Jointed multi-expanded sealing article

Abstract

A sealing element is provided that is configured to a seal against a contact surface. The sealing element includes at least one sealing member comprising a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material; at least one joint member comprising a uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material; and a joint formed at a contact surface between the joint member the at least one sealing member to form a continuous surface. The sealing element creates a gas-tight seal under compression.

Description

450385.006991 3210WO01 JOINTED MULTI-EXPANDED SEALING ARTICLECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No.63 / 789,044, filed April 15, 2026, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to sealing elements including a jointed multi-expanded sealing article.BACKGROUND

[0003] A wide variety of gaskets are known for use in sealing applications.Expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) is widely used today as a gasket material. These properties include being readily compressible and conformable, being chemically resistant, having relatively high strength, and being far less prone to creep and loss of sealing pressure than non-expanded PTFE alone.

[0004] In many sealing applications, the gasket is used to seal the junction between flanges, such as between pipes. In such applications, ePTFE is a desirable material for the gaskets because the ePTFE gasket can be placed between the flanges, and the flanges can then be pressed together with the application of force, such as by tightening of bolts. This application of force compresses the ePTFE. As the ePTFE is compressed, its initial pore volume is reduced, thus densifying the ePTFE. It is possible to apply sufficient force (or “stress”) to the flanges to fully densify the ePTFE. Thus, in at least part of the ePTFE gasket, the pore volume is reduced to substantially zero, such that a gas contained within the pipes is prevented from leaking between the flanges by the densified, non-porous ePTFE gasket, which seals the flanges.

[0005] In many applications, particularly when harsh chemicals are used which would readily break down the metal or the metal could contaminate the chemical which is being transported or housed, it is common to use glass-lined steel, glass, or fiberglass reinforced plastic (“FRP”) piping and vessels. Because this equipment is so often used with extremely harsh chemicals, there is great desire to use PTFE gaskets to seal the connecting flanges of this equipment because of the well-known extraordinary chemical resistance of ePTFE.

[0006] Creating gaskets for industrial applications often requires the ability to create gaskets in multiple sections or as split rings to aid in installation. This requires450385.006991 3210WO01 the ability to join the materials together, while still retaining the ability to seal. Many gasket materials can do this with a simple thermal weld, using adhesives or join filling pastes or simple mechanical joins (dovetails, hammerheads etc..). However, some industrial applications require 100% ePTFE for chemical and thermal compatibility, so no adhesives or other materials can be used. ePTFE cannot be thermally welded and, when made to be auxetic, also cannot create a gas-tight joint when mechanically joined.

[0007] Thus, there is a need for a sealing element formed from ePTFE that creates a gas-tight seal with mechanical joining.SUMMARY

[0008] A sealing element having a sealing surface for providing a seal against a contact surface is provided. The sealing element includes: at least one sealing member including a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material; at least one joint member including a uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material; and a joint formed at the at least one contact surface. The joint member contacts at least one sealing member along at least one contact surface to form a continuous surface. The sealing element is configured to form a seal against the contact surface and through the sealing element upon compression. In one embodiment, the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is auxetic and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is non-auxetic. In another embodiment, the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material includes at least one of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and expanded polyethylene (ePE). Further, the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). In yet another embodiment, the joint includes a dovetail joint. In another embodiment, before compression, the at one sealing member includes a first thickness and the at least one joint member includes a second thickness, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness. In one aspect of the embodiment, the first thickness is from 0.1 mm to 25 mm, 1 mm to 15 mm, or 5 mm to 10 mm.

[0009] In another embodiment of the sealing member, the at least one joint has a first shape and the at least one joint member has a second shape, the second shape being complementary to the first shape. Further, in another aspect, the first shape includes at least one of a triangle, square, rectangle, polygon, oval, and circle. In another embodiment, when the sealing element under sufficient stress produces a normalized leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s with Helium at 1 MPa, as measured according to EN13555:2021. In a further embodiment, the sealing element is a gasket450385.006991 3210WO01 for a vessel having a chamber maintained at positive or negative pressure relative to the external pressure.

[0010] The present disclosure further provides a method of forming a seal between two contact surfaces including: providing a first article having a first contact surface and second article having a second contact surface, the first contact surface opposing the second contact surface; positioning a sealing element of the present disclosure between the first contact surface and the second contact surface; and compressing the first article and second article against the sealing element to form a seal.

