ASTM_F_37_-_06_2013.pdf

Designation:F3706(Reapproved 2013)Standard Test Methods forSealability of Gasket Materials1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F37;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of originaladoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.1.Scope1.1 These test methods provide a means of evaluating thesealing properties of sheet and solid form-in-place gasketmaterials at room temperature.Test Method A is restricted toliquid leakage measurements,whereas Test Method B may beused for both liquid and gas leakage measurements.1.2 These test methods are suitable for evaluating thesealing characteristics of a gasket material under differentcompressive flange loads.The test method may be used as anacceptance test when the producer and user have agreed tospecific test conditions for the following parameters:testmedium,internal pressure on medium,and flange load ongasket specimens.1.3 These test methods use a small-diameter narrow-widthgasket as the test specimen under relatively low gasket loadsand relatively low pressures.Test Method F2378 is anothersealability test method that uses a larger gasket specimen andhigher internal pressures and flange loads.1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.The values in parentheses are for information only.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.(For specific hazardor warning statements,or both,see 5.2.11,Section 6,6.3,8.2.4,11.3.2,and 11.4.2.)2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D471 Test Method for Rubber PropertyEffect of LiquidsD2000 Classification System for Rubber Products in Auto-motive ApplicationsE691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study toDetermine the Precision of a Test MethodF38 Test Methods for Creep Relaxation of a Gasket MaterialF104 Classification System for Nonmetallic Gasket Materi-alsF2378 Test Method for Sealability of Sheet,Composite,andSolid Form-in-Place Gasket Materials2.2 ANSI Standard:3B57.1 Compressed Gas Cylinder Valve Outlet and InletConnections2.3 ASTM Adjuncts:Leakage Test Fixtures43.Summary of Test Methods3.1 Both test methods utilize a test specimen compressedbetween the surfaces of two smooth steel flange faces.After thespecified flange load is applied,the test medium is introducedinto the center of the annular gasket compressed between theflanges and the specified pressure is applied to the medium.Forliquid sealability tests(Test Methods A and B),Reference FuelA(see Test Method D471,Motor Fuel Section of Annex)isrecommended and the leakage rate is measured by a change inthe level of a sight-glass located in the line upstream from thegasket testing fixture.Nitrogen is the recommended gas for thegas sealability test(Test Method B)and the leakage rate ismeasured by a change in the level of a water manometerlocated in the line upstream from the gasket testing fixture.3.1.1 Test Method A uses a test fixture(Fig.1)by which anexternal load is transferred into the fixture to produce acompressive force on the gasket specimen.3.1.2 Test Method B uses a test fixture(Fig.2 and Fig.3)inwhich the flanges are held within a four-bolt cage that permitsloading the flanges at various force levels.The flange load ismeasured by a transducer held within the cage.1These test methods are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F03 onGaskets and are the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F03.10 on CompositeGaskets.Current edition approved May 1,2013.Published May 2013.Originallyapproved in 1962.Last previous edition approved in 2006 as F37 06.DOI:10.1520/F0037-06R13.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from American National Standards Institute,11 W.42nd St.,13thFloor,New York,NY 10036.4Available from ASTM International Headquarters.Order Adjunct No.ADJF0037.Original adjunct produced in 1962.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 3.2 Results of the sealability tests are expressed as a leakagerate in millilitres per hour for the test specimen under thespecific conditions of the test.4.Significance and Use4.1 These test methods are designed to compare gasketmaterials under controlled conditions and to provide a precisemeasure of leakage rate.4.2 These test methods are suitable for measuring leakagerates as high as 6 L/h and as low as 0.3