Metal Ring Type Joints in Aberdeen
Aberdeen is renowned as a hub for the oil and gas industry and offshore engineering. As such, industrial sealing solutions are a critical component in ensuring that applications within these areas remain reliable, safe, and efficient.
Aberdeen, UK
This is where metal ring-type joints and gaskets from Specialist Sealing Products come in.
Ensuring complete efficiency and reliability in high-pressure piping systems, metal ring-type joints and ring-type gaskets from SSP are specifically designed to sit between two mating flanges to create a robust seal, preventing leaks and contamination.
All our ring-type joints offer a high-performance sealing solution suitable for high-pressure, high-temperature applications.
What Are Ring Type Joints (RTJs)?
Ring-type joint gaskets are heavy-duty, metallic gaskets that are typically found in petrochemical, oil and gas, and subsea and offshore industry applications – applications that ultimately experience high-pressure and high-temperature environments.
These precision-engineered metal sealing components are designed for demanding service conditions, to prevent leaks from occurring and contamination from entering the piping systems.
Ring-type joints are defined by pressure and temperature ratings for flanged joints in accordance with ASME B16.5 and B16.47 and there are various types of ring-type gaskets to choose from (note: it is vital that you choose the most suitable gasket and joint for the intended application.)
Types of Ring Type Joint Gaskets
R-type gaskets – primarily designed for flanges with standard type ring grooves, this type of gasket is available in both oval and octagonal sections, allowing them to fit into octagonal grooved flanges. These gaskets can seal pressures of up to 5000 psi. Both the oval and the octagonal gasket wedge tightly into the sides of the flange grooves as they are compressed, providing an incredibly tight seal.
Oval Ring Type Joints
The oval ring type joint is a more traditional design and most suitable for older flange systems; however, it will fit all standard ring type joint flanges.
Octagonal Ring Type Joints
Octagonal ring-type joints are more advanced than the oval ring-type joints, as their superior design has changed over the years to suit more applications and their various demands.
Offering a higher sealing efficiency and increased reliability, octagonal ring-type joints are widely used in modern applications as they are less sensitive to minor flaws and imperfections in the sealing surface, and they provide a larger sealing surface, making them more efficient under bolt load.
RX Type gaskets – these gaskets use line service pressure in order to increase sealability. Similar to the r-type gasket, the RX can seal up to pressures of 5000 psi and is interchangeable. However, the RX gaskets are taller, with the cross-section designed to provide a tight seal while containing fluid pressure. The benefit of these gaskets is that they are resistant to vibrations, pressure surges, and shock loadings.
BX Type gaskets – designed to seal pressures up to 20000 psi, these gaskets have a square cross-section with beveled corners, and most importantly, can only be used with API 6BX flanges; they are not interchangeable like the RX gasket. These gaskets all have a pressure balance hole in order to equalise the pressure, and you will find the pitch diameter to be larger than the flange groove. This is to allow the gasket to achieve a high seating stress, allowing the gasket to remain pre-compressed by the outside diameter.
RX & BX Ring Type Joints
Both the RX and BX ring type joints are pressure-energised designs, with the RX ring type joint suitable for applications where fluctuations or surges in pressure are apparent, as when the system pressure rises, the sealing face increases.
In comparison, the BX ring-type joints are most suitable for extreme-pressure upstream applications (API 6A).
Metallic Gasket Types Explained
It’s important that you choose the right sealing number for your application, as the wrong one can mean that there is no sealing contact or overstress on the flange groove (ensure that the sealing surfaces of the grooves are smooth and free from ridges, and the groove is clean and free from dirt and debris.)
When we look at ring-type joints in comparison to alternative gaskets, we know that, unlike softer gaskets, with ring-type joints, the seal is achieved through deformation under the bolt load.
However, when we look at class ranges of applications, different gaskets and joints might be more preferable, for example:
- For ring-type joints with a class of 150 to 600, spiral wound gaskets are preferred.
- For those with a class between 900 and 2500, ring joint gaskets are the right choice.