[0011] The present disclosure also provides a sealing element kit for forming a sealing element configured to provide a seal against a contact surface. The sealing element kit includes: at least one sealing member including a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material; and at least one joint member including a uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material, the at least one joint member configured to contact the at least one sealing member along at least one contact surface to form a continuous surface. When the at least one joint member contacts the at least one sealing member at the at least one contact surface, at least one joint is formed at the at least one contact surface. In another embodiment of the sealing element kit, the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material includes at least one of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and expanded polyethylene (ePE) and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). In a further embodiment, the at least one joint is a dovetail joint. In yet another embodiment, the at least one joint has a first shape and the at least one joint member has a second shape, the second shape being complementary to the first shape. In a further embodiment, the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is auxetic and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is non-auxetic.

[0012] In another embodiment of the sealing element kit, the sealing element is a gasket for a pressurized vessel having a pressurized chamber. The vessels may be a pipe, tank or container under pressure or vacuum. In one embodiment, the sealing element is configured to form a seal against the contact surface upon compression. Before compression, the at one sealing member includes a first thickness and the at least one joint member includes a second thickness, the second thickness being equal to or greater than the first thickness. In another embodiment, when the sealing element under sufficient stress produces a normalized leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s with Helium at 1 MPa, as measured according to EN 13555:2021.450385.006991 3210WO01

[0013] The present disclosure additionally provides a sealing element having a sealing surface. The sealing element includes: at least one sealing member wherein the sealing member is an auxetic material; at least one joint member; and a joint formed at the at least one contact surface. The at least one sealing member is an auxetic material. The joint member is a non-auxetic material. The joint member contacting the at least one sealing member along at least one contact surface to form a continuous surface. The sealing element is configured to form a seal against the contact surface and through the sealing element upon compression. In one embodiment, the auxetic material includes a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material and the non-auxetic material includes a uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer. The multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material includes at least one of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and expanded polyethylene (ePE); and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). In a further embodiment, before compression, the at one sealing member includes a first thickness and the at least one joint member includes a second thickness. The second thickness being greater than the first thickness. A ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is from 0.1 to 5.

[0014] In yet another embodiment of the sealing element, the at least one joint has a first shape and the at least one joint member has a second shape, the second shape being complementary to the first shape. The first shape includes at least one of a triangle, square, rectangle, polygon, oval, and circle. In one embodiment, when the sealing element is under sufficient stress produces a normalized leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s Helium at 1 MPa internal pressure, as measured according to EN13555:2021. In a further embodiment, the sealing element is a gasket for a vessel having a chamber maintained at positive or negative pressure relative to the external pressure.

[0015] The foregoing Examples are just that and should not be read to limit or otherwise narrow the scope of any of the inventive concepts otherwise provided by the instant disclosure. While multiple examples are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative examples. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature rather than restrictive in nature.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further450385.006991 3210WO01 understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 1 is an exemplary sealing element of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an auxetic material and a non-auxetic material under compressive force;

[0019] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a leakage path created when joined auxetic materials are under compressive force;

[0020] FIG. 4 is an illustration of the different shaped joints between a sealing member and a joint member of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 5 is an exemplary unibody design of a sealing element;

[0022] FIG. 6 is an exemplary sealing element of the present disclosure; and

[0023] FIG. 7 is a table of the leakage testing results of sealing elements with different joints between the sealing members and joint members.

[0024] FIG. 8 is an exemplary multi stack square gasket system with joints in the comers, wherein the joints were either a “flat” joint in a straight line or a “mitered” joint which is diagonal over the comer both used the “arrow-round” configuration.

[0025] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of various features and components according to the present disclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. The exemplification set out herein illustrates an embodiment of the disclosure, and such an exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONDefinitions and Terminology

[0026] This disclosure is not meant to be read in a restrictive manner. For example, the terminology used in the application should be read broadly in the context of the meaning those in the field would attribute such terminology.

[0027] With respect to terminology of inexactitude, the terms “about” and “approximately” may be used, interchangeably, to refer to a measurement that includes the stated measurement and that also includes any measurements that are reasonably close to the stated measurement. Measurements that are reasonably close to the stated measurement deviate from the stated measurement by a reasonably small450385.006991 3210WO01 amount as understood and readily ascertained by individuals having ordinary skill in the relevant arts. Such deviations may be attributable to measurement error, differences in measurement and / or manufacturing equipment calibration, human error in reading and / or setting measurements, minor adjustments made to optimize performance and / or structural parameters in view of differences in measurements associated with other components, particular implementation scenarios, imprecise adjustment and / or manipulation of objects by a person or machine, and / or the like, for example. In the event it is determined that individuals having ordinary skill in the relevant arts would not readily ascertain values for such reasonably small differences, the terms “about” and “approximately” can be understood to mean plus or minus 10% of the stated value.

