Porters, Creep and Relaxation

Mechanical Behaviors of Gaskets

Creep and stress relaxation can be explained separately under ideal laboratory conditions. However, in realworld industrial settings, flange gaskets are subjected to more complex working conditions, where these two phenomena usually occur simultaneously.

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In addition, external conditions such as ambient temperature and humidity exert significant impacts on the mechanical properties of gaskets as well as their creep and relaxation rates. This article interprets the superposition of creep and relaxation based on the comprehensive force bearing scenario of a porter, together with how environmental factors affect gaskets.

BMCORIN: Flexible dimensions, suitable for high temperature and high pressure working conditions

Take the actual walking scenario of a porter carrying loads on a shoulder pole. While walking normally, the porter cannot keep his shoulder at a constant height nor sustain an identical load all the time. Two phenomena are likely to happen simultaneously: on one hand, the shoulder sinks slightly with morphological changes; on the other hand, his load bearing capacity gradually decreases.

This perfectly mirrors the operating state of industrial gaskets. When a flange connection system is in service, the gasket undergoes creep manifested as thickness reduction under loading, alongside stress relaxation caused by geometric constraints. Minor changes including bolt elongation and gasket thinning drive creep and stressrelaxation to progress concurrently.

BMCVS: Wear resistant, anti aging with favorable sealing performance

Apart from force conditions, environmental factors should not be overlooked. Still using the porter as an analogy: in an indoor environment at 25 °C with appropriate humidity, the porter can bear loads for a longer period with slower deformation. By contrast, outdoors under high temperature of 40 °C, his tolerance drops rapidly, and changes in posture and load bearing accelerate.

The same logic applies to sealing technology. Under mild temperature humidity conditions, gaskets feature moderate relaxation rates and stable sealing performance. High temperature drastically accelerates creep and relaxation of gaskets, shortening the effective service life of sealing assemblies.

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