Gaskets are
fiber,
plastic or (soft)
metal sheets placed between two
mating surfaces to help seal a
mechanism either from internal
fluid or
gas
escaping or
foreign matter from
entering.
Just as a gasket is used to seal between two surfaces, and allow for
imperfect machining, gasket sealant may either be used alone to form
a seal, or to create an adhesive bond between the gasket and its mating
surfaces.
Gasket sealants are used in a wide variety of industrial, vehicular,
aerospace and other applications. Sealants need to be appropriate to the
intended service: chemically stable and not soluble in any fluid(s) they
are intended to seal.
Most sealants used in automotive application are similar to lacquers and use
alcohol solvents, the
reason being that these are insoluble in oil and water. Gasket sealants
contain various solids in either solution or suspension. The most common
sealants in automotive application include:
- Head Gaskets:
- Flame-ring type: Non hardening / high temperature sealant
- Copper type: No sealant or Non hardening, containing copper powder
Transmission case etc: hard or non hardening sealant, rubber sealant
Coolant Seals: hard or non hardening sealant, Silicon sealant