[0028] Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various aspects of the present disclosure can be realized by any number of methods and apparatuses configured to perform the intended functions. It should also be noted that the accompanying drawing figures referred to herein are not necessarily drawn to scale but may be exaggerated to illustrate various aspects of the present disclosure, and in that regard, the drawing figures should not be construed as limiting.

[0029] I. Sealing Element

[0030] The present disclosure provides a sealing element 100, as shown in FIG.1, that comprises at least one sealing member 110, at least one joint member 120, and at least one joint 130. Sealing element 100 and any other components of sealing element 100 may be referenced in multiple figures of the present disclosure. Reference numbers have been maintained across multiple figures to show multiple views and embodiments of the same sealing element 100. There may be a plurality of the same component in the figures. Each of the plurality of components may be labeled with a letter signifying the number of that particular component. Each individual component may be substantially similar the other components of the plurality of components. The sealing element may comprise a plurality of each of a sealing member, a joint member, and a joint. A “plurality” of each element may comprise a “p” number of each element, wherein p is an integer greater than 1, greater than 2, greater than 3, greater than 4, greater than 5, greater than 6, greater than 7, greater than 8, greater than 9, greater than 10, greater than 12, greater than 14, greater than 15, greater than 20, greater than 25, greater than 50, greater than 75, greater than 100, or any range of integers using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 1 to 100, 1 to 20, 1 to 15, 1 to 14, 1 to 13, 1 to 12, 1 to 11, 1 to 10, 1 to 9, 1 to 8, 1 to 7, 1 to 6, 1 to 5, 1 to 4, 1 to 3, 1 to 2, 10 to 75, or 25 to 50.450385.006991 3210WO01

[0031] For example, one embodiment (shown in FIG. 6) of sealing element 100 may comprise three sealing members 110. The first sealing member is labeled 110a, the second sealing member is labeled 110b, and the third sealing member is labeled 110c, in ascending alphabetical order.Sealing element 100 may be a gasket, compression seal, O-ring, square ring, grommet, or other type of sealing element for a vessel having a chamber maintained at positive or negative pressure relative to the external pressure. The sealing element may be gastight. As used herein, “gas-tight” refers to any seal that has a gas leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s Helium at 1 MPa, as measured according to EN13555:2021.

[0032] The present disclosure may further provide a sealing element kit for forming the sealing element as described herein.

[0033] The sealing element 100 of the present disclosure may comprise a joint member comprising a non-auxetic material to mechanically join a sealing member comprising an auxetic material while under compression sufficiently enough to create a gas-tight seal. The amount of compression to create the gas-tight seal of sealing element 100 may be at least 1 MPa, at least 10 MPa, at least 15 MPa, at least 20 MPa, at least 25 MPa, or at least 30 Pa, or any range using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 1 to 30 MPa, 10 to 25 MPa, or 15 to 20 MPa, as measured according to EN13555:2021.

[0034] An auxetic material is a material that when stretched, instead of getting thinner like most materials, it gets thicker perpendicular to the direction of the stretch. Likewise, when you compress an auxetic material, it shrinks not just in the direction of compression but also in the sides, becoming smaller all around. As shown in FIG. 2, when an auxetic material is compressed, the area under compression constricts.

[0035] Conversely when a non-auxetic material is stretched, it becomes thinner perpendicular to the stretch. As shown in FIG. 2, a non-auxetic material expands under a compressive force. When a non-auxetic material is compressed, the area under compression expands. However, non-auxetic materials may be made to be auxetic with structural manipulations. These structural manipulations may involve modifying the microstructure of the material or introducing geometric features that enable the non- auxetic material to exhibit auxetic properties. Examples of manipulations that may change the properties of a material from non-auxetic to auxetic may include: introducing patterns into a non-auxetic material to alter the deformation behavior; forming textile structures such as weaving or knitting; creating helical or chiral structures with the fiber;450385.006991 3210WO01 adding structural reinforcement components; and organizing the material into certain geometries.

[0036] The Possion’s ratio is a measure of the deformation of a material in directions perpendicular to the specific direction of loading. When you stretch or compress a material in one direction, the material will either shrink or expand in the other perpendicular directions. Poisson's ratio measures how much a material deforms in each direction. Poisson’s ratio (v) may be calculated using the following formula:lateral Strainv = - Lateral Strain / Axial Strain

[0037] Lateral strain is the amount the material contracts or expands perpendicular to that force. Axial strain is the amount the material stretches or compresses along the applied force. Materials that expand upon compression have a positive Possion’s ratio. Materials that contract upon compression have a negative Possion’s ratio.

[0038] Non-auxetic materials when compressed spread out away from the force and have a positive Possion’s ratio (>0). However, auxetic materials are materials with negative Possion’s ratios (<0). Auxetic materials often exhibit improved mechanical properties, such as increased energy absorption, higher fracture resistance, greater toughness, and better indentation resistance compared to non-auxetic materials.

