Problems encountered during equipment maintenance
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When maintaining equipment such as heat exchangers and installing floating heads, I’ve seen that packing is often wrapped with Teflon tape. Why is Teflon tape used? Over time, could the raw material tape corrode and lead to poor sealing? Please discuss this actively – it will earn extra points
We usually use graphite strips here
It is made of a special material; its component is graphite, which prevents corrosion and provides sealing properties! corrosion-resistant
The main purpose of wrapping Teflon tape is to prevent large-diameter metal gaskets from coming apart during the lifting of heads; such cases of disassembly have occurred in the factory； As long as the medium does not dissolve the tape, it will not affect the seal.
Raw tape generally does not corrode; its main function is to prevent the gasket from being damaged
How can raw tape corrode? Tape sealant is made of polytetrafluoroethylene material. It is a novel and ideal sealing material. Due to its non-toxicity, tastelessness, excellent sealing properties, insulation properties, and corrosion resistance, it is widely used in fields such as water treatment, natural gas, chemicals, plastics, and electronic engineering.
The chemical name of Teflon tape is polytetrafluoroethylene; it is generally used at pipe connections to enhance the sealing performance of those connections, and it is also employed for protecting and securing gaskets and similar components.
The purpose of using wrapping tape is to prevent the graphite winding gaskets from breaking apart, as such gaskets tend to disintegrate easily; it is a preventive measure taken to avoid the gaskets from coming apart due to uneven tightening of the bolts during installation. Furthermore, there are many cases where the gasket specifications are not suitable, and gaskets are made by disassembly on-site. I’m an instrument repair technician, and such problems often arise when installing instruments on-site: after repairs, it’s difficult to find a suitable gasket – either the outer ring is too large or the inner ring is too small, or neither ring fits properly. In such cases, one has to find a solution on their own; they can’t give up just because there’s no suitable sealing gasket available. The most common approach is to find a gasket that’s as similar as possible, remove the excess parts, and then wrap everything with tape. Although this isn’t the ideal solution and may pose some risks, it’s still better than waiting idly for a suitable gasket. In practical use, most of these solutions work well in the intended environment and prevent leaks.
It is likely intended to prevent the graphite gaskets from coming apart. Previously, when we installed a distillation tower in our workshop, the graphite gaskets that connected the tower to the tank below broke apart due to inadequate protection on site.