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Title: Preliminary investigation and application of alternate dry gas seal face materials{copyright}

Journal Article · · Lubrication Engineering
OSTI ID:39399
; ;  [1]
  1. NOVA Corp. of Alberta, Calgary (Canada)

Traditional seal mating ring materials such as tungsten carbide (WC) are commonly used in high pressure centrifugal gas compressor dry gas (gas lubricating film) seal applications. Although these materials possess desirable properties for minimizing thermal distortion and deformation when subjected to pressure and centrifugal force, they have low toughness, i.e., they are brittle and have poor resistance to thermal shock. It has been found that these materials are easily heat checked during seal face touchdown. Heat checking as well as other crack indications inherent in these materials can quickly propagate, resulting in a catastrophic seal ring failure. In this paper, an investigation of alternate seal face materials is described. Two ductile, nitrided, low ferrous materials proved to be readily manufacturable into dry gas seal rings and performed comparably to tungsten carbide in natural gas service. 10 refs., 13 figs., 5 tabs.

OSTI ID:
39399
Journal Information:
Lubrication Engineering, Vol. 50, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1994
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English