[0039] Materials with negative Possion’s ratios (auxetic) may recede from each other under compression creating a leakage pathway, as shown in FIG. 3. The sealing element of the present disclosure utilizes the properties of both auxetic and non-auxetic materials to create a seal, avoiding forming a leakage pathway. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing element of the present disclosure may use the size and shape of the joint member to create a seal, avoiding forming a leakage pathway. As pressure is applied to the sealing element, the joint member may prevent a leakage path from being made across the contact surface, as described below.

[0040] Referring back to FIG. 1, sealing element 100 of the present disclosure comprises a non-auxetic joint member 120 to mechanically join and seal against an auxetic sealing member 110. To create a gas-tight connection the compression characteristics of the auxetic and non-auxetic materials need to be balanced so that they create both a seal between each other and a seal in the application. Under the chosen compression / sealing force both materials may become dense enough to create a seal in the chosen application.450385.006991 3210WO01

[0041] A. Sealing Member

[0042] Sealing element 100 may comprise at least one sealing member 110, as shown in FIG. 1. Sealing element 100 may comprise one sealing member 110 or a plurality of sealing members 110.

[0043] The sealing element may comprise a plurality of sealing members. A plurality of sealing members may comprise a “m” number of sealing members, wherein m is an integer greater than 1, greater than 2, greater than 3, greater than 4, greater than 5, greater than 6, greater than 7, greater than 8, greater than 9, greater than 10, greater than 12, greater than 14, greater than 15, greater than 20, greater than 25, greater than 50, greater than 75, greater than 100, or any range of integers using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 1 to 100, 1 to 20, 1 to 15, 1 to 14, 1 to 13, 1 to 12, 1 to 11, 1 to 10, 1 to 9, 1 to 8, 1 to 7, 1 to 6, 1 to 5, 1 to 4, 1 to 3, 1 to 2, 10 to 75, or 25 to 50.

[0044] Sealing member 110 may comprise a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material. In one embodiment the sealing element may comprise biaxially expanded fluoropolymer material. The multiaxially and biaxially expanded fluoropolymer material may be auxetic. As used herein, “multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material” refers to materials that have been stretched in at least two directions. As used herein, “biaxially expanded fluoropolymer material” refers to materials that have been stretched in two perpendicular directions Examples of the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material are expanded polytetraethylene (ePTFE), expanded polyethylene (ePE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), and other suitable multiaxially expanded fluoropolymers. Multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer materials may demonstrate a variety of desirable properties such as being readily compressible and conformable, being chemically resistant, having a relatively high tensile strength, and being far less prone to creep and loss of sealing pressure than other materials.

[0045] In one embodiment, the sealing member may comprise expanded polytetraethylene (ePTFE). The use of ePTFE gaskets allows the sealing of aggressive chemicals at high temperatures where other gasket materials cannot survive sufficiently.

[0046] ePTFE can be processed in multiple ways giving it different properties. Processing in such a way can create the strong auxetic materials as used in ePTFE gasket materials, while other processes can create ePTFE materials which are not auxetic, but generally mechanically weaker. Both ePTFE types however retain the chemical compatibility and thermal properties of the base polytetraethylene polymer.450385.006991 3210WO01

[0047] Before compression, the sealing member 110 may have a thickness equal to or less than the thickness of the joint member 120. The thickness of sealing member 110 may be at from 0.1 mm, 1 mm, 5 mm to 10 mm, 15 mm, or 25 mm, or any range using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as from 0.1 mm to 25 mm, 1 mm to 15 mm, or 5 mm to 10 mm.

[0048] B. Joint Member

[0049] Sealing element 100 may comprise at least one joint member 120. Sealing element 100 may comprise one joint member 120 or a plurality of joint members 120.

[0050] The sealing element may comprise a plurality of joint members. A plurality of joint members may comprise a “n” number of joint members, wherein n is an integer greater than 1, greater than 2, greater than 3, greater than 4, greater than 5, greater than 6, greater than 7, greater than 8, greater than 9, greater than 10, greater than 12, greater than 14, greater than 15, greater than 20, greater than 25, greater than 50, greater than 75, greater than 100, or any range of integers using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 1 to 100, 1 to 20, 1 to 15, 1 to 14, 1 to 13, 1 to 12, 1 to 11, 1 to 10, 1 to 9, 1 to 8, 1 to 7, 1 to 6, 1 to 5, 1 to 4, 1 to 3, 1 to 2, 10 to 75, or 25 to 50.

