Identify the Sanitary Gasket Polymer Material by Checking the Color Code

Sanitary gaskets come in a variety of elastomer materials.  There are a lot of choices allowing the end user to pick a gasket material that best suits their process needs for chemical compatibility, thermal properties and purity.  Yet while there are all of these different materials available, most gaskets come in one of two colors, black and white.
So when you are changing out a gasket, how can you be sure the new gasket you are putting in is the right material?  Simple, just look at the color code on the side of the gasket.  Most sanitary gaskets come with a series of colored dots on the side of the gasket that signifies the polymer material the sanitary gasket is constructed from.  Listed below are the more common color codes.

• Buna:  One red dot
• Sulfur Cured EPDM:  One green dot
• Peroxide Cured EPDM:  Three green dots
• FKM (Viton):  One white and one yellow dot
• Peroxide Cured Silicone:  One pink dot
• Platinum Cured Silicone:  No dot
• PTFE (Teflon): No dot
• PTFE Envelope Gasket with EPDM Core:  Three green dots
• PTFE Envelope Gasket with FKM Core:  One white and one yellow dot

These codes generally hold true regardless of the gasket material.  EPDM, FKM and Buna sanitary gaskets are available in both black and white material. The material color codes remain the same for each material regardless of color and manufacturer. While platinum cured silicone and PTFE sanitary gaskets don’t have a code, this normally presents few problem as the material properties of these gaskets are unique and they are readily identifiable based on visual appearance and tactile touch.

If you want more assurance that you are putting the right material into your process line, special colored sanitary gaskets are available in many materials.  If you want to look into this or have any other questions regarding sanitary gaskets contact us and we would be happy to discuss your specific situation.  We’re here to help.