How to carry out temporary treatment when the gasket of a plate heat exchanger has aged?

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The degree of softening of the gaskets in plate heat exchangers is related to pressure and temperature; when the gaskets age, leakage occurs in the plate heat exchanger. To address the leakage problem caused by the aging of gaskets, the clamping bolts of the modular plate heat exchanger can be tightened again to adjust the compression force on the sealing gaskets between the various heat exchanger plates, thereby providing a temporary solution to the leakage issue. If the allowable maximum and minimum stresses are specified on the nameplate of the plate heat exchanger unit. The new plate pack for plate heat exchangers should be joined and fixed using a low allowable stress. Depending on the number of plate packs in the plate heat exchanger, the tightening force of the plate heat exchanger is adjusted once or multiple times. Each time it is tightened, the nut can be screwed in by about 3 mm, always paying attention to the stress condition of the adjusting plate. It should be noted that adjusting the tightening force is only allowed when the heat exchanger is at room temperature and without any operating pressure. If the stress adjustment range is not specified for the heat exchanger, the stress values are generally given on the drawings. The tightening torque should not be lower than the value specified in the drawings, as it is related to the assembly quality and deformation of the plate heat exchanger. When the tightening torque meets the specified value, the gaskets can be replaced in a planned manner. For plate heat exchangers used in critical production equipment and in corrosive media, it is recommended to have a set of spare seals. Under normal conditions, when the warehouse temperature is 18°C, plate heat exchanger gaskets stored in transparent plastic packaging can remain viable for about 3 years. The fixation of gaskets in plate heat exchangers is, in principle, divided into two main categories: adhesive fixation and non-adhesive fixation. The shape of the gasket should match the shape of the sealing groove in the plates of the plate heat exchanger.