TYPES OF FLANGE FACINGS Gaskets of different materials are used to provide a seal between the mating flanges.

In order for the gaskets to be effective, the facing of the flange has to be machined to specific dimensions and tolerances in accordance with the type of gasket to be used. The gasket faces referenced in this web site and normally supplied are: a. Raised Face b. Flat Face c. Ring Type Joint (RTJ) In addition, special application facings are available on request. These include the following: a. Small Tongue and Groove b. Large Tongue and Groove c. Small Male and Female d. Large Male and Female FLANGE FACING FINISH The flange facing most commonly used is the "raised face." It is referred to as a raised face because the gasket surfaces are raised .060" or .250" above the bolting circle face. Pressure rating of the flange determines the height of the raised face. The "flat face" or "full face" flange has a gasket surface in the same plane as the bolting circle face. Applications using flat face flanges or full face flanges are frequently those in which the mating flange or flanged fitting is made from a casting. Raised and flat flange facings are machined and may be either phonographic serrated or concentric serrated. The industry standard is a phonographic serrated finish. The facing finish is judged by visual comparison with Roughness Average (Ra) standards. Ra is stated in microinches (in) or micrometers (m) and is shown as an Arithmetic Average Roughness Height (AARH) or Root Mean Square (RMS). AARH and RMS are different methods of calculation giving essentially the same result and are used interchangeably for these products. The standard Ra supplied by the industry is 125 to 250 in or 3.2 to 6.3 m AARH or RMS. Short form is 125-250 AARH or 3.2-6.4 AARH. Smoother or rougher finishes are available at the customers request. The gasket contact surface for a ring joint (RTJ) flange is inside the groove cut into the face. The steel ring gasket fits into the grooves of the mating flanges and is sealed with pressure. The finish in the ring grooves and on

the ring gasket is 63 in AARH or 1.6 m AARH maximum. Facings for tongue and groove or male and female faces are provided in accordance with customer requirements.