Four Applications for Felt Gaskets

Industrial felt is a nonwoven textile made from wool, polyester, or a combination of the two. If you think felt is just a crafting material, think again. Industrial felt is produced to rigorous specifications and felt gaskets are found in a wide range of applications.

Basics of Felt Gasket Material

Industrial felt is made by entangling wool and other fibers. It’s sold in roll form and in a range of thicknesses and densities. It can be supplied with a PSA to simplify installation.

SAE standards assign F numbers to felt, which makes it practical to specify the type needed. Those most often used for gaskets are F-3, F-51 and F-55 although other grades are available.

Felt resists tearing and abrasion and polishing rather than wearing metal surfaces it rubs against. It’s compressible with good elastic recovery, and when made from wool it’s considered a “green”/sustainable material. Perhaps the most interesting thing about felt though is its open structure. This lets it hold and filter fluids, which leads to a host of applications.

Four Felt Gasket Applications

The main uses are:

  • Sealing

Felt gaskets are used as bearing seals and as wipers in motion systems. The fibrous structure stops dust from reaching the bearing surface and can also retain oil or grease for lubrication.

  • Lubrication

Felt is comparable to foam in how it can hold oil but has the advantage of “wicking” behavior. This refers to how it can “suck up” oil, which makes it an effective way of lubricating shafts and guideways.

  • Filtration

Felt is an excellent material for removing particulates from liquids and gases. It works down to micron level and can be oil-impregnated for even higher performance.

  • Noise and vibration attenuation

Felt gaskets are used in architectural and automotive applications to reduce the transmission of noise and vibration. This results from individual fibers absorbing energy by rubbing together rather than transmitting it.

Discuss Your Application With Us

If sealing, lubrication and filtration are of interest, talk to us. Our specialists can review your application and recommend a felt to improve performance, reliability and life. Contact us today!

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