Monthly Archives: July 2018
- July 31, 2018
Gallagher recently released our High Performance Elastomer Seals for the Instrumentation Industry White Paper. This was written by Russ Schnell, an Elastomer Consultant contracted by Gallagher Fluid Seals, and a former Senior Application Engineer with the Kalrez® perfluoroelastomer parts business at DuPont. This white paper is now available for download on our Resources page.
Below is the second section of the white paper, diving into applications where the measurement is made in analytical laboratories which employ numerous solvents in a wide range of analyses and test equipment.
Laboratory Equipment
The final set of instrumentation is laboratory test equipment. As opposed to the laboratories in chemical plants, which often perform the same routine analyses on plant process streams, general analytical labs employ numerous solvents in a wide range of analyses and test equipment. As such, the ability of seals to resist a breadth of chemicals without degradation or leaching contaminants into a sample is of great importance. Although instrument seals are easily replaced in a laboratory environment, this operation still takes a technician time. It is always easier if the system can be flushed with a cleaning solvent and then be ready to run the next sample versus having to change out an elastomer seal due to incompatibility with a solvent.
- July 24, 2018
FFKMs, also known as perfluoroelastomers, were first developed in the 1960s for applications involving high temperatures and/or aggressive chemicals. Perfluoroelastomers exhibit many properties similar to PTFE (polytetrafluoroethlyene, or Teflon®), and are considered inert in almost all solvents. However, PTFE is a plastic, and when compressed, it will not recover to its original shape. On the other hand, elastomers contain crosslinks, which act as springs to give the material resiliency and the ability to recover after a part has been compressed - this resistance to permanent compression gives the material the ability to maintain a seal over time. (To learn more about perfluoroelastomers, download our Introduction to Perfluoroelastomers White Paper).
The article below was recently published on FlowControlNetwork.com, and discusses how FFKMs are being used in oil & gas exploration, as production companies are increasingly operating in high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) downhole conditions.
HOW FFKMS PROTECT COMPONENTS IN ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY OPERATIONS
Companies are increasingly operating in high-pressure, high-temperature downhole conditions.
Improving technologies and methods to increase the recovery of oil from existing reservoirs is a global challenge. In the U.S., oil production at reservoirs can include three phases: primary, secondary and tertiary (or enhanced) recovery. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that primary recovery methods — which rely on the natural pressure of the reservoir or gravity to drive oil into the wellbore, combined with pumps to bring the oil to the surface — typically tap only 10 percent of a reservoir’s oil. Furthermore, secondary efforts to extend a field’s productive life — generally by injecting water or gas to displace oil and drive it to a production wellbore — still only push recovery totals to between 20 and 40 percent of the original oil in place. Clearly, much untapped oil and gas remains in existing wells.
- July 19, 2018
Gallagher Fluid Seals is a distributor of Hose Master corrugated metal hose and expansion joints. With the largest in-house fabrication footprint in the U.S. of any metal hose manufacturer (350,000 square feet of manufacturing space) and 80+ ASME IX Certified welders on staff, Hose Master delivers the highest quality products for the most demanding applications.
The following article can be found on Hose Master's Insights Blog.
Should I Install a PTFE Liner Inside a Corrugated Metal Hose?
by Frank Caprio, Dean of Hose Master University
We get various requests from our customers for non-traditional hose assembly constructions that they believe will help them solve tough application problems. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of these, and some are pretty inventive, even if they’re not the best solution. Some other proposed solutions … not so good!
One especially challenging application that can drive people to consider specialized solutions is when the hose is exposed to corrosive media or environments. Typically, corrosion can be avoided simply by selecting an alloy that is resistant to chemical attack. However, certain refinery applications (such as those found in Cokers or FCCUs) entail operating conditions where some manufacturers recommend a special corrugated metal hose assembly which has been fitted with a liner made from smooth PTFE tubing. While this special construction sounds good in theory, it can create more problems than it solves. Let’s take a closer look at PTFE-lined corrugated hoses.
- July 17, 2018
We recently added the GYLON EPIX™ - The Next Generation in PTFE Gasketing webinar to our website. The webinar discusses Garlock's revolutionary new gasketing material. With its patented hexagonal surface, GYLON EPIX™ concentrates gasket stress, providing improved compressibility and bolt load retention, improving sealability and blowout resistance.
Below is the first section of the webinar, diving into what drove Garlock to create this new material, and how GYLON EPIX™ provides the benefits of both a 1/16" and 1/18" thick gasket in one, universal, 3/32" thickness.
https://youtu.be/PS_uc5BUDwc
- July 10, 2018
Gallagher recently released our High Performance Elastomer Seals for the Instrumentation Industry White Paper. This was written by Russ Schnell, an Elastomer Consultant contracted by Gallagher Fluid Seals, and a former Senior Application Engineer with the Kalrez® perfluoroelastomer parts business at DuPont. This white paper is now available for download on our Resources page.
Below is the first section of the white paper, diving into applications where the measurement is made at the process and the results then transmitted to a control system. This section will review the four types of in-line measurement devices, all involving slightly different elastomer sealing applications.
In-Line Process Applications
Flowmeters
Flowmeters are used to measure the flow of liquid. In this section we will only consider the measurement of liquid flow in a closed piping system. Several examples of flow measurement devices include: flowmeters, Venturi tubes and orifice plates.
Note that these devices are “in-line” and require isolating the process line to remove and repair, or replace the measurement device. Shutting down a process to remove a device is time consuming, involves loss of production, and may require specific procedures to protect the operators and environment when a line is opened. All of these devices require seals to prevent leakage of the process to the environment and the elastomer seals should last the life of the flowmeter. For aggressive chemicals or high temperature applications, FKM or FFKM seals are an excellent choice. These products offer a long service life and resist deterioration in harsh environments.