The Effect of the Thermal Expansion Coefficient on the Sealing Performance of Pipe Flange Connections With NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Gaskets

Due to the long-term durability and the excellent resistance to aging degradation, metal gaskets are expected to endure a longer life compared to conventional polymer gaskets. However, the nature of high elastic modulus of the metal reduces the sealing performance at interface. The authors have paid attention to the super elasticity of the shape memory alloys like Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) alloy and evaluated its applicability to a gasket. In the process, leakage tests of the flange connections with Ni-Ti alloy gaskets were done and the sealing performance was evaluated with the new gasket constants and the tightness parameter proposed by PVRC (Pressure Vessel Research Council, ASME). The results revealed that Ni-Ti alloy gaskets showed a superior sealing performance to the conventional aluminum gasket. However, the thermal expansion coefficient of Ni-Ti alloy is smaller than that of stainless steel of which the flange is made. The increase in temperature of the flange like 20 °C to 40 °C accordingly induced a slight degradation of the sealing performance. In this paper, the effect of the change in temperature on the sealing performance of the pipe flange connections with Ni-Ti alloy gasket was numerically evaluated with the measured thermal expansion coefficient. Moreover, the effect of the clamped temperature on the sealing performance was evaluated taking into account the temperature dependence of the mechanical properties of Ni-Ti alloy.