- And for those with a class above 2500/API 6BX, then the BX type gasket is preferred due to its ability to withstand a 20000 psi pressure rating.
Distinctions:
Spiral wound gaskets are made up of winding metal strips and filler material, making them suitable for flat and raised flanges.
RTJ’s, however, are solid in their makeup and specialise in particular grooves.
A Kammprofile gasket is another type of seal that has a metal core and includes soft filler on either side.
Finally, a jacketed gasket is a semi-metallic gasket with a filler that is highly compressible, and the gasket is encased in a metal shell. This type of gasket is most suitable for heat exchanger applications.
Ring Joint Gasket Material Options
Choosing the right ring joint gasket material is critical in ensuring a safe, efficient, and reliable seal.
Incompatible material choices can lead to costly leaks and failures in high-pressure systems.
As a guide, the ring-type joint gasket material must be softer than the flange groove material to ensure a metal-to-metal seal. The material of choice must also be able to resist extrusion and be 100% compatible with the system’s processes.
The hardness rule is defined as: the gasket material Brinell Hardness Number should be at least 30-40 BHN lower than the flange groove material.
Common Materials
- Soft iron
- Low carbon steel
- Stainless steel (304, 316)
- Duplex / Super Duplex
- Inconel / exotic alloys
Material Properties
Some of the main benefits that these materials offer, ring-type joint gaskets include:
- Corrosion resistance
- Temperature tolerance
- High-pressure ratings
Ring Joint Gasket Material Selection Guide
Your ring joint gasket material selection should be based on the pressure and temperature rating of your application, flange groove type and rating (if the gasket is harder than the flange, then the flange can become damaged and leaks can occur), and material compatibility (for example, can it withstand corrosive fluids, hydrocarbons, or gas?)
Note: To achieve the best sealability, it is also important to establish bolt-up protocols based on the gasket seating stress, as this also plays an essential role in the reliability of the seal.
Industry standards you must also be aware of include:
- ASME B16.20 – for R, RX, and BX metallic ring joint gaskets (often in conjunction with ASME B16.5 and B16.47 flanges).
- API 6A – ring-type gaskets for upstream applications.
- API 17D – ring-type gaskets for production equipment.
- MSS SP 44 – ring-type gaskets for steel pipeline flanges.
Applications of Metal Ring Type Joints in Aberdeen
- Offshore platforms (North Sea)
- Refineries and processing plants
- Subsea pipelines
- Drilling equipment
Why Choose Our Ring Type Joint Gaskets in Aberdeen
SSP offers nothing but high-quality gaskets and sealing solutions suited for various industries and a wide range of applications.
Meeting all compliance requirements and international standards, we use our experience and expertise to support you in ensuring you have the right sealing solution for your application.
Providing you with complete peace of mind, we also offer quality assurance and testing, guaranteeing the highest standards and precision engineering.
With custom manufacturing options also available alongside local availability and fast delivery to businesses in Aberdeen, we are the gasket and seal provider of choice.
We pride ourselves on providing exceptional customer service matched with unbelievably high-quality sealing solutions.
Contact us today to see how we can help you.
Custom Ring Type Joint Gasket Solutions
What we can offer you:
- Bespoke sizes and materials
- Reverse engineering services
- Rapid turnaround for critical operations
FAQs About Ring Type Joints
What is a ring-type gasket used for?
A ring-type gasket is primarily used in the oil and gas, petrochemical, and offshore applications, where piping systems require a sealing solution between two mating parts, preventing any leaks from occurring.
What is the difference between oval and octagonal RTJs?
An oval ring joint gasket is a traditional gasket design that is more suited to standard ring joint flanges. In comparison, octagonal ring-type joints are superior in their design, offering higher sealing efficiencies, so they are more suited to modern applications.
How do I choose the right ring joint gasket material?
You must base your decision on the pressure and temperature rating of your application, the flange groove type, and, most importantly, material compatibility.
Are RTJs reusable?
No. They should be replaced if damaged or if the application has been disassembled.
What standards apply to ring-type joints?
ASME B16.20, API 6A, API 17D, and MSS SP 44 primarily.