[0051] Joint member 120 may comprise an uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material. The uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material may be non-auxetic. As used herein, “uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material” refers to materials that have been stretched in one direction. Examples of uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer materials are PTFE, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP).Uniaxially expanded fluoropolymers may demonstrate a combination of desirable properties such as chemical inertness, resistance to physical changes or deformities, and thermal resistance.

[0052] The joint member comprising uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer may have anisotropic properties, meaning that the properties of the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer depend on the direction the characteristic is being tested.

[0053] Before compression, joint member 120 may have a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of sealing member 110. A ratio of the thickness of the joint member to the thickness of the sealing member may be from 0.1, 0.5, or 1 to 2, 3, or 5, or any range using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 0.1 to 5, 0.5 to 3, or 1 to 2.

[0054] The thickness of joint member 120 may be at least 0.1 mm, at least 0.5 mm, at least 1 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 6 mm, at least 9 mm, at least 15 mm, or at450385.006991 3210WO01 least 20 mm, or any range using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as from 0.1 mm to 20 mm, 0.5 mm to 15 mm, 1 mm to 9 mm, or 3 mm to 6 mm.

[0055] Joint member 120 may contact sealing member 110 along a contact surface 102. Contact surface 102 may form a continuous surface of sealing element 100 such that there are no leakage paths between sealing member 110 and joint member 120 when sealing element 100 is compressed. “Continuous surface” as used herein refers to a surface that is unbroken and has no points of discontinuity. In reference to contact surface 102, the continuous surface is created by the joining of joint member 120 and sealing member 110 such that along continuous surface 102 there is no break in continuity between sealing member 110 and joint member 120.

[0056] Joint member 120 comprising a non-auxetic uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material may be used to create a joint with the auxetic sealing member. The joint may be formed in a plurality of different shapes and forms, as shown in FIG. 4. As the non-auxetic joint member is compressed it spreads more than the auxetic sealing member constricts. It closes the interface between the sealing member and the joint member and applies enough force to create a gas-tight seal. In another embodiment, the sealing element may be designed as such a component of the spreading force also pulls the joint together. This can be used alone or as multiple connection points.

[0057] C. Joint Formed Between the Sealing Member and the Joint Member

[0058] Referring back to FIG. 1, sealing element 100 may have at least one joint 130 defined at contact surface 102. Joint 130 may be the location where joint member 120 may contact sealing member 110 along contact surface 102.

[0059] Joint 130 may be a mechanical joint where joint member 120 and sealing member 110 meet and interlock. Joint 130 may prevent joint member 120 and sealing member 110 from separating.

[0060] Joint 130 may be any suitable joint for connecting sealing member 110 and joint member 120. In one embodiment, joint 130 may be any suitable joint known in the art, such as a dovetail joint, a puzzle joint, a scarf joint, a finger joint, a tongue and groove joint, a sliding dovetail joint, and a keyed joint.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4, joint 130 may have a continuous surface that defines a plurality of different geometric shapes, such as a polygon, triangle, square, rectangle, polygon, oval, circle, arrow, and an H-shape recessed into sealing member 110. Joint member 120 may be a complementary shape to the shape of joint 130 such that when450385.006991 3210WO01 joint member 120 is fit into the recessed shape of sealing member 110, joint 130 is created.

[0062] When a compressive force is applied to sealing element 100, a seal may be created from sealing member 110 contacting joint member 120 at joint 130 along contact surface 102.

[0063] The sealing element may have more than one joint 130a, 130b. The sealing element may comprise a plurality of joints. A plurality of joints may comprise a “o” number of joints, wherein o is an integer greater than 1, greater than 2, greater than 3, greater than 4, greater than 5, greater than 6, greater than 7, greater than 8, greater than 9, greater than 10, greater than 12, greater than 14, greater than 15, greater than 20, greater than 25, greater than 50, greater than 75, greater than 100, or any range of integers using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 1 to 100, 1 to 20, 1 to 15, 1 to 14, 1 to 13, 1 to 12, 1 to 11, 1 to 10, 1 to 9, 1 to 8, 1 to 7, 1 to 6, 1 to 5, 1 to 4, 1 to 3, 1 to 2, 10 to 75, or 25 to 50.

[0064] Referring back to FIG. 1, the sealing element may have joints 130a formed from a sealing member 110 and a joint member 120, described above, as well as interlocking joints 130b formed from just a sealing member 110. The sealing member 110 that forms interlocking joint 130b may comprise at least one pin component 112 and at least one tail component 114. Pin component 112 may fit into tail component 114 to form the interlocking joint 130b. Pin component 112 may be any shape, such as a triangle, square, rectangle, polygon, oval, circle, arrow, and an H-shape. Tail component 114 may be a recessed area in sealing member 100 that is a complementary shape to the shape of pin component 112, such that when pin component 112 and tail component 114 are connected at contact surface 102, they interlock to form interlocking joint 130b.

