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Rubber expansion joints, vibration inserts
Rubber expansion joints , or vibration inserts, are flexible inserts , made of natural and synthetic elastic materials. They are used to compensate thermal displacements or misalignment of the pipelines. It is also applied for eliminating and reducing vibrations and absorbing noises caused by work of pipeline, pumps and other equipment.
Rubber expansion joints joints are installed in cooling, heating and ventilation systems at different plants, factories, nuclear power stations and ships. They can be used in city water-supply and sewer systems, water-preparation and water cleansing stations, in pumps, turbines and boilers for compensating big thermal displacements; oscillation, vibration and noise elimination, and for absorbing hydraulic impacts.
Despite of some restrictions in operating parameters (maximum operating temperature is 130 C and maximum operating pressure is 16 atmospheres), rubber expansion joints have some advantages in comparison with other types of expansion joints:
- Relatively small weight and, therefore, there is no necessity to use special installing equipment;
- Due to vibration inserts flexibility it is possible for an item to restore its form after any displacements and deformation requires less effort;
- Natural and synthetic elastic materials are not exposed to fatigue, they do not become fragile and they prevent any electrolysis influence;
- Heat losses are reduced, but at the same time U-shaped loops increase heat losses;
- Rubber expansion joints are made of different types of elastic materials, each of that is selected depending on the conditions of exploitation and on conducting environment. So this prolongs the expansion joint lifetime and increases its resistance to corrosion, erosion and abrasive materials;
- They do not need sealing washer;
- They greatly reduce vibration and noise level in pipeline systems as the elastic component acts as a damper;
- This type of expansion joints has good resistance to load impacts caused by hydraulic impacts, cavitations in a pump.
