Laminate Gasket with Woven Core

A laminate gasket for sealing between two opposing surfaces, the gasket comprising:

• a core layer comprising:
• a cloth formed from woven fiberglass and having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
• and
• a binder material impregnating the cloth and at least partially coating the first and second surfaces;
• a first facing layer adhered to the first surface with cured binder material and a second facing layer adhered to the second surface with cured binder material to form a laminate base sheet, each of the first facing layer and the second facing layer comprising a fiber composite material;
• at least one process aperture formed through the laminate base sheet;
• and
• an edge seal formed around an inner edge of the process aperture to prevent interstitial leakage of a process fluid into the core layer,
• wherein the core layer is pervious to water vapor.

A method of making a laminate gasket for sealing between two opposing surfaces, the method comprising:

• obtaining a sheet of woven fiberglass fibers having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
• impregnating the sheet with a wet binder material comprising an acrylic latex to at least partially coat the first and second surfaces;
• applying a first facing layer formed from a fiber composite material to the first surface;
• applying a second facing layer formed from the fiber composite material to the second surface;
• heating the sheet and the applied first and second facing layers to a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time to cure the binder material and form a sheet of laminate gasket material;
• cutting a laminate base sheet from the sheet of laminate gasket material, the laminate base sheet having at least one process aperture and a plurality of bolt holes;
• forming an edge seal on an inner edge of the at least one process aperture;
• and
• cutting away an outer portion of the laminate base sheet to define the outer dimensions of the laminate gasket.