Why don’t my PTFE gaskets seal FRP, plastic and other light load flanges?
Top Seals Articles
Find a reliable dry gas seal system for any application.
First of Six Parts
Follow the major developments in seal technology
This month's "Sealing Sense" was prepared by FSA member Larry Sheffield.
Proper safety precautions for selecting, installing and maintaining seal systems
Plan 12 is similar to a Plan 11. The flush is taken off of the pump discharge, or and intermediate stage in the case of multiple stage pumps, through a strainer or filter to remove solids, and then through an orifice to control flow, before being introduced into the seal chamber.
Understanding how labyrinth seals function is imperative to ensure the appropriate seal technology is specified. Seal selection, when matched appropriately to the expected application and environment to which the equipment will be exposed, will directly impact seal life, productivity and total maintenance costs. Armed with this knowledge, users are encouraged to work with seal manufacturers to match seal technologies appropriately with application needs.
A combination of two seal types provides the most reliable results.
A major concern of U.S. petroleum refineries and chemical process plants is regulatory compliance. Federal, state, special regulatory district and consent decree mandates require compliance of all regulations with the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA). Petroleum refineries were an early priority target for the EPA. It is likely that chemical process plants will become the next focus of EPA attention.
Due to superior adhesion and other advancements, diamond coating technology is today being used in a wide range of sealing applications. The adhesion of new UNCD® Fface materials to their underlying silicon carbide rings is so high they can withstand loads that fracture the SiC without separation of the diamond from the SiC ring.
Latest Seals Articles
Why don’t my PTFE gaskets seal FRP, plastic and other light load flanges?
Find a reliable dry gas seal system for any application.
First of Six Parts
Follow the major developments in seal technology
This month's "Sealing Sense" was prepared by FSA member Larry Sheffield.
Proper safety precautions for selecting, installing and maintaining seal systems
Seals are a commodity to some users, but seals are the most critical element of the system for other users. If a $2 seal fails and causes $500,000 in repairs and/or warranty costs, it emphasizes how important that seal is to the system and its true cost.
The primary functions of elastomeric expansion joints include absorbing all directional thermal movements and reducing noise and vibration.
Compression packing has continuously been used to seal pump shafts in many applications. For most applications, the packing relies on the product itself for lubrication and cooling. In some applications, however, the pumped product cannot provide sufficient cooling or be used for lubrication.
The purpose of this article is to show the importance in selecting the appropriate fastener standard and specification.
Application and maintenance of the manufacturers' recommended torque to valve packing is critical to meeting emissions requirements and long service life. While approaches to the application of torque for braided and die-formed packing may be different, the generally accepted practices are important to all valve packing. Consultation with the packing manufacturer on specifics of the application can help to ensure reliable performance.
Industry News
Columns and Blogs
In this multi-part series, we will investigate several aspects of centrifugal pump efficiency.
First of Five Parts
Since the original publication of this draft standard in the January 2008 issue of Pumps & Systems, I have received feedback, encouragement, numerous questions and criticism. The draft listed three basic levels of repair.
The McGraw-Hill scientific dictionary [5] states that a volute is "a spiral casing for a centrifugal pump... designed so that speed will be converted to pressure."



















