Gasket material
Cellulose (Vegetable) Fiber Gasket Material
Cellulose fiber, also sold as vegetable fiber or by the Detroiter® name, is plant fiber saturated with a glue-glycerin binder. It is the thin, low-cost gasket paper for oil, water, grease and air on covers, pumps and small engines. We cut it to your drawing on the waterjet.
- Family
- Cellulose fiber sheet
- Temperature
- To 121 C (250 F)
- Thickness
- 0.006 in to 1/4 in
- Formats
- Sheets and rolls from the maker
- Designations
- ASTM F104; MIL-G-12803; HH-P-96
- Product
- Sheet gaskets waterjet-cut to your drawing in Orange, California
Figures are the cited maker or standards values; the sheet datasheet and your application govern the final choice.
Every common gasket sheet material is quick for us to source, and we cut it to your print on our waterjet.
What cellulose fiber seals
Cellulose fiber is the gasket paper under gearbox covers, oil pumps, carburetors, small-engine cases and pipe unions where the load is light, the medium is oil, water, grease or air, and the temperature stays below about 121 C [S1, S2]. It is cheap, it seals well on machined faces, and it comes thin enough for shims and spacers.
It is not a pressure or steam sheet. Wet, it swells and softens; dry, it is stiff. For hot water or steam use EPDM; for higher pressure and temperature, compressed non-asbestos fiber; for a rough cover face, cork-rubber.
Callouts
Prints name it by brand (Detroiter, Vellumoid®) or by specification: ASTM F104 classifies cellulose gasket sheet under its own type, and older prints carry SAE J90, HH-P-96 or MIL-G-12803 [S2, S3]. Any of those, with the thickness, is enough to source the sheet.
Specifications
Cellulose (Vegetable) Fiber specifications
| Property | Value (in / mm, C / F as stated) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Plant fiber sheet saturated with a glue-glycerin binder and set with a tanning agent; 45 to 55 percent fiber | [S1] |
| Temperature, maximum | 121 C (250 F) | [S1, S2] |
| Media | Oil, water, grease, air and solvents (general-purpose gasketing) | [S2] |
| Thickness | 0.006, 0.010, 0.015, 0.021, 0.031, 0.046, 0.062, 0.096 and 0.125 in and larger; to 1/4 in | [S1, S2] |
| Designations | ASTM F104; ASTM D1170; SAE J90; HH-P-96G Type 1; MIL-G-12803 | [S2, S3] |
How we cut it
Gaskets are waterjet-cut to your drawing in Orange, California. Send a DXF, DWG or PDF with the thickness, the material or the specification callout, and the quantity. There is no die to build, so a single prototype and a repeat run go through the same setup, and a revision needs only a new file. The sheet comes from the sheet makers we buy from, to the callout on your print; the cutting is ours. Fiber sheet is brittle dry and swells wet, so thin gauges are cut with the least water the part allows and dried flat; very thin shims may go to a cutting partner for dry knife cutting.
Where Cellulose (Vegetable) Fiber is used, and the usual alternatives
The print or the sheet datasheet governs; these are the sheets usually specified instead:
- Cork-rubber: when the cover face is rough or warped.
- Compressed non-asbestos fiber: when the joint carries real pressure or runs hotter.
- Buna-N: when a rubber gasket is wanted in oil.
- Felt: when the part wicks or wipes rather than seals.
Related gasket materials: Cork-Rubber Gasket Material, Compressed Non-Asbestos Fiber (CNAF) Gasket Material, Buna-N (Nitrile) Gasket Material, Wool Felt Gasket Material. The full index is on the gaskets hub; send the drawing through request a quote.
Frequently asked
Is vegetable fiber the same as cellulose fiber?
Yes. Both names, and the Detroiter brand, describe plant-fiber sheet saturated with a glue-glycerin binder.
How hot can a fiber gasket run?
The cited sheets are rated to 121 C. Steam and hot water are not for it.
How thin does it come?
From 0.006 in, which makes it a shim and spacer stock as well as a gasket paper. Common gasket gauges are 1/32 in and 1/16 in.
Does it take oil?
Yes. Oil, grease, water and air are its media; that is why it sits under so many gearbox and engine covers.
What should the print say?
The brand or the specification (ASTM F104, MIL-G-12803, HH-P-96), the thickness, and the quantity. A DXF is best.
Sources
- [S1] Fibreflex Detroiter Plant Fibre Specifications, Atlantic Gasket Corporation, https://www.atlanticgasket.com/materials/spec-sheets/fibreflex-detroiter.html, accessed 2026-09-13.
- [S2] Vegetable Fiber Packing, Blaylock Gasket & Packing, https://www.blaylock-gasket.com/materials/compressed-fiber-cellulose-felt/fiber-stock/vegetable-fiber.html, accessed 2026-09-13.
- [S3] ASTM F104-11(2020), Standard Classification System for Nonmetallic Gasket Materials, https://store.astm.org/f0104-11r20.html, accessed 2026-09-13.
Detroiter and Vellumoid are trademarks of their owners. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Related guides
Send the Cellulose (Vegetable) Fiber gasket drawing and the quantity
Upload a DXF, DWG or PDF of the gasket with the quote request, or a photo of the part with a ruler if no drawing exists. Add the sheet thickness, the durometer or grade, the quantity and whether adhesive backing is wanted. Gaskets are cut in our own shop in Orange, California; a Conquest representative replies.
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