[0065] In one embodiment, sealing element 100 may have a first joint 130a formed at the contact between a first sealing member 110a, a second sealing member 110b, and a joint member 120. Further, sealing element 100 may have a second joint 130b formed from interlocking pieces 112, 114 of first sealing member 110a and second sealing member 110b. First sealing member 110a may have a pin component 112 that fits into a tail component 114 of second sealing member 110b.

[0066] Sealing element 100 may have any number of interlocking joints 130b in addition to joints 130a formed from a sealing member 110 and a joint member 120.

[0067] D. Unibody Design450385.006991 3210WO01

[0068] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a sealing element 200 may comprise a sealing member 210 and a joint member 220 in a single unibody design. Sealing member 210 and joint member 220 may be substantially similar to sealing member 110 and joint member 120, as described above. However, the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer of sealing member 210 may be combined with the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer of joint member 220, forming sealing element 200 with integrated sealing members 210 and joint members 220. The transition between the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer of sealing member 210 and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer of joint member 220 may be a gradient between the two materials. In the case of a gradient, there may be a portion of sealing element 200 that exhibits both auxetic and non-auxetic characteristics. Alternatively, the transition may be instantaneous and comprise no overlap between the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer.

[0069] II. Properties

[0070] A. Sealing

[0071] The sealing element may provide a gas-tight seal. The sealing element of the present disclosure may produce a normalized leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s, less than 0.005 mg / m / s, less than 0.001 mg / m / s, less than 0.0005 mg / m / s, or less than 0.0001 mg / m / s or any range using any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 0.0001 to 0.01 mg / m / s, 0.0005 to 0.005 mg / m / s, or 0.0005 to 0.001 mg / m / s, Helium at 1 MPa internal pressure, as measured according to EN13555:2021. The internal pressure may describe the force applied by the medium under pressure attempting to escape the sealing element.

[0072] A force or stress (“gasket stress”) may be applied to the sealing element to compress the sealing element. As shown in FIG. 7, the sealing element may still exhibit a gas-tight seal under a gasket stress of 10 MPa to 30 MPa.

[0073] The sealing element of the present disclosure may produce a normalized leakage rate of less than 7.0x1 O’4mg / m / s, less than 6.0x10‘4mg / m / s, less than 4.0x1 O’4mg / m / s, less than 3.0x1 O’4mg / m / s, or less than 2.5x1 O’4mg / m / s, or any range using any of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 2.5x10-4to 7.0x10-4mg / m / s, 3.0x10-4to 6.0x10-4mg / m / s, or 4.0x10‘4to 6.0x10~4mg / m / s, under 10 MPa of gasket stress as measured according to EN 13555:2021.

[0074] The sealing element of the present disclosure may produce a normalized leakage rate of less than 4.0x10-4mg / m / s, less than 3.0x1 O’4mg / m / s, less than 2.0x10"4mg / m / s, less than 1.5x10-4mg / m / s, or less than 1.0x10-4mg / m / s, or any range using450385.006991 3210WO01 any of the foregoing values as endpoints, such as 1.0x10-4to 4.0x10-4mg / m / s, 1.5x10-4to 3.0x10"4mg / m / s, or 2.0x10‘4to 3.0x10~4mg / m / s, under 30 MPa of gasket stress as measured according to EN 13555:2021.

[0075] III. Method

[0076] The present disclosure further provides a method of forming a seal between two contact surfaces. To form the seal, a first article having a first contact surface and a second article having a second contact surface may be provided. The first article may be first chamber of a pressurized vessel. The second article may be a second chamber of a pressurized vessel.

[0077] The first and second articles may be positioned such that the first contact surface of the first article is opposing the second contact surface of the second article. A sealing element of the present disclosure as described above may be positioned between the first contact surface and the second contact surface.

[0078] The first and second article may be compressed against the sealing element to form the seal. The compression may cause the auxetic material of the sealing member / s to contract and the non-auxetic material of the joint members to expand such that a gas-tight seal is created.

[0079] The sealing element may comprise a number of sealing members and sealing joints. In one embodiment, the sealing element has one sealing member and one sealing joint. In another embodiment, the sealing element comprises a plurality of sealing members and a plurality of sealing joints. For example, in FIG. 6, a sealing element 100 is formed using three sealing members 110a, 110b, 110c and three sealing joints 120a, 120b, 120c that seal along a first contact surface 102a, a second contact surface 102b, and a third contact surface 102c. At first contact surface 102a, a first joint 130a is formed by first sealing member 110a, third sealing member 110c, and first joint member 120a. Further, a second joint 130b is formed at first contact surface 102a. Second joint 130b is an interlocking joint formed from a pin component 112c of third sealing member 110c and a tail component 114a of first sealing member 110a.

