Quick summary
- Corrugated metal gaskets use a formed metal core with optional graphite or PTFE facing.
- Excellent recovery makes them ideal for heat exchangers, boilers, and thermal cycling duty.
- Graphite facing for high temperature and steam; PTFE facing for aggressive chemical service.
- Tighten bolts in a star pattern — uneven compression is the most common installation error.
Industrial sealing systems often face high temperatures, fluctuating pressures, and aggressive process media that compromise gasket performance. The wrong seal leads to leaks, equipment damage, and costly unplanned maintenance.
A corrugated metal gasket is a robust semi-metallic sealing solution designed for applications requiring excellent recovery, high mechanical strength, and dependable long-term sealing. Its corrugated metal core — combined with soft facing materials when required — delivers outstanding performance across heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, and process piping.
This guide covers corrugated metal gasket construction, core and facing materials, gasket types, applications, selection criteria, and common installation mistakes — so engineers and procurement teams can specify with confidence.
What is a corrugated metal gasket?
A corrugated metal gasket is a semi-metallic seal manufactured from a thin metal sheet mechanically formed into concentric or parallel corrugations. These corrugations improve flexibility and recovery while maintaining the structural strength of the metal core.
For enhanced sealing performance, the corrugated core is often faced with soft materials such as flexible graphite, PTFE, or expanded graphite. This design enables the gasket to seal effectively under varying temperatures, bolt loads, and thermal cycling — particularly on heat exchangers and equipment where flange movement is expected.
How does a corrugated metal gasket work?
The corrugated profile creates multiple sealing contact points across the flange face. When compressed between two mating flanges, the corrugations deform uniformly, the facing material flows into minor surface imperfections, and the metal core maintains structural integrity under internal pressure.
This combination distributes sealing pressure evenly across the flange and delivers reliable performance through thermal expansion, pressure fluctuations, and repeated cycling — provided the correct core metal and facing grade are specified.
Construction of a corrugated metal gasket
Every corrugated metal gasket combines a formed metal core with optional facing layers on one or both sealing surfaces. Understanding each component helps avoid specification errors in the field.
Corrugated metal core materials
The metal core provides strength, resilience, and recovery after compression. Core material selection depends on operating pressure, temperature, and corrosion resistance requirements.
- Stainless Steel 304 — general industrial and heat exchanger service
- Stainless Steel 316 — chloride and chemically aggressive environments
- Carbon Steel — lower-cost applications where corrosion is not a concern
- Monel — hydrofluoric acid and seawater applications
- Inconel — extreme temperature and severe corrosion duty
- Titanium — highly corrosive chemical environments
- Hastelloy — aggressive acid and specialty chemical service
Facing materials
Facing layers improve sealing by compensating for flange surface irregularities and reducing the seating stress required to achieve a leak-tight joint.
- Flexible Graphite — high temperature, steam, and hydrocarbon service (most common facing)
- PTFE — aggressive chemicals, high purity, and pharmaceutical applications
- Expanded Graphite — enhanced conformability on uneven or worn flange surfaces
- Ceramic fibre — specialist high-temperature applications beyond standard graphite limits
Types of corrugated metal gaskets
Corrugated metal gasket types differ by facing material and whether the gasket is a standard catalogue size or custom-fabricated for specific equipment.
- Bare corrugated metal gasket — metal-to-metal sealing where facing is not required and operating conditions permit
- Graphite-faced corrugated metal gasket — excellent sealing for high-temperature and steam applications
- PTFE-faced corrugated metal gasket — outstanding chemical resistance for corrosive process media
- Custom corrugated metal gasket — engineered to customer-specific dimensions, materials, and operating requirements
Advantages of corrugated metal gaskets
Corrugated metal gaskets are specified where recovery, strength, and thermal cycling performance matter more than the maximum pressure rating of a spiral wound gasket.
