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Mean time between repairs tripled

High-performance perfluoroelastomer seals for chemical and pharmaceutical applications
Mean time between repairs tripled

Mean time between repairs tripled
Using Kalrez Spectrum 6380 in a mechanical seal for hot, aggressive amine production, a major chemical company in Texas achieved a three times improvement in mean time between repairs (MTBR)
The use of perfluoroelastomer seals in the chemical and petrochemical industry can lead to significant long-term savings. They provide a very high level of elastomeric sealing performance and allow outstanding seal lifetimes. They thus reduce the downtimes for repair and preventive maintenance while increasing productivity and minimising the risk of environmental damage due to seal failure.

Johan François

Today’s business environment is challenging: the marketplace is highly competitive, the regulatory environment demanding and unprecedented energy prices can offset productivity improvements. At a time when customers are demanding lower costs, improved performance and heightened competitiveness, the leading chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical process manufacturers must carefully evaluate every facet of their operations to determine strategies for even tighter cost control and improved systems efficiency. The business climate prompts chemical processing companies to consider the total cost related to the sealing solution: the price of the elastomeric seal, the installation cost and the downtime cost, including costs incurred due to manufacturing slowdowns or potential disturbances such as leakages connected to seal quality.
Use in amine production
The example of a major chemical company in Texas shows how the mean time between repairs (MTBR) can be extended considerably. Using Kalrez Spectrum 6380 in a mechanical seal for hot, aggressive amine production, the company achieved a three times improvement in MTBR. In 2006 A.W. Chesterton, an OEM, was challenged to improve the MTBR of the chemical manufacturer. Realising that elastomer performance was a critical component in improving seal lifetime, A.W. Chesterton contacted DuPont Performance Elastomers (DPE) to provide a technologically advanced O-ring solution. Based on the process conditions, Kalrez Spectrum 6380 sealing parts were the natural choice for the application, being specially suited for use in hot, aggressive amines and oxidising media that are particularly harmful to conventional elastomer seals. A pilot seal was installed and was still in service after one year of operation. The Texas facility had previously tested other sealing elastomers from various manufacturers, but had been unable to improve the MTBR beyond four months. The company now specifies Kalrez Spectrum 6380 sealing parts for its amine production.
Kalrez perfluoroelastomer parts have been used in aggressive processes and high-temperature applications for over 30 years. Compared to other sealing options, the long-term reliability and performance of Kalrez perfluoroelastomer seals can deliver a better bottom line as regards total operating costs. Kalrez perfluoroelastomer parts resist over 1800 aggressive industrial chemicals, solvents and plasmas, and offer high-temperature resistance of up to 327 ºC as well as minimal compression set. Originally, they were used for critical sealing in the aerospace and oil and gas industries. Today, their typical fields of applications are the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and food industries.
Customer-tailored groove design
Not only the sealing material, but also the design of the groove and the type of O-ring considerably influence MTBR performance. The technical experts at DPE provide valuable assistance with compound selection, seal design, application testing & development and failure analysis. Advanced Finite Element Analysis offers single-source analysis capability. From designing new seal shapes with concurrent analysis to groove geometry optimisation, FEA creates flexibility. This was demonstrated by the design of a special D-ring for pharmaceutical applications, where hot and aggressive cleaning agents are used to sterilise process tubing – conditions that lead to the use of Kalrez perfluoroelastomers in order to meet hygiene standards, such as DIN 11864–2, which often recommend no free volume. Owing to the higher thermal expansion of Kalrez versus certain other elastomers, the recommended O-ring sizes would intrude into the process stream, leading to contamination. Using FEA, DPE developed a special custom D-shaped ring that exhibits virtually no deformation, even after 22 extensive steam-in-place test cycles at 180 °C. The D-rings are FDA and USP Class VI-compliant and have now been in place at several pharmaceutical production sites for over 18 months without failure, intrusion into the process stream or conta- mination.
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DuPont Performance Elastomers
A. W. Chesterton
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