[0080] At second contact surface 102b, a third joint 130c is formed by first sealing member 110a, second sealing member 110b, and second joint member 120b. Further, a fourth joint 130d is formed at second contact surface 102b. Fourth joint 130d is an interlocking joint formed from a pin component 112a of first sealing member 110a and a tail component 114b of second sealing member 110b.

[0081] At third contact surface 102c, a fifth joint 130e is formed by second sealing member 110b, third sealing member 110c, and third joint member 120c. Further, a sixth450385.006991 3210WO01 joint 130f is formed at third contact surface 102c. Sixth joint 130f is an interiocking joint formed from a pin component 112b of second sealing member 110b and a tail component 114c of third sealing member 110c.

[0082] This arrangement of sealing members, joint members, and joints may be repeated with any number of sealing members, joint members, and joints to form a sealing element.

[0083] The arrangement may also include multiple sealing elements either in series (such as in an engine cylinder head) against two contact surfaces or in parallel stacked between multiple contact surfaces. (Such as in plate heat exchanger or cell electrolysis system.)

[0084] While this disclosure has been described as having an exemplary design, the present disclosure may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practices in the art to which this disclosure pertains.EXAMPLES

[0085] Example 1:

[0086] Single point EN 13555:2024 Leakage tests were performed on an Amtec Fl.Ai1 flange gasket testing machine from AMTEC Messtechnischer Service GmbH using flat faces. Three cut sections were joined by the method shown to create a ring gasket with an outer diameter of 92mm and an inner diameter of 49mm. The 1.0 mm thick Gore GR Sheet Gasketing (GORE GR) gasket was stressed to 30 MPa at a rate of 0.1 MPa / s and then an internal pressure of 1 MPa was applied using helium. All connector materials were cut from DB15 Gore Joint Sealant FT (GORE JSFT) gasket tape. No adhesives were used. The system was then leak tested with a helium mass spectrometer in full vacuum mode. Then the stress is reduced to 10MPa at 0.1MPa / s and the leakage rate again obtained. The results of the leakage test are presented as normalized leakage rates with the units mg / m / s i.e. mg of helium per meter of seal per second in FIG. 7.

[0087] Example 2:

[0088] Multi stack square gasket system. A system leakage test was performed on a stacked gasket system, emulating an electrolyzer with 40 cells (80 gaskets). Two custom PN40 rated square steel flanges and 80 0.5mm steel inserts were used to450385.006991 3210WO01 create the system. Each insert has a 5mm central hole and is separated from the other by one gasket. The flanges were a square design which housed square gaskets with an outer dimension of 250 x 250mm and an inner of 200 x 200mm. The gasket material was 1.0mm thick GORE GR Sheet Gasketing (GORE GR) and the connector was DB15 Gore Joint Sealant FT (GORE JSFT). The gaskets were produced in 4 sections with joints in the corners, two types of joints were tested a “flat” joint in a straight line and a “mitered” joint which is diagonal over the comer both used the “arrow-round” configuration, shown in FIG 8. The system was hydraulically loaded to 30MPa in a load controlled hydraulic press and then locked together with 20 M24 stainless steel bolts (ASTM A193 Grade B16) with equivalent nuts. The hydraulic load is then slowly removed, transferring the load to the bolting system. A spring washer configuration was used to prevent any loss of load. The entire system was then pressurized with 10 bar air and measured for leakage using a differential pressure method. The tested total volume including pipework etc. was roughly 1.2 L. The flat version gave an overall leakage rate of 8.5x10-4mg / m / s (normalized as per EN 13555 leakage testing) and the mitered version 6.0x10‘4mg / m / s. The internal pressure was then released and the leakage measuring equipment disconnected. The flanged system was then moved into a laboratory oven and heat cycled from room temperature to 100°C for 8hrs. The flanges were allowed to cool back to room temperature naturally. After the heat cycle the leakage rate was tested again, just as before, and the “flat” gave a leakage rate of 1.4x10-4mg / m / s and the “mitered” 1.1x10-4mg / m / s. The flange system was then hydraulically loaded until the locked nuts became loose. The “flat” loosened at 26MPa and the “mitered” at 27MPa, showing the spring washer configuration retained most of the load during the heat cycle.

