“It’s Leaking Again” — Those Dreaded Words

Whether you’re in the water treatment, chlorine, or bottled gases industry, few words cause the same dismay as those three. The natural inclination is to blame the sealant, but in many cases, the sealant is not to blame.

Fluoramics has done a fishbone analysis on the causes of leaks, and we will break down the elements in this eight-part series.

  1. Low-Cost, Low-Quality Fittings
  2. Fitting Material Selection
  3. Cracked Plastic Fittings
  4. Tape or No Tape, Type of Tape
  5. Cold Flow
  6. Repairs & Maintenance
  7. Gas Attack & Chemicals
  8. Type of Thread Sealant

Today we will be focusing on part seven: Gas Attack & Chemicals

What is Gas Attack?

Gas attack is a term for the chemical or physical degradation of materials caused by exposure to certain gases, particularly those that are highly reactive, under high pressure, or present in extreme temperature conditions.

Here’s how it works:

  • Permeation: Small gas molecules like helium or hydrogen can seep through sealants or plastic components over time, especially when under pressure.
  • Chemical breakdown: Reactive gases such as oxygen or ozone can chemically react with a sealant or gasket material, causing oxidation, brittleness, or swelling.
  • Thermal stress: Gases under high temperatures accelerate material degradation, causing a once-reliable seal to fail prematurely.

This results in leaks that aren’t due to poor application or a faulty product—but rather, a mismatch between the materials used and the gas environment.

What About Chemical Exposure?

Just like gases, chemicals can aggressively attack seals and fittings. Depending on the materials they contact, some chemicals cause softening, cracking, or embrittlement. And the more caustic or oxidative the chemical, the more severe the damage.

These chemicals are frequently responsible for causing leaks—not because the sealant failed, but because it wasn’t chemically compatible:

  • Chlorine: A strong oxidizer that degrades materials over time.
  • Chlorine Dioxide: Highly unstable and corrosive, especially in pressurized systems.
  • Hypochlorite: Common in water treatment, but tough on materials.
  • Sodium Hydroxide: Also known as Caustic Soda; can soften or embrittle sealants.
  • Sulfuric Acid: Extremely corrosive, especially in high concentrations.
  • Ozone: Rapidly deteriorates rubber and unprotected polymers.
  • Hydrofluosilicic Acid: A powerful acid used in fluoridation, highly reactive with most metals.

Why These Factors Cause Leaks

Leaks in chemical or gas-rich environments are often blamed on thread sealants, but here’s what’s really going on:

  • Material incompatibility: The sealant used wasn’t rated to withstand the chemical or gas in the system.
  • Accelerated degradation: Heat, pressure, and chemical reactions break down materials faster than expected.
  • Permeation and micro-leaks: Some gases don’t cause immediate failure, but slowly penetrate or erode the seal.

So, the sealant may have done its job but was put into an application it was never designed for.

How to Prevent These Leaks

  • Choose a sealant built for the job.
    A universal or multipurpose sealant may not survive in highly reactive environments. Choose a product specifically engineered for chemical resistance, like LOX-8, which is designed to stand up to oxygen, chlorine, and other aggressive gases and chemicals.
  • Know your chemistry.
    Check the chemical compatibility of your entire system—sealants, gaskets, and even the piping material. A failure in any one component can lead to leaks.

Use Fluoramics Sealants

Assuming you’ve found the source of your leaks, Fluoramics’ sealants are an excellent option to ensure no further leaking.

  • LOX-8 Thread Sealant is highly recommended where oxygen or harsh chemicals such as chlorine or powerful oxidizers are present. It is the product of choice in applications where critical safety and resistance to aggressive chemicals are primary requirements. Providing superior performance as a sealant and anti-galling agent, LOX-8 withstands both high extreme temperatures and high pressure, plus it is NSF-approved for food processing services.
  • LOX-8 Full Density Thread Seal Tape is a multipurpose pipe sealing tape for sealing threads and preventing leaks. It is suitable for sealing threaded connections in multiple environments, is oxygen-approved, and is colored green to designate suitability for use on oxygen connections. It may be used alone or with Fluoramics’ pipe thread sealants.
  • Formula-8 seals threads in gas, liquid, and vacuum service. Oxygen-safe and NSF-approved for food processing services, Formula-8 is a water-based thread-sealing compound compatible with hydraulic oils and systems, PVC piping, cryogenics, and high temperatures. This sealant works by wetting into and sealing threaded joints when torqued, and is engineered to seal over the entire thread length for the life of the joint in liquid, gas, and vacuum service.

If you haven’t found the source of your leaks, stay tuned for the next edition of Don’t Blame the Sealant where we will discuss Type of Thread Sealant.

Shop LOX-8 Thread Sealant Now> LOX-8 Thread Sealant

Shop LOX-8 Full Density Thread Seal Tape Now> LOX-8 Full Density Thread Seal Tape

Shop Formula-8 Now> Formula-8

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