Flange Insulation Sets

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Flange Insulation Sets

Insulation sets are used to limit corrosion in pipeline systems. Where dissimilar metals are present, the sets
remove the possibility of the system acting as a galvanic cell and reduce the risk of galvanic corrosion of the
pipe work. Insulation sets are also used to isolate cathodically protected piping systems where they prevent
the flow of electro-static charge.
Each flange insulation set comprises one central flat or oval section gasket, one insulation, sleeve, two
insulating and two plated steel washers per bolt. The sets are individually packed and clearly labelled with
the flange rating, size, type and material combination.

Key function of Insulating gaskets:

Used to electrically isolate sections of pipe work
Designed to minimise electro-chemical erosion
Comprising materials with high dielectric strength
Manufactured to suit flanged joints to ASME, BS, DIN and customer designs

Typical Flange Insulation Set components

Standard Sleeve & Washer Materials in the Set are :

Mylar Sleeves
G10 Insulation Washers
Stainless Steel Metal Washers
Others on request

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Flange Insulation Sets

Type E Full Face Gasket
Suitable for flat and raised face flanges. This style minimises
the ingress of conductive foreign matter and reduces the risk
of bridging. Typically used on oil and hydrocarbons where
flange insulation is a requirement. Manufactured from
materials with high dielectric strength to ensure minimum
electrical contact between flanges.

Type F Ring Gasket

Utilises a RF gasket which centrally locates within the bolts.
Typically used on oil and hydrocarbons where flange insulation
is a requirement.
Manufactured from materials with high dielectric strength to
ensure minimum electrical contact between flanges

Type D Ring Joint Gasket

Type D insulation gaskets use the same basic materials as the
standard insulation sets but are designed for RTJ flanges. The
gasket is manufactured from reinforced phenolic resin. Type D
gaskets have an oval cross-section and are suitable for low
pressure up to class 600# rating applications.
Care must be taken during installation of this gasket so that it
is not overstressed during bolt up.

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Flange Insulation Sets

Service Recommendations
The choice of insulation gasket for a given duty is dependent on the application conditions under which they will
be operating. In addition to the temperature limitations, selection of the gasket must take into account the
intended flange pressure class. Table below presents Klinger recommendations for safe sealing of ANSI flanges
requiring insulating properties. The recommendations are based on both product knowledge and feedback from
the field. For applications with specific service conditions ,please refer to Klinger for a recommendation.

Gasket recommendations for ANSI B16.5 Raised Face Flange Class

-recommended ; -not recommended
Pressure Class Rating ANSI B16.5 Raised Face
Gasket

150

300

600

900

1500

2500

Neophenolic

Topchem 2003

C-4430

Topchem 2000

Style PGE

VCS-High Pressure
Spring Energised
PTFE

*subject to a technical evaluation-please contact Klinger

The above table is applicable to Raised Face Flanges. For ANSI B16.5 & API 6A Ring Joint Flanges(RTJ) ,insulating oval
shape Type D gaskets are available but are not recommended due to their susceptibility to crack under load
especially in high pressure applications. Klinger would recommend to use other styles as per above table for high
pressure (600# and above) RTJ flanges.

Low Temperature Duty

Some applications require the use of insulating gaskets at low temperatures. In this case, care must be taken with
materials that contain an elastomeric component since elastomers will harden as they pass through the glass
transition temperature losing their resilience. The temperature at which this occurs is dependent on the elastomer
,eg. for Neoprene faced Phenolic Gaskets , the transition occurs at around
-40 Deg C and should be avoided below this temperature. For low temperature applications, at lower pressures
Klinger recommend either Topchem 2003 or Topchem 2000 ,and for higher pressure applications, a VCS -Spring
Energised PTFE (Teflon) seal is recommended .

Assembly of Insulating Gaskets

Assembly of insulating gaskets requires the same good fitting practice used to assemble standard gaskets.
When installing a gasket, the correct installation procedures should be followed ,and the flange surface finish (Ra)
should be between 3.2 and 6.3 micro meters.
However it is important to note that for Neoprene faced Phenolic (Neophenolic) gaskets the following guidelines apply:
1.
2.

The bolt stress must be limited to 30,000 psi

Bolts should be tightened with a torque wrench only. Hydraulic tensioning is not recommended for these
gaskets.

