What Is a Sealing Device?
Sealing devices are materials and components that seal imperfect surfaces between materials to prevent liquids, gases, powders, and other objects from leaking outside or flowing inside.
It is commonly referred to as a seal, sealant, sealing material, etc. Sealing devices can be broadly divided into those used in mechanical engineering and those used in civil engineering and construction.
Types of Sealing Devices (Mechanical Engineering)
Typical sealing devices used in mechanical engineering are packings and gaskets.
Packings used on moving surfaces are called dynamic seals, while gaskets used on stationary surfaces are called fixed seals. Packings are classified into two types: contact type, in which the sealing surfaces make direct contact, and non-contact type, in which the sealing surfaces face each other across a gap without contact.
Contact-type gaskets include oil seals, mechanical seals, lip packings (U-packings, V-packings, etc.), squeeze packings (O-rings, D-rings, X-rings, etc.), etc. Non-contact-type gaskets include magnetic fluid seals and labyrinth seals.
Gaskets are broadly classified into metal gaskets and non-metal gaskets such as paper gaskets, silicone gaskets, and rubber gaskets. Each has different elasticity, chemical resistance, and heat resistance, so the appropriate one must be selected according to the type of fluid to be sealed, pressure, and temperature.
In addition, there are gaskets and packings specialized for specific applications, such as dust seals used to prevent dust from entering from the outside.
Types of Sealing Devices (Civil Engineering and Construction)
Sealing devices in the civil engineering and construction fields are used to make buildings and exterior walls airtight, waterproof, and durable. The main types of sealing devices and equipment are tapes, such as butyl tape and waterproofing tape, and pastes called caulking materials and sealants.
Caulking materials come in a variety of materials, including acrylic, urethane, and silicone, and are filled using specialized caulking guns.