A gasket is a flat piece of material used to fill the gap between two or more joining surfaces to prevent leakage into or out of the joined parts while under pressure or compression Gaskets should be made from materials that can fill the space between irregularities and withstand high pressure and temperature fluctuations They should be able to bear corrosive materials such as alkaline acids gases electric and magnetic forces and chemicals Given the possible cost and safety implications of defective or leaking gaskets the correct gasket material must be chosen to meet the needs of the application