Policies Related To Marine Flange Gaskets
Environmental compliance and performance upgrades are equally important: The new regulations for marine flange gaskets require the prohibition of asbestos, priority for recyclable materials, and strict pressure and fire testing to promote the industry's transition to green standardization. Cost changes bring new considerations for procurement strategies.
As a key sealing component in ship pipeline systems, the performance of flange gaskets directly affects the safe operation and environmental compliance of ships. In recent years, with the gradual improvement of industry standards, the production, testing, and application policies of marine flange gaskets have also undergone corresponding adjustments. This article will systematically introduce the relevant policy requirements for current marine flange gaskets from three aspects: material selection, technical specifications, and market trends.
1. Material selection policy
The material of marine flange gaskets shall meet the requirements of corrosion resistance, aging resistance, adaptation to temperature difference and other characteristics. According to current industry regulations, gasket materials are mainly divided into the following three categories.
Non-metal materials such as rubber, graphite, etc. must pass oil resistance and seawater immersion tests, and the volume expansion rate after immersion must not exceed 15% of the standard value.
Semi-metallic materials: such as metal winding pads, the metal parts are diversified and treated with rust prevention technology, and the non-metallic filling layer needs to provide non-toxic and environmentally friendly certification.
Composite materials: The application of Non-metal composite materials requires the submission of durability reports from third-party laboratories to ensure stable performance in environments ranging from -30 ℃ to 300 ℃.
The policy explicitly prohibits the use of materials containing asbestos and recommends prioritizing the selection of recyclable or biodegradable materials to reduce the environmental burden during ship dismantling.
2. Technical specifications and testing standards
The manufacturing and inspection of flange gaskets for ships must comply with the following core standards:
Dimensional tolerance: The deviation of the outer diameter, inner diameter, and thickness of the flange gasket should be controlled within ± 0.5mm to ensure complete fit with the flange surface.
Pressure test: The gasket must maintain sealing at 1.5 times the design pressure for at least 30 minutes without leakage or deformation.
Fireproof performance: Gaskets used in self--temperature areas such as engine rooms must pass flame retardant tests, and the self-extinguishing time after the evacuation of open flames should not exceed 10 seconds.
The policy requires production enterprises to keep testing records for each batch of products, including the source of raw materials, production date, quality inspection report, etc., with an archive period of not less than 5 years for traceability.
3. Market Trends and Cost Impact
In recent years, the tightening of environmental policies has promoted the technological upgrade of flange gaskets for ships, while also bringing about cost changes:
Popularization of green materials: The usage rate of pollution-free synthetic rubber has increased, resulting in an increase of about 10% -20% in unit cost, but it can reduce maintenance frequency in the long run.
Standardized production: Uniform specifications of gaskets are gradually replacing customized products, and large-scale production has reduced the average price by 5% -8%, benefiting small and medium-sized ships significantly.
Regional differences: Some sea areas have higher requirements for the low-temperature resistance of gaskets, and the unit price of gaskets commonly used in the Arctic route is 30% to 50% higher than that of ordinary models.
It is worth noting that the policy encourages the use of the "trade in" model, where old gaskets can be used to offset 5% to 10% of the cost of new gaskets after recycling, promoting resource recycling.
Conclusion
The adjustment of the policy for marine flange gaskets reflects the industry's balance between safety, environmental protection, and economy. In the future, with the development of new materials and process improvements, relevant policies may be further refined. It is recommended that ship related enterprises pay timely attention to standard updates, optimize procurement and maintenance strategies to ensure compliant operations.
