Accu-Therm Replacement Gaskets

Pick by the hottest temperature the gasket will see, which on many units is the CIP or sterilizing cycle rather than production. Standard EPDM in this table is rated to 302°F and High-Temp EPDM to 329°F. The High-Temp versions are listed for industrial duty without the FDA marking, so a food plant running hot cleaning cycles should give us its peak temperature before choosing between them.

The two attachments need different groove profiles, so a Loc-In gasket will not seat properly in a plate pressed for adhesive. Forcing one in produces a seal that may look right on the bench and then roll out of the groove when the pack is compressed. Check the plate model code against the table, because that code is what tells you which groove you actually have.

On many plate exchangers they do not, because the first and last plates seal against the frame heads and are gasketed differently from the plates in the middle. Divider plates in a multi-pass or multi-section pack can differ again. Note the position of any odd plate while the unit is open, and list those separately on the order so the set arrives complete.

Fat and oil content usually tips it. Nitrile tolerates oils, fats and many hydrocarbons that make EPDM swell and soften, while EPDM stands up to hot water, steam and caustic cleaning far better than nitrile. A cream, butter or edible oil line that also runs hot caustic CIP sits between the two, so send both the product and the cleaning chemistry before choosing.

Most early leaks come from the closing, not the part. Grooves that still hold old cement or debris, a gasket that lifted at a corner, or compression bolts pulled down unevenly will all show up within the first few cycles. Tighten in a cross pattern to the pack dimension rather than to torque alone, because a cocked movable frame crushes one side while leaving the other loose.