Sanitary gaskets play a pivotal role in various industries, particularly in food, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology, where maintaining a hygienic and leak-free environment is crucial. These gaskets are used to seal connections between pipes, fittings, and equipment to prevent contamination and ensure the integrity of the system. There are several types of sanitary gaskets, each designed for specific applications and differing in terms of materials, shapes, and sealing mechanisms.

The important role played by gaskets can be underestimated despite the risk of plant stoppages or even product contamination when gaskets are incorrectly specified or maintained.  Gaskets are included in the wetted components of most process systems which mean they come in contact with the media flowing through the tubing or pipes.  Special consideration should be given to the type of gasket used, the material of the gasket, the chemical compatibility and the correct size.

Sentinel Process Systems is pleased to partner with several of the industry leading providers of sanitary sealing products.  All of the gaskets are manufactured in ISO Class 7 cleanrooms and are traceable through the manufacturing process.  The gasket designs Sentinel offers meet most standards including USDA, FDA, USP Class VI, cGMP and ASME-BPE which guarantees that the elastomers used are acceptable for sanitary process applications and will not be harmful to human health.

Sentinel Gasket & Sealing Solutions Flyer
Newman Product Catalog
Fluid Path Products High Purity Solutions

Some of the elastomers used include:

Platinum cured Silicone

• Provides the highest purity and non-leaching characteristics
• Silicone has excellent biocompatibility and can withstand many chemicals making it a popular choice for Pharmaceutical applications
• Exhibits high thermal stability handling temperatures as high as 450⁰F

FKM/Viton™ (bisphenol cured fluorocarbon elstomer)

• Excellent mechanical, chemical, heat and steam resistance
• Well suited for hot fatty and oil products
• Resitant to chlorine cleaning agents, solvents and strong acids
• Temperatures service as high as 400⁰F
• Viton™ is a trademark of The Chemours Company

EPDM (ethylene popylene rubber)

• Excellent for hot water and steam service up to 325⁰F
• Abrasion resistant and has excellent resistance to ozone, sunlight and de-ionized water
• Good resistance to mild acids, alkalis and alcohols
• Temperatures service as high as 350⁰F

Buna

• Good acid and mild alkali resistance making it perfect for food and dairy applications
• Good tensile strength and excellent resistance to compression set, tear and abrasion
• Temperatures service as high as 225⁰F

PTFE/Teflon® (polytetrafluoroethylene):

• Offers exceptional chemical inertness and temperature resistance,
• Has a low coefficient of friction, making it suitable for highly reactive pharmaceutical substances.
• Teflon® is a registered trademark with DuPont

Material Indentification:

Material may be distinquished with colored dots on the side of the gaskets. The industry has standardized on the follow colored designation: