Characteristics of non-asbestos gaskets at elevated temperatures and the estimation of the life of flange connections

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After the prohibition of the use of asbestos materials, PTFE-based gaskets are often employed in bolted flanged connections. The behavior of bolt force changes under thermal loading was experimentally examined. It is found that the bolt forces reduce at the first thermal loading due to the gasket flow. Once the gasket is settled, the bolt force changes depend on the difference of the thermal coefficients of flanges, bolts and gaskets.An analytical model of a bolted flanged connection, in which the flanges, the bolts and the gasket are represented by spring constants, is proposed. The residual bolt forces can be estimated based on the analytical model of the bolted flanged connection and the deformation characteristic of the gasket. The results can be applied to ensure the integrity of flanged connections.