Month: September 2026

Industrial gasket selection for pressure vessels and heat exchangers: materials, joint geometry, and bolt load

September 17, 2026 by Harris Thermal

A gasket is specified from a chemical compatibility chart, the material is correct for the fluid, and the joint leaks anyway. On the next turnaround the specification moves to a more expensive material that also leaks. The chart was never wrong. It answered a question about chemistry while the joint was failing on mechanics — … Read more

Clad pressure vessels: when clad construction makes more sense than solid alloy

September 9, 2026 by Harris Thermal

A corrosive process may require titanium, a nickel alloy or a high-molybdenum stainless steel at the wetted surface. That requirement applies to the surface the process touches. It does not automatically apply to the full thickness of the pressure boundary behind it. Clad construction separates those two jobs. A structural base material carries the design … Read more