Flexible graphite seals are touted as the best new seal and gasket product in the last 10 years, according to distributors selling the product in sheets, packing and cut seals. The products are very-high-heat resistant and, in static applications, can outlast the parts they are joining...

...Flexible graphite was introduced in the '80s as a substitute for asbestos but was prohibitively expensive, said Jerry Whitlock, also known as "The Seal Man™." Whitlock, owner of EPM, Inc., in Stockbridge, Ga., concurs about prices and material performance. Prices are coming down due to universal acceptance of the material and a plethora of Asian suppliers, he said. "I receive solicitations nearly every day from Chinese flexible graphite manufacturers wanting to sell to EPM," he said. "Low labor costs and low-tech manufacturing methods ... are driving the price down."

Graphite has low-torque bolting requirements and has a tendency to fill voids and other imperfections on the flange face, he said. Unsupported flexible sheet is fragile, however. A stainless steel foil laminate or Mylar™ inserts are used to strengthen sheets. Seal distributors find the most uses for flexible graphite in steam power generation and other steam systems, process industries, boiler rooms, and other pressure vessel gasketing applications, Whitlock said. Automotive applications appear to be an up-and-coming sales area for flexible graphite gaskets, he said. "We have successfully used it in high-performance internal combustion engines - like racing cars," Whitlock added.