- Excellent mechanical strength and structural integrity under bolt load
- High temperature resistance with graphite or appropriate metal core grade
- Outstanding recovery characteristics after thermal cycling
- Low creep compared with non-metallic sheet gaskets
- Uniform load distribution across the corrugated sealing profile
- Reliable sealing performance on heat exchangers and cycling duty equipment
- Long service life when correctly specified and installed
- Available in standard flange sizes and fully custom dimensions
Common corrugated metal gasket applications
Corrugated metal gaskets are widely used in industrial sectors that demand reliable sealing under thermal cycling and moderate-to-high pressure conditions.
- Heat exchangers — shell, channel, and cover flanges
- Boilers and steam systems
- Pressure vessels and process reactors
- Oil and gas pipelines and process equipment
- Petrochemical and refinery plants
- Chemical processing facilities
- Power stations and turbine flanges
- Marine engine room and cargo systems
- Industrial pipelines, pumps, compressors, and valves
Corrugated metal gasket vs spiral wound gasket
Both are semi-metallic sealing solutions, but they suit different operational requirements. Corrugated metal gaskets excel in recovery and heat exchanger applications where the corrugated core maintains sealing contact through thermal movement.
Spiral wound gaskets offer higher proven pressure class capability across standard ASME raised-face piping and remain the default for 300# and above process lines. For a detailed spiral wound comparison, see our Complete Guide to Spiral Wound Gaskets. For grooved-core alternatives, see our Kammprofile Gasket Guide.
How to choose the right corrugated metal gasket
Correct corrugated metal gasket specification requires matching core metal, facing material, and dimensions to the actual flange and operating conditions.
- Operating temperature — minimum and maximum; graphite facing for high temperature, PTFE for chemical service below ~260°C
- Operating pressure — confirm gasket construction suits the system pressure rating and flange class
- Process media — select compatible core metal and facing for chemical resistance and corrosion protection
- Flange design — raised face, flat face, or special configuration; confirm NPS and bolt circle dimensions
- Flange condition — worn faces may benefit from graphite or expanded graphite facing for improved conformability
- Recovery requirements — thermal cycling duty favours corrugated metal over flat sheet gaskets
- Industry standards — ASME B16.20, project specifications, and material certification requirements
Common installation mistakes
Improper installation reduces gasket performance regardless of material quality. Avoid these frequent errors:
- Uneven bolt tightening — always use a star (cross) pattern in multiple passes
- Incorrect gasket dimensions — inner diameter, outer diameter, or thickness mismatch
- Installing on severely damaged flange faces without surface assessment
- Reusing a compressed or deformed gasket after opening a flange
- Selecting incompatible core metal or facing material for the process medium
- Applying excessive bolt load beyond the manufacturer's recommended seating stress
Why specify Kemicon for corrugated metal gaskets
Corrugated metal gasket performance depends on corrugation geometry, facing bond quality, and correct core metal grade — none of which is visible once the flange is closed.
Kemicon Industrial LLP manufactures corrugated metal gaskets with precision-formed cores, premium graphite and PTFE facings, strict dimensional inspection, and Material Test Reports on request. Standard catalogue sizes and fully custom configurations are available for heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, and process piping.
Share your flange dimensions, operating conditions, and facing preference — our engineering team will confirm the correct corrugated metal gasket specification before manufacture.
Quick recommendations
- Heat exchanger / boiler flangesGraphite-faced corrugated metal
- Thermal cycling dutyCorrugated metal — SS 316 core
- Aggressive chemical mediaPTFE-faced corrugated metal
- High-pressure standard pipingSpiral Wound — Graphite-filled
- Metal-to-metal groove flangeBare corrugated metal
Frequently asked questions
What is a corrugated metal gasket?
Where are corrugated metal gaskets used?
Which materials are used in corrugated metal gaskets?
What is the difference between a corrugated metal gasket and a spiral wound gasket?
Are corrugated metal gaskets suitable for high temperatures?
Can corrugated metal gaskets be custom manufactured?
Which industries commonly use corrugated metal gaskets?
How do I choose the correct corrugated metal gasket?
Still unsure which specification fits?
Talk to our gasket engineer. Share medium, temperature, pressure class, and flange standard - we will recommend the right construction.
