can also be manufactured without the use of any wax or mold release.  You can choose from having no wax on one or both sides, depending on your needs.
  • Customization: our team of experts are able to create application specific formulas to meet your exact needs. PSI carries a wide range of resins and curatives, that can be combined to give your part the longest life possible.

About PSI Urethanes

The team at PSI operate from our 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, which houses an extensive stock of polyurethane products. Our fully equipped manufacturing facility includes a versatile range of processing machinery, which allows us to work on unique, one-of-a-kind projects, as well as high volume components. Our in-house engineering, tooling, and custom mold shop, produces custom and stock production orders with exceptionally fast turn-around times. From conception to prototyping, to final production runs, our technical representatives and design engineers will work closely with your staff to meet your critical tolerances and specifications. You are guaranteed to receive experienced, professional, and personalized service from the first contact through your on-time delivery, with complete confidentiality and dedication to protecting your good name.

PSI Urethanes specializes in custom urethane products. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next project, or give us a call at 1-800-888-5156.