| 摘要 |
A reinforced composite gasketing material characterized by high strength and dimensional stability, excellent recovery and superior creep relaxation resistance properties and a process for producing such a gasketing material (22) are provided. The composite gasketing material (22) of the present invention is a multiple layer laminate of filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and at least one ply of perforated stainless steel. The process of the present invention includes the steps of pressure sintering alternately layered sheets of a PTFE/filler blend (20) and stainless steel (24) by the application of a sequence of intervals of pressures and temperatures selected primarily according to the thickness desired in the finished material and then rapidly cooling the sintered composite under pressure. The resulting gasketing material (22) has the metal layer completely encapsulated by and bonded to the PTFE/filler material. The process of the present invention can be used with equal facility to produce gasketing material in sheet form from which individual gaskets can be cut or in the form of individually molded gaskets. One embodiment of the present invention provides a gasketing material characterized by high compressibility particularly suitable for use in glass-lined pipes. |
