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Equipment made of glass-lined steel is used when manufacturing or processing aggressive chemicals such as aniline derivatives and strong acids such as sulfuric, nitric or hydrochloric acid. The Achilles heel of such glass-lined systems is the gaskets needed to seal the joints between components. Exposure to aggressive media causes the seals to degrade over time, resulting in damage to equipment and posing a health risk to operators. Replacing the seals costs a great deal of time and effort, with a corresponding drop in production output.

Equipment made of glass-lined steel is used when manufacturing or processing aggressive chemicals such as aniline derivatives and strong acids such as sulfuric, nitric or hydrochloric acid. The Achilles heel of such glass-lined systems is the gaskets needed to seal the joints between components. Exposure to aggressive media causes the seals to degrade over time, resulting in damage to equipment and posing a health risk to operators. Replacing the seals costs a great deal of time and effort, with a corresponding drop in production output.

The European Standard EN 13555, updated in the summer of 2014, defines the sealing gasket design factors and test methods for round flange connections. This allows the comparison of the properties of gaskets. Among other things, the standard establishes a new definition of the maximum surface pressure. What changes does this bring for the operators of plants and what criteria should be considered in the selection of gaskets using the characteristic as per EN 13555?