Claims

450385.006991 3210WO01 CLAIMS WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A sealing element having a sealing surface comprising:at least one sealing member comprising a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material;at least one joint member comprising a uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material, the joint member contacting the at least one sealing member along at least one contact surface to form a continuous surface; anda joint formed at the at least one contact surface;wherein the sealing element is configured to form a seal against the contact surface and through the sealing element upon compression.

2. The sealing element of claim 1, wherein the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is auxetic and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is non-auxetic.

3. The sealing element any one of the preceding claims, wherein the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material comprises at least one of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and expanded polyethylene (ePE); andwherein the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

4. The sealing element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the joint comprises a dovetail joint.

5. The sealing element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein before compression, the at one sealing member comprises a first thickness and the at least one joint member comprises a second thickness, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness.

6. The sealing element of claim 5, wherein a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is from 0.1 to 5.

7. The sealing element of either claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the first thickness is from 0.1 mm to 25 mm.450385.006991 3210WO018. The sealing element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one joint has a first shape and the at least one joint member has a second shape, the second shape being complementary to the first shape.

9. The sealing element of claim 8, wherein the first shape comprises at least one of a triangle, square, rectangle, polygon, oval, and circle.

10. The sealing element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein when the sealing element is under sufficient stress produces a normalized leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s Helium at 1 MPa internal pressure, as measured according to EN13555:2021.

11. The sealing element of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element is a gasket for a vessel having a chamber maintained at positive or negative pressure relative to the external pressure.

12. A method of forming a seal between two contact surfaces comprising:providing a first article having a first contact surface and second article having a second contact surface, the first contact surface opposing the second contact surface;positioning the sealing element of any one of claims 1-11 between the first contact surface and the second contact surface; andcompressing the first article and second article against the sealing element to form a seal.

13. A sealing element kit for forming a sealing element configured to provide a seal against a contact surface, comprising:at least one sealing member comprising a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material; andat least one joint member comprising a uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material, the joint member configured to contact the at least one sealing member along at least one contact surface to form a continuous surface;wherein when the at least one joint member contacts the at least one sealing member at the at least one contact surface, at least one joint is formed at the at least one contact surface.450385.006991 3210WO0114. The sealing element kit of claim 13, wherein the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material comprises at least one of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and expanded polyethylene (ePE), and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material comprises expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

15. The sealing element kit of either claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the at least one joint is a dovetail joint.

16. The sealing element kit of any one of claims 13-15, wherein the at least one joint has a first shape and the at least one joint member has a second shape, the second shape being complementary to the first shape.

17. The sealing element kit of any one of claims 13-16, wherein the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is auxetic and the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material is non-auxetic.

18. The sealing element kit of any one of claims 13-17, wherein the sealing element is a gasket for a pressurized vessel having a pressurized chamber.

19. The sealing element kit of any one of claim 13-18, wherein the sealing element is configured to form a seal against the contact surface upon compression; and wherein before compression, the at one sealing member comprises a first thickness and the at least one joint member comprises a second thickness, the second thickness being equal to or greater than the first thickness.

20. The sealing element kit of any one of claims 13-20, wherein when the sealing element under sufficient stress produces a normalized leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s Helium at 1 MPa internal pressure, as measured according to EN13555:2021.

21. A sealing element having a sealing surface comprising:at least one sealing member wherein the sealing member is an auxetic material; at least one joint member wherein the joint member is a non-auxetic material, the joint member contacting the at least one sealing member along at least one contact surface to form a continuous surface; and450385.006991 3210WO01 a joint formed at the at least one contact surface; wherein the sealing element is configured to form a seal against the contact surface and through the sealing element upon compression.

22. The sealing element of claim 21, wherein the auxetic material comprises a multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material and the non-auxetic material comprises a uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer.

23. The sealing element of claim 22, wherein the multiaxially expanded fluoropolymer material comprises at least one of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and expanded polyethylene (ePE); andwherein the uniaxially expanded fluoropolymer material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

24. The sealing element of any one of claims 21-23, wherein before compression, the at one sealing member comprises a first thickness and the at least one joint member comprises a second thickness, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness; andwherein a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is from 0.1 to 5.

25. The sealing element of any one of claims 21-24, wherein the at least one joint has a first shape and the at least one joint member has a second shape, the second shape being complementary to the first shape.

26. The sealing element of claim 25, wherein the first shape comprises at least one of a triangle, square, rectangle, polygon, oval, and circle.

27. The sealing element of any one of claims 21-26, wherein when the sealing element is under sufficient stress produces a normalized leakage rate of less than 0.01 mg / m / s Helium at 1 MPa internal pressure, as measured according to EN13555:2021.

28. The sealing element of any one of claims 21-27, wherein the sealing element is a gasket for a vessel having a chamber maintained at positive or negative pressure relative to the external pressure.

Images