Flanges on glasslined equipment are vulnerable to failure. This begins the downward cycle toward eventual replacement of the equipment often sooner rather than later. Failure at the flange is among the most frequent causes for equipment replacement or re-glass leading to costly equipment repairs, downtime, and replacement.
Flanges are the weak link in the system, a failed gasket resulting in a very small leak will lead to the corrosion of the carbon steel flange from the outside. Proper gasket use of is of utmost importance.
The first sign of a problem is a slight leak at the flange joint. The first and worst response is usually to tighten the clamps to stop the leak. The CRT gasket will have lost its compressibility so the force is then transferred directly to the flange. The induced stress results in the glass fracturing.
A standard repair is typically a tantalum or Teflon sleeve. This method requires a specially formed patch to conform to multiple radii and seal along the flange face.