ASTM_F_145_-_72_2009.pdf

Designation:F14572(Reapproved 2009)Standard Practice forEvaluating Flat-Faced Gasketed Joint Assemblies1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F145;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.1.Scope1.1 This practice permits measurement of gasket compres-sion resulting from bolt loading on a flat-face joint assembly atambient conditions.1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.The values given in parentheses are for informationonly.1.3 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.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E171 Practice for Conditioning and Testing Flexible BarrierPackaging3.Summary of Practice3.1 The gasket compression and flange distortion are ob-tained from compressed-thickness measurements on cylindri-cally shaped soft-solder plugs(50-50 lead-tin by weight)inserted into holes,drilled or punched through the gasket in thethickness direction.Initial compression is accomplished in theflanged-joint assembly when the bolts are loaded at ambienttemperature.Solder,being inelastic,will remain at the com-pressed thickness of the gasket after the joint is subsequentlydisassembled.4.Significance and Use4.1 Gasket compressions produced by bolt loads in aflanged joint are important in the application engineering of ajoint assembly.They are related to the ability of a gasket toseal,to maintain tightness on assembly bolts,and to a varietyof other gasket properties that determine the service behaviorof a joint assembly.Thus,being able to determine the degree ofcompression in a gasket under the bolt loading will permit oneto make qualitative predictions of the behavior of a jointassembly when it comes in contact with the application orservice environment.With the plug test,bending of a flangefacing between bolt centers can be measured;however,in afew highly distortable flanges the maximum bending betweenbolt centers may not be detected.4.2 The variation in gasket compressions at selected pointsin a flat-face joint assembly reveals the degree of flangedistortion or the ability of the flange to distribute satisfactorilythe compressive forces from bolt loads throughout the gasket.5.Apparatus(see Fig.1)5.1 Test Assembly,any flat-face flange design.5.2 Torque Indicating Device,for bolt loading.5.3 Dial Gage Indicator,graduated in 0.00254 mm(0.0001in.)to measure thickness of the solder plugs and the uncom-pressed gasket.5.4 Leather Punch,for punching holes in the gasket andfabricating the solder plugs.5.5 Tweezers,to conveniently handle the solder plugs.5.6 Solder Plugs The solder must be made into a flat strip.This can be done by compressing wire in a vise,a pair offlanges,pliers,or passing it between two calender rolls.Thesolder plugs are punched from the strip by means of the leatherpunch.Recommended plug diameter is 0.8 mm(132in.)andthe height need only be such that the plug is compressed by theflanges when the gasket is also compressed.The initialthickness of the plug and gasket before compression need notbe equal.6.Test Specimens6.1 Three gasket specimens shall be tested.The size andshape of the specimens must be such as to fit the particularflange design.7.Conditioning7.1 When the test is performed on an assembly line or in aservice environment,sufficient time should elapse for theflanges,bolts,and gasket to reach equilibrium with the ambient1This practice is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee F03 on Gaskets andis the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F03.20 on Mechanical Test Methods.Current edition approved Oct.1,2009.Published March 2010.Originallyapproved in 1972.Last previous edition approved in 2003 as F145 72(2003).DOI:10.1520/F0145-72R09.2For 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.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 temperature and humidity conditions before assembly.(Heavycastings or forgings may require 8 to 24 h or more,contrastedto a brief period for light stampings.)7.2 When the test is performed under controlled conditionsin the laboratory the gasket specimen is conditioned in accor-dance with Specification E171,or in the humidity and tem-perature conditions used prior to obtaining the load-compression curve.Flange fasteners and washers are held atthe test conditions for at least 4 h prior to assembly.8.Procedure8