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VCS Flange Insulation Set

The VCS gasket is a high reliability flange gasket designed for electrical
insulation & sealing in very critical service. The gasket comprises a
composite seal retainer material bonded to a high integrity metal core.
Spring energized radial face seal offers excellent sealability at low loads.
The VCS gasket is a high reliability gasket used for both
insulating and general sealing purposes in very critical
services. The gasket has a proven track record of
integrity in aggressive sealing situations. The VCS is
suitable in all services up to and including ANSI 2500#
and API 15,000# classes.
Each VCS gasket can be supplied independently or part
of a flange insulation set that comprises one central
insulating gasket, one insulation sleeve per bolt and two
insulating and two plated steel washers per bolt.

Materials

Metallic Core: 316 Stainless Steel

(Duplex & Inconel available)
Gasket Insulating Material: G-10 Glass Reinforced
Epoxy (GRE) as standard (G-11 available)
Seal Material: Spring-energized Teflon as standard
(Viton available)
Insulating Sleeve Material: GRE as standard
(Mylar available)
Insulating Washers Material GRE (standard)
Steel Washer Material Zinc Plated Steel as standard
(stainless steel available).

General Properties
Flange insulation in conjunction with cathodic
protection
Mitigates galvanic corrosion in dissimilar metal
flange joints
Mating mismatched ring-joint to raised-face flanges
(VCS will seal in ring joint, raised-face and flat
face/slip-on flanges)
Withstands corrosive environments including high
CO2, H2S and produced water
Matched bore construction protects flange faces
from media-induced corrosion and flow-induced
erosion
Pressure energised seal reduces the flange makeup
stress
Easy installation and removal
Reusable seal retainer and seals
Suitable for all ANSI and API rated flanges
High strength laminate material resists failure due
to over compression

VCS Design
The unique and patented design of VCS gaskets incorporates high-strength, glass-reinforced epoxy laminate bonded
to a stainless steel core. This provides the strength of a traditional metallic gasket while maintaining complete
electrical insulation between the flange faces. Seal grooves are machined through the laminate insulating material
and into the stainless steel core. This provides a strong base for the seal to sit into and breaks the potential
leak/weep path that is inherent in glass laminate materials. Spring-energised Teflon internal face seals are installed
in the dovetail-shaped seal grooves to provide the trademark pressure-activated sealing performance distinguishes
the VCS from all other high pressure insulating gaskets.
(Viton o-rings also available if specified)

Electrical Insulation
In addition to its superior sealing characteristics, the VCS distinguishes itself by providing electrical flange
insulation in a high-strength gasket. The VCS significantly decreases electrical potential between two flange faces
by providing a non-conducting, non-metallic interface. This effectively eliminates corrosion resulting from
dissimilar metals contact or ground current induced corrosion of metal piping components. When used with
insulating sleeves and washers, the VCS is particularly effective in breaking electrical conductivity in piping systems
with cathodic protection systems.
What makes VCS unique among insulating gaskets is its strength and durability. Traditionally insulating gaskets
have been fragile and prone to failure because they are often made from brittle non-metallic materials (e.g.
phenolic resin) and are not capable of withstanding imperfect installation practices. The VCSs steel core and
patented construction enables the gasket to withstand much more system pressure, pressure cycling, bending
moments, over torquing and overall abuse than conventional insulating gaskets with zero risk of product failure.

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Sealing Characteristics
The primary job that any gasket must perform is to seal the
pressure differential between the internal and external
environment. The VCS performs this task through the use of its
spring-energised, pressure-activated sealing elements. At low
system pressure, the spring acts to deflect the lips of the seal,
thus enabling low pressure sealing. As the pressure increases and
comes in direct contact with the sealing element, the system
pressure energises the lips of the seal against the flange face and
stainless steel core. The greater the pressure, the more sealing
force is applied against the flanges. This high pressure sealing is
accomplished while maintaining complete electrical flange
insulation. This high makes the VCS the gasket to use when
failure cannot be tolerated.
The fact that the VCS uses pressure-activated sealing elements
which are located inboard of the ring groove on RTJ flanged has
the additional benefits of allowing the VCS to seal mismatched
RTJ to raised face or flat faced flanges. This feature is very useful
when replacing valves using stock inventory that may have a
different flange face than the mating flanges.

