The metal spiral wound gasket with an outer ring is a high-quality gasket made by spirally winding metal strips and other alloy products around soft materials such as graphite, asbestos, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and non-asbestos, with the beginning and end being welded and fixed. Metal spiral wound gaskets are semi-metal gaskets with good elasticity. The density of metal spiral wound gaskets can be customized according to different clamping force requirements, and the clamping degree can be controlled by the inner and outer steel rings.

With the development of new sealing technologies and the accumulation of experience, replacing some gaskets with new spiral wound gaskets can significantly enhance sealing performance.

In low and medium-pressure applications, metal spiral wound gaskets are now also being used in pipelines with low temperatures and pressures where asbestos rubber gaskets were previously used. Asbestos rubber gaskets are not suitable for use with oily substances due to issues such as flange bonding, dissolution, filler carbonization, chloride ion and sulfate leaching.

Furthermore, asbestos products do not comply with environmental regulations and have been banned for use in many countries and regions. In low and medium-pressure applications, metal spiral wound gaskets can be used as a replacement for existing asbestos rubber gaskets. Compared to asbestos rubber gaskets, metal spiral wound gaskets are less prone to adhering to flanges, easier to replace, and provide reliable sealing. Compared to other semi-metal gaskets (such as soft graphite composite gaskets and metal jacketed gaskets), metal spiral wound gaskets have high material utilization rates and are relatively inexpensive.

Depending on the materials used for the metal strips, non-metal strips, inner ring, and outer ring, metal spiral wound gasket standards can be applied to various environments with extremely hazardous, highly hazardous, or flammable substances, as well as high temperatures, large temperature differences, or extremely low temperatures. They are high-pressure gaskets with good sealing performance and can be widely used for sealing various low and medium-pressure equipment and pipe flanges. Currently, graphite gaskets are widely used in refineries, accounting for more than 80% of commonly used sealing gaskets.