9 Apr, 2026

Oil, Fuel and Hydrocarbons: CNAF vs Fibre vs Paper Gaskets

Hydrocarbons don’t care what your gaskets cost. Oil, fuel, petrol, diesel, hydraulic fluid – they’ll all find the weak point in a seal and exploit it. And in use cases where hydrocarbons are the process media, gasket material selection isn’t something you can afford to get wrong.

The three most common sheet gasket materials you’ll encounter are paper, vegetable fibre, and CNAF (compressed non-asbestos fibre). They’re all soft gaskets. They all come in sheets. They can all be cut to fit a flange. But they behave very differently when hydrocarbons are involved.

Here’s how they compare – and which one you should actually be using.

Quick Answer

• Paper gaskets are the cheapest option and work for very low-pressure, low-temperature hydrocarbon exposure – but they absorb oil over time and deteriorate.
• Vegetable fibre gaskets offer better oil and fuel resistance than paper and are a reliable choice for moderate-duty fuel, oil, and solvents.
• CNAF gaskets are the strongest performer across the board – higher temperature limits, better pressure ratings, superior chemical resistance, and longer service life in hydrocarbon environments.

If the application involves sustained contact with oil, fuel, or any hydrocarbon-based media at elevated temperatures or pressures, CNAF materials are almost always the right call.

Paper Gaskets: Where They Fit (and Where They Don’t)

A paper gasket is made from compressed cellulose fibre – essentially a dense, engineered paper, sometimes treated with a resin or binder. They’re the most basic and affordable option, and for simple, low-demand sealing jobs, they do the trick.

The problem with paper in hydrocarbon service is absorption. Cellulose is naturally porous. When exposed to oil or fuel, paper gaskets wick the media into the body of the material. Over time, the gasket softens, swells unevenly, and loses its ability to maintain a consistent seal. In short, it’s not that paper can’t handle brief or light contact with hydrocarbons. It’s that it won’t hold up over sustained exposure.

Paper gaskets are suitable for:

• Low-pressure access covers where oil contact is incidental, not continuous
• Temporary seals or equipment that’s frequently disassembled
• Dry gas or air lines at ambient temperatures

Paper gaskets are not suitable for:

• Continuous oil or fuel immersion
• Anything above ~100°C
• Pressurised fuel or hydraulic lines
• Applications where wicking or swelling would cause a leak

A good paper gasket manufacturer will be upfront about these limitations. Paper has its place, but it’s a narrow window when hydrocarbons are involved.

Vegetable Fibre Gaskets: The Middle Ground

Vegetable fibre (sometimes called “Detroiter” material) is a step up from basic paper. It’s made from plant-based cellulose fibres treated with a glue-glycerine compound, which gives it better resistance to oils, fuels, and solvents than untreated paper.

This material has been around for decades, and it’s still widely used in automotive fuel systems, pump flanges, oil seals, and general industrial equipment. It’s flexible, compresses well against imperfect flange surfaces, and it handles light-to-moderate hydrocarbon exposure without falling apart.

Key characteristics:

• Good resistance to petroleum oils, fuel oils, petrol, and greases
• Temperature limit of approximately 120°C (250°F)
• Suitable for low-pressure only
• Conforms well to minor flange irregularities
• Economical and easy to cut

The trade-off is durability. Vegetable fibre gaskets are tougher than paper in oil service, but they’re still a cellulose-based product. Under sustained high temperatures, continuous immersion, or any meaningful pressure, they’ll degrade faster than a synthetic alternative. They also remain a single-use gasket – once compressed, they don’t recover.

For older equipment, low-pressure fuel connections, and moderate-duty oil-handling applications, vegetable fibre is a solid and cost-effective choice. But when conditions get more demanding, it runs out of headroom fast.

CNAF Gaskets: Built for the Job

CNAF (compressed non-asbestos fibre) is the modern workhorse of industrial gasket materials. 

Unlike paper and vegetable fibre, CNAF sheets are engineered from synthetic fibres (typically aramid or glass) bonded with a rubber-based binder (usually nitrile, SBR, or neoprene). The result is a gasket material that’s stronger, more chemically resistant, and vastly more durable than cellulose-based alternatives.

For oil, fuel, and hydrocarbon specifically, CNAF offers several advantages:

Chemical resistance

CNAF materials bonded with nitrile (NBR) binders have excellent resistance to petroleum oils, mineral oils, fuels, hydraulic fluids, and a broad range of hydrocarbons. Unlike paper and vegetable fibre, they don’t absorb the media – the rubber binder acts as a barrier.

Temperature range

Depending on the grade, CNAF gaskets can handle continuous service temperatures from -50°C up to 300–400°C. That’s two to three times the limit of paper or vegetable fibre. For hot oil systems, engine, or process lines with thermal cycling, this headroom matters.

Pressure rating

General-purpose CNAF grades handle pressures up to 60 bar. Premium grades rated to BS7531 Grade X or Y can go higher. By contrast, paper and vegetable fibre are limited to the lowest pressure classes.

Creep resistance

CNAF gaskets hold their compression far better over time. They maintain bolt load and sealing pressure, which means fewer re-torques and fewer callbacks.

Versatility

A single CNAF grade – say an aramid fibre in NBR binder – can often handle oil, fuel, water, steam, gases, and dilute chemicals. That means less inventory and less room for error when someone grabs the wrong gasket from the shelf.

If you need custom-made gaskets for a specific flange size or unusual geometry, CNAF sheeting can be precision-cut on a CNC machine to match your drawings exactly.

A Side-by-Side Comparison

Property	Paper	Vegetable Fibre	CNAF
Oil/fuel resistance	Poor – absorbs and degrades	Good – moderate-duty service	Excellent – sustained immersion
Max. temperature	~100°C	~120°C	300–400°C (grade dependent)
Pressure rating	Very low	Low	Low to medium (up to 60+ bar)
Creep resistance	Poor	Fair	Good to excellent
Reusability	No	No	No (but longer service life)
Cost	Lowest	Low	Moderate
Best for hydrocarbons	Incidental contact only	Light-to-moderate oil/fuel duty	Sustained hydrocarbon service

So Which One Should You Use?

It comes down to what the gasket is actually seeing in service.

If the environment involves brief or incidental contact with hydrocarbons at low temperature and low pressure – an access panel on a gearbox, for example – paper or vegetable fibre will do the job affordably.

If the gasket is in continuous contact with oil, fuel, or any hydrocarbon-based media – particularly at elevated temperatures or pressures – CNAF is the right material. The upfront cost is slightly higher, but the service life, reliability, and reduced maintenance make it the more economical choice over time.

And if you’re not sure? Talk to our experienced industrial gasket supplier at Industrial Experts. We can review your operating conditions, recommend the right CNAF grade for your media and temperature range, and supply gaskets cut to your exact specifications – standard or custom.