What Type of Gasket Material Is Used Around Gasoline?

Gasoline can prove to be a highly corrosive substance when exposed to materials that are not designed to resist it. This makes gasket selection critical to prevent leaks and potential fires.

Applications

Applications fall into two categories: immersion and incidental contact. Immersion applications are those where the gasket material is in constant contact with liquid fuel (as in carburetor fuel bowls), and incidental applications are those where the gasket is not constantly immersed.

Synthetic Rubber

Synthetic gaskets are usually made of neoprene or nitrile rubber. These are synthetic rubber compounds, and are also used to produce chemical resistant gloves.

Natural Gaskets

Vegetable fiber sheets (or "impregnated cork gaskets") are tough, pliable materials used for incidental contact applications. They are made by combining plant fibers with a sealing resin.

Synthetics

EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber is not a synthetic rubber in the technical sense. It is a rubberlike compound made from ethylene and propylene, and is well suited for high-temperature (350 degrees Fahrenheit and up) immersion applications.

Silicone

Although they are not recommended for gasoline-contact applications, high-temperature RTVs (room-temperature vulcanizing silicone sealants) are proven performers for nonimmersion applications.

References

• Lamonsgasket: Gasket Materials
• Hotrodders: Gas-Resistant Gaskets
• Jpmagazine: Carburetor Gaskets