Abstract: A seal and coupling, wherein the seal has a thin profile including a primary sealing element that provides both a face and radial seal, and a secondary or backup sealing element that provides a face seal. The secondary or backup sealing element seals against leakage past or through the primary sealing element, and the retainer may be made of a fluid impervious material for blocking permeation of fluid from the primary to the secondary seal. The retainer may also function to prevent over-compression of the sealing elements, while also maintaining a radial spacing between the sealing elements.

Abstract: A gasket (10) has a retainer (30) comprising a plurality of balls encapsulated within a matrix of polymeric material (e.g., rubber). The balls are made of hard material (e.g., metal, hard plastic, ceramic, etc.) and prevent over-compression during gasket installation. The polymeric matrix provides the gasket (10) with a two-dimensional grid of joints or elbows, allowing it to conform to an almost infinite number of different flange surfaces. The matrix can be made of the same material as, and molded at the same time as, the gasket's sealing elements (40, 50, 60).