Shelf Life of Your Plate Heat Exchanger Gaskets

The shelf life of your gaskets is time dependent and that is a fixed variable, however, it is really important to understand that shelf life is highly storage condition dependent as well. Correctly storing your spare gaskets will either preserve them to the maximum capability of the polymer or prematurely deteriorate them if they are stored incorrectly.

It is also important to note that out of service heat exchangers should be kept in optimal conditions if you plan to use them as a spare unit. Components that have been stored outside need to have the gaskets replaced before they are installed into your processing system, otherwise they cannot be guaranteed.

Gaskets need to be stored in dark, cool and dust free environments if their performance and longevity is to be maximised. One of the advantages of having a Thornhill Service Agreement is that we can store your gaskets in optimal conditions on your behalf.

Thornhill provides advice on the applicable shelf life for your polymers and if they are stored correctly, you will get the full advantage of having suitable spares on hand when you most need them.

The optimum storage temperature should range between 5 and 25 degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures accelerate deterioration of rubber gaskets and while exposure to colder temperatures may not permanently damage the polymer, very cold gaskets should be restored to a warmer temperature prior to installation.

The relative humidity in your storage area should be below 75% and very dry conditions should also be avoided.

Rubber gaskets should be protected from light, in particular sunlight, but also strong artificial light. Heavy duty cardboard boxes are a good way of storing gaskets.

Exposure to excessive oxygen will harden and deteriorate polymers so it is a good idea to store spare gaskets in plastic bags inside their light free storage container to protect them from circulating air. This also helps to prevent dust from building up on the gaskets. Ozone exposure breaks down carbon in polymer chains causing them to separate into smaller chains and weakening the strength of the gaskets. Store gaskets away from electric motors, mercury vapour lamps and high voltage electrical equipment, wherever possible.

Rubber gaskets should be stored in their original packaging to avoid compression that can lead to polymer cracks and/or permanent shape changes.