One of the more desirable properties of an effective gasket in industrial applications for compressed fiber gasket material is the ability to withstand high compressive loads. Most industrial gasket applications involve bolts exerting compression well into the 14 MPa (2000 psi) range or higher. Generally speaking, there are several truisms that allow for best gasket performance. One of the more tried and tested is: "The more compressive load exerted on the gasket, the longer it will last".

There are several ways to measure a gasket material's ability to withstand compressive loading. The "hot compression test" is probably the most accepted of these tests. Most manufacturers of gasket materials will provide or publish the results of these tests.

Gasket design
Gaskets come in many different designs based on industrial usage, budget, chemical contact and physical parameters:

Sheet gaskets
The premise is simple in that a sheet of material has the gasket shape "punched out" of it. This leads to a very crude, fast and cheap gasket. In previous times the material was compressed asbestos, but in modern times a fibrous material such as graphite is used. These Gasket Sheet can fill many chemical requirements based on the inertness of the material used and fit many budgetary restraints. Common practice prevents these gaskets from being used in many industrial processes based on temperature and pressure concerns.
(source: Indicative list of Hong Kong Convention, it shows out that asbestos containing gaskets are manufactured at last till mid of this year in China and have been sold worldwide)