Challenge
We were asked by an end user operator if our IsoShield FS™ would provide a tight seal even in a flange that had some damage on the face, and if we could set up some testing to demonstrate performance. This was a challenge we were delighted to take on.
We are often sent pictures of damaged flanges asking if we can offer a view on whether a seal can be achieved without the need to replace or re-machine the flange. There is clear guidance within the ASME PCC1-2013 standard on "guidelines for allowable gasket contact surface flatness and defect depth" and our testing was based on this standard.
Solution
We set up a test flange assembly based on a 3" 1500 RTJ mating onto a RF flange, we then had the maximum allowable damage (as per ASME PCC1 guidlines) machined directly onto on the flange face and precisely on the sealing contact area. The test media was 99% Nitrogen/1% helium and the test pressure was 291 bar being 1.1 design pressure of the flange. The test was run for 15 minutes and we then measured the leak rate with a mass spectrometer. The test was independently run by a leading test house and witnessed by the operator.
Results
The IsoShield FS™ performed beyond our expectations and sealed to a level 10,000 times tighter than the operators allowable leakage level. A great performance and result!
