Silicon carbide seals improve life in pump applications

Dr Bob Oscroft, product development engineer at the company, says it will enable plant engineers in the chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas and water industries to improve pump reliability and, as a result, experience less downtime and reduced operational costs. He points out that mechanical seals are designed to trap a thin film of liquid, which acts as a lubricant as well as a seal – but that, occasionally, pumps continue to run when there is no fluid, leading to increased friction and high temperatures. As a result, standard O-ring seals degrade and, when the fluid starts circulating, the seals leak. Howe3ver, Oscroft says that Morgan Technical Ceramics' new material exhibits excellent resistance to abrasion, low thermal expansion coefficient and outstanding thermal shock resistance. "Pumps using silicon carbide mechanical seals are more reliable than those using traditional sealing materials such as tungsten carbide," claims Oscroft. "Our seals offer exceptional dry running performance, which means they are less likely to fail, thereby reducing leakage and process downtime."