VCS Flange Insulation Kit Components

The VCS gasket is a high reliability flange kit designed for electrical insulation & sealing in very critical service.
The gasket comprises a composite seal retainer material bonded to a high integrity metal core. Spring energized
radial face seal offers excellent sealability at low loads.

Insulation Kit Contents:

Insulating facing:
Seal:
Core:
Thickness:
Insulating Washers:

Steel Washers:

Insulating Sleeves:

G-10 glass reinforced epoxy resin

Spring energised PTFE (Viton also available)
Stainless steel 316
1/2 to 5 6.2mm, 6 to 72 7.8mm, API 10,000 6.22mm.
G-10 glass reinforced epoxy resin (other materials are available)
3.2mm thickness
2 washers per bolt
Zinc-plated steel,
3.2mm thickness (stainless steel washers also available)
2 washers per bolt
G-10 glass reinforced epoxy resin, wall thickness 0.75mm
(Mylar and Nomex also available)
1 insulating sleeve per bolt

Insulation Kit Contents :

Material type:
Compressive strength:
Dielectric strength:
Maximum
temperature:
Water absorption:
Flexural strength:
Tensile strength:
Temperature range:
Seal:

G-10 Glass-reinforced epoxy resin

65,000psi
29.5-31.5 kV/mm
150C

G-11 High temperature resin

50,000psi
19.7 kV/mm
200C

0.05%
0.085%
65,000psi
57,700psi
50,000psi
41,000psi
- 130C to 150C
- 46C to 200C
(limited by gasket material)
(limited by gasket material)
Spring-energised PTFE (Viton rubber also available)

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The VCFS* (VCS Fire Safe*)

The VCFS insulation gasket is a development of the VCS design to make a fire-safe insulation set. The VCFS
includes an additional coated metallic seal to retain the internal pressure along with the spring energised PTFE
seal used in the VCS. VCFS uses coated metallic insulating washers to maintain compressive strength after being
exposed to fire. The development of the high-strength coated steel washers removes the need for the use of an
additional insulating washer.
*VCFS is fire safe tested to API 6FB.
The VCFS is also offered in a High Temperature design that utilizes G-11 instead of G-10. This allows the seal to
service higher operating temperatures up to 392F (200C).

Core Material : G10 (Standard)

65,000psi Compressive Strength gives the seal the ability to withstand the bolting and flange stresses.
750-800 VPM (29.5-31.5 kv/mm) Dielectric Strength shows that the kit has the capacity to meet the isolation
demands.
0.05% Water Absorption assures that the product will not suffer from the effects of ingress from media.
50,000psi Tensile Strength gives the user the confidence that the seal has the ability to withstand the internal
pressures.

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Flange Insulation Sets

PGE Flange Insulation Set
The PGE gasket is designed for electrical flange
isolation & general sealing applications offering
significant advantages over neoprene-faced phenolic
resin gaskets. The gasket comprises overlapping and
offset seal grooves are machined into the high strength
G10 laminate. Spring energized Teflon or Viton o-ring
seal offers excellent sealability at low loads.
The PGE gasket is a low pressure (Class 150, 300 &
600) gasket used for both isolating and general sealing
purposes. The gasket has a proven track record of
long lasting sealing solutions.
The PGE is available in all full face (Type E) and ring
style (Type F).
The PGE gasket is a low pressure (Class 150, 300 & 600) gasket used for both isolating and general sealing
purposes. The gasket has a proven track record of long lasting sealing solutions.
The PGE is available in all full face (Type E) and ring style (Type F).

General Properties

High reliability, low pressure sealing system.

Provides excellent electrical insulation for cathodic protection systems.
Overlapping seals eliminate potential leak/weep path in the laminate material.
Can be suitable for most all hydrocarbons, depending on sealing element selected.
Mitigates galvanic corrosion in dissimilar metal flanges.
Protects flange faces from media-induced corrosion and flow-induced erosion.
Decrease flange/bolt makeup stress.
Easy installation and removal.
Reusable seal retainer and seals.
Suitable for all ANSI and API rated flanges

Materials
Gasket Insulating Material & Washers: G-10 Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) as standard (G-11 hightemperature grade also available).
Spring energized Teflon or O-Ring pressure activated seal: Teflon (spring energized) as standard (Viton also
available).
Insulation sleeves: GRE (standard) or Nomex for high temperature service.

