O-RING ELASTOMERS FOR MECHANICAL SEALS
Mechanical Seals and Gasket Supply is our Specialty.
American Seal and Packing is a leading manufacturer & distributor of mechanical seals, Grafoil, gasket material, cut gaskets and quality o-rings providing innovative solutions to mechanical seal problems.
We're finding better ways to serve our customers all the time. In addition to our expanding line of industrial mechanical seals, we're updating and upgrading this web site to provide you more information about our company and our products.
| To make a reliable selection of O-ring
compound for use in a mechanical seal, all constituents of the sealed fluid must be
known. O-rings can also be degraded by fluids used periodically to clean the pumping
system. Although detailed checking of each constituent is required to ensure proper
elastomer selection, a few simple guidelines can provide a starting point. |
|
| Fluoroelastomer (Viton®,
Fluorel™): Fluoroelastomer or fluorocarbon O-rings have excellent physical
properties and compression set resistance. |
Recommended:
Oils
Water, including wastewater
Acids (many)
Benzene, toluene
Chlorine, chlorinated solvents
Ethylene glycol |
Not
recommmended:
Caustics, alkalis
Ketones (acetone, MEK)
Amines, ammonia
Ethers
Acetic acid
Steam |
|
| Ethylene Propylene (EP, EPT, EPDM): EP
resists caustics, and is commonly used in pulp and paper processing. EP is the first
choice for hot water and steam service. EP is rapidly attacked by petroleum oils and
greases, so be sure to use silicone lubricant when installing EP O-rings. |
Recommended:
Steam, hot water
Caustics
Ketones (acetone, MEK)
Acetic acid
Ethylene glycol
Ethanol |
Not
recommmended:
Oils, most lubricants
Acids
Benzene, toluene
Hydrocarbons (aromatic and aliphatic)
Ethers |
|
| Aflas™ (tetrafluoroethyene/propylene
dipolymer): Aflas resists combinations of amines and oils, and is therefore used in
sour oil and gas and in refrigeration applications. Cost is comparable to
fluoroelastomers. |
Recommended:
Sour oil and gas
Oils, lubricants
Amines, ammonia
Steam, hot water
Acids
Caustics |
Not
recommmended:
Toluene
Non-polar solvents
Ethers
Ketones
Chlorinated solvents
Acetic acid |
|
| Kalrez® (perfluoroelastomer):
Perfluoroelastomers resist high temperatures and a wide range of chemicals.
Compression set resistance is inferior to fluoroelastomers. Cost is high,
approaching 100 times that of fluoroelastomers. |
Recommended:
Almost all chemicals |
Not
recommmended:
Where other elastomers can be used |
|
"Aflas"
is a registered trademark of Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
"Fluorel" is a registered trademark of 3M
Viton® and Kalrez® are registered
trademarks of Du Pont Dow Elastomers |
|