Copper Gaskets

Why Select Copper Gaskets?

Copper gaskets are favored in various industrial applications due to their excellent thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and malleability. These characteristics make copper gaskets particularly suitable for environments where high temperatures, corrosive substances, and a need for a tight seal are present.

Copper is strong, yet malleable enough to nest into contact faces when tightening the fastening bolts, providing for an excellent seal. The elasticity properties are such that a 10-inch piece of copper may be stretched up to 12.5 inches before the material ruptures. It is that combination of strength and forming ability that makes copper a very popular choice of material.

Applications:

Copper is a popular choice for many, as it exhibits many favorable properties for a range of applications. They are commonly used in applications exposed to coke oven gas, refined gasoline, kerosene, and beer, among others. Here are some industrial applications that are best fit for copper gaskets and the reasons why:

Automotive and Aerospace Industries

Exhaust Manifolds and Turbochargers: Copper gaskets are used in exhaust systems and turbochargers due to their ability to withstand high temperatures and ensure a tight seal even under thermal cycling, which is common in engine compartments.

Cylinder Head Gaskets: The excellent thermal conductivity of copper helps in evenly distributing heat, reducing hot spots, and improving engine efficiency.

Electronics and Electrical Industries

Heat Exchangers: Copper’s superior thermal conductivity makes it ideal for gaskets in heat exchangers, facilitating efficient heat transfer and dissipation.

Electrical Conductivity Applications: Copper gaskets are used in electrical applications for their high conductivity, ensuring effective electrical connections and grounding in equipment to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI).

Cryogenics

Cryogenic Containers and Systems: Copper gaskets are suitable for cryogenic applications due to their ability to maintain a seal at extremely low temperatures, ensuring the containment of gases like liquid nitrogen and helium.

Vacuum Systems

Vacuum Flanges and Chambers: The malleability of copper allows for the creation of a very tight seal, essential in vacuum systems where air and gas leaks must be minimized. Copper gaskets are often used in high vacuum and ultra-high vacuum environments, such as those found in research laboratories and semiconductor manufacturing.

Marine and Offshore Applications

Underwater Equipment: Copper’s resistance to saltwater corrosion makes it suitable for use in marine environments, particularly in sealing applications for underwater equipment and piping systems.

Petrochemical and Chemical Industries

Flanges and Valves: In environments where corrosive substances are handled, copper gaskets provide a reliable seal due to their corrosion resistance, ensuring the integrity of flanges and valves in chemical processing equipment.

Power Generation

Boilers and Steam Systems: The ability of copper gaskets to withstand high temperatures and pressures while maintaining a tight seal makes them suitable for use in boilers and steam systems within power plants.

Corrosion Resistance:

When selecting the gasket material, it is important that it is compatible with the chemical environment of the application. The list below is for general consideration and an AMG engineer will be able to help you in validating if you should select copper as the material.

Copper is satisfactory for exposure to these environments:

Copper may be used these environments but is dependent on specific service conditions and should only be selected after careful investigation:

Why Chose AMG Products?

AMG Products has been supplying a wide range of industries with metallic gaskets since 1904. We have extensive experience working with a variety of metals and configurations. Our experience enables us to better understand your requirements and offer a wide variety of tooling configurations to minimize any tooling costs associated with your sealing device needs.

We understand time is critical, let us work with you to develop a custom stocking program to ensure you have parts on the shelf every time they’re needed.