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Flange Insulation Sets

PGE Flange Gasket Advantages & Benefits

Superior sealing for low pressure (ANSI class 150, 300 and 600) service.
Pressure activated seals provide high confidence sealing.
High strength laminate material resists failure due to excess compression
Overlapping seal grooves eliminate potential leak/weep path in laminate material and provide stronger
structural integrity versus opposing seal designs.
Reinforced laminate retainer material provides excellent insulation for cathodic protection systems.
Gasket is sized to the bore to protect flange faces from media-induced corrosion and flow induced
erosion.
Mitigates galvanic corrosion in dissimilar metal flanges.
Spring energized Teflon seal provides radial load and encapsulation in the seal groove which eliminates
cold flow. This seal truly distinguishes the PGE from all other systems.
Also available with a variety of elastomeric seals.
Easy installation, make-up and removal:

Flanges do not have to be spread as with ring gaskets. The PGE easily slips in place.

Sealing system results in low required bolt loads. Less make-up force required resulting in less
flange and bolt stress.

Gasket is self-aligning and centering, quick to install, no special tools are required.
Maintenance-free, corrosion resistant design.

Insulation Kit Contents:

Insulating facing:
Seal:
Thickness:
Insulating Washers:

Steel Washers:

Insulating Sleeves:

G-10 glass reinforced epoxy resin

Spring energised Viton ( PTFE also available)
3.2mm.
G-10 glass reinforced epoxy resin (other materials are available)
3.2mm thickness
2 washers per bolt
Zinc-plated steel,
3.2mm thickness (stainless steel washers also available)
2 washers per bolt
G-10 glass reinforced epoxy resin, wall thickness 0.75mm
(Mylar and Nomex also available)
1 insulating sleeve per bolt

Core Materials:
Material type:
Compressive strength:
Dielectric strength:
Maximum
temperature:
Water absorption:
Flexural strength:
Tensile strength:
Temperature range:
Seal:

G-10 Glass-reinforced epoxy resin

65,000psi
29.5-31.5 kV/mm
150C

G-11 High temperature resin

50,000psi
19.7 kV/mm
200C

0.05%
0.085%
65,000psi
57,700psi
50,000psi
41,000psi
- 130C to 150C
- 46C to 200C
(limited by gasket material)
(limited by gasket material)
Spring-energised PTFE (Viton rubber also available)

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Flange Insulation Sets

Properties:
Component

Dielectric
Strength (Kv/mm)

Water
Absorption (%)

Maximum
Temperature
(C)

Neoprene faced
Phenolic

Gasket

19.8

1.6

107

Klingersil C-4430

Gasket

21.3

10.6

400

Klinger Topchem
2000

Gasket

3.6

0.5

260

Klinger Topchem
2003

Gasket

16.7

0.5

260

G10

Gasket, Sleeve,
Washer

29.5-31.5

0.05

150

G11

Gasket, Sleeve,
Washer

19.7

0.085

200

Mylar

Sleeve

157.5

0.8

145

Phenolic

Sleeve

5.5

1.0

107

Reinforced
Phenolic

Washer

7.8

1.0

107

Note: The above values are based upon limited test data. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the
information in this data sheet is accurate, it must be stressed that it is the users responsibility to ensure
suitability for the intended end use. The values quoted above may be subject to modification at a later
date.

Flange Protection
It is recommended that a Klinger Flange Band Protector is also used to cover the outside of the flange
to prevent the ingress of conductive matter.
Klinger Limited guarantees the quality, materials and workmanship of all its products either manufactured or
distributed, but cannot be held responsible for the manner in which they are used, fitted or stored

For sales and technical advice, please contact:

Tel: +61 08 9251 1600 or Toll Free No.1300 79 82 79 (in Australia), Fax:+61 08 93509286
Email: sales@klinger.com.au or technical_service@klinger.com.au
Website: www.klinger.com.au

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Subject to technical alternations

8991090-Issue: Mar14