Effective Sealing for Harsh Environments
Ensuring longevity for seal applications in harsh environments is a complex and ongoing issue. Severe slurry applications are particularly challenging. It’s been accepted that product dilution and reduced production rates are a necessary evil that needs to be factored into running costs for too long. Flushes and quench water are widely used to combat the issue yet don’t provide an effective solution – and they certainly don’t represent an efficient use of water.
Seal specialists, Chesterton, are committed to bringing products to market that change the face of rotating equipment.
By targeting some of the smallest elements of assets – the seals – the company is leading the global cause for the industry to be aware of water wastage and providing solutions that make a real difference.
Enter the Chesterton 170L Slurry Cartridge Single Seal, specifically designed to fit the Warman® AH® series pumps.
Non-Clog Seals for Processing Mineral-Based Materials
As seals degrade, the product within dilutes and production rates decrease. Materials such as coal, sugar, ores, limestone, and phosphates quickly cause regular seals’ degradation. Even the use of external flushes doesn’t prevent this wear – it merely slows the process, albeit at a cost. This isn’t solely monetary – excessive water use has a severe environmental impact, and plants have both a moral and legal obligation to address this as a matter of urgency.
Until now, flushes were mostly the only option for effective sealing within such harsh environments. However, the Chesterton 170L Slurry Cartridge Single Seal brings a game-changing option to the market. This has been achieved through a unique design whereby the coil springs are located entirely outside the seal – an essential consideration in areas where solids clog up traditional screw sets or seals are located in viscous or sticky fluids. The seal is also fitted with a single clamping screw for ease of installation and removal. The finished product is a simple to use seal, easy to fit and offers a dramatically extended lifespan achieved generally without the use of quench water or an external flush.
The seals have been engineered to fit Warman® AH® series pumps without modification and have large clearances and the necessary rugged build to withstand the toughest of slurry environments.
Advantages include:
- Successfully addresses real-life slurry pumping conditions: Thanks to micro-polished O-ring surfaces that eliminate O-ring hang-up, line-to-line slurry faces, stationary and external springs, high strength drives and optimal seal face balance for slurries
- Simple to maintain: Washable in service, repairable in-field, no quench and drain needed, integrated centring tabs and a single clamping screw
- Increased longevity in heavy abrasive slurries: Due to an innovative pressure plate design, non-clog pressure plate and springs wholly located outside the seal, they provide longer optimal running generally without the need for flush or quench water.
Chesterton Lead the Drive for Sealing Solutions & Enhanced Water Efficiency
The Chesterton 170L Slurry Cartridge Single Seal is the latest sealing innovation brought to market to address these historical issues. Other Chesterton innovations include the graphite filled ePTFE packing that is Chesterton DualPac® 2211 and the patented throat bushing SpiralTrac™ Environmental Controller that transforms and controls the stuffing box environment in rotating process equipment. The latter has been designed to work with both mechanical seals and packing, with both products proven to extend life and reduce or negate the need for costly water flush scenarios.
Chesterton is committed to designing and producing unique advanced solutions that work in real-world situations and provide a genuine way to combat pressing issues such as water efficiency.
Discover more following the links
Chesterton 170L Slurry Cartridge Single Seal
Chesterton DualPac® 2211
SpiralTrac™ Environmental Controller
This article was featured by Australia’s Mining Monthly.