Junty offers both silicon carbide seals – reaction bonded (RB) and sintered (SSiC) – for maximum performance, depending on pressure levels, temperatures, media composition and any potential leakages or corrosion problems that might exist in an environment.
Both materials feature exceptional hardness for reliable pumping environments, yet differ significantly in other critical areas. Here is a glimpse into some of their key differences.
Dureza
Silicon carbide mechanical seals are known for their superior hardness, which ensures durability and resistance to wear. Furthermore, their high modulus of elasticity and dimensional stability help preserve their performance over time – perfect for applications involving frequent temperature variations or thermal shocks. Furthermore, silicon carbide’s low coefficient of friction helps reduce energy consumption and heat generation; which in turn can extend their life expectancy.
Silicon carbide seals offer superior hardness for withstanding higher pressures. Furthermore, their chemical resistance enables them to stand up to many abrasive and corrosive substances – qualities which extend the seals’ lifespan while decreasing maintenance costs and downtime for your equipment.
Silicon carbide seals feature outstanding tribological properties that offer excellent resistance against abrasion and erosion, operating smoothly even in harsh and corrosive environments, making them suitable for an array of applications. Furthermore, silicon carbide seals can absorb media material which keeps their faces lubricated to prevent scrapes or scratches.
Carbon mechanical seals, on the other hand, are made of graphite – a form of carbon that features self-lubricating and moisture resistant properties – and often impregnated with resin or metal for enhanced mechanical properties. They’re an excellent option for harsh pumping conditions like heavy slurry pumping where starting torques and shock loads may be present; making this type of mechanical seal the ideal choice.
When selecting carbon or silicon carbide seals for an application, it’s crucial to keep in mind the type of process fluid, operating temperatures, pressure levels and possibility of abrasive or corrosive particles present. With this knowledge in hand, the best mechanical seal can be selected; for instance if working with acids or other corrosive chemicals silicon carbide seals may be more cost-effective; on the other hand if you are working with abrasive materials carbon may provide greater protection from abrasion as it has greater abrasion resistance as it can withstand greater forces compared to silicon carbide seals.
Resistencia a la corrosión
Silicon carbide’s hardness makes it an ideal material for mechanical seals that must withstand aggressive environments, including corrosive media. While tungsten carbide was once the go-to choice, silicon has seen rapid adoption due to its higher corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity properties as well as lower friction coefficients which reduce energy usage by the seals.
Silicon is another material with a high melting point and strength under heat and pressure, making it suitable for use across a wide range of temperatures and chemical environments. Another advantage of silicon is that it can be re-lapped without wearout or damage, reducing replacements/maintenance costs which may otherwise become quite expensive in certain cases.
Tungsten carbide seals are typically coated in nickel for optimal performance and compatibility with food products, but while this coating provides additional protection, it may reduce efficiency over time – particularly important in high-speed applications where it could interfere with oil movement through the seal area. Furthermore, its abrasive surface can quickly wear away at this layering, leading to rapid wear and degradation.
Direct sintered silicon carbide (DSiC), is an economical yet more resilient alternative to tungsten carbide, manufactured through sintered pure silicon using non-oxide aids in order to form a monolithic element. DSiC differs from reaction bonded silicon carbide as it doesn’t contain free silicon metal that may cause chemical reactions when exposed to acids or alkalis; plus it’s resistant against all chemicals including acids and alkalis making it suitable for almost all mechanical seal applications.
Junty offers several graphite-loaded options for both RB SSiC and DSiC seals that allow for increased lubricity and tribological performance under harsh pumping conditions, increasing lubricity while maintaining low friction coefficient and face damage resistance. Junty offers these graphite-packed seals so you can customize them according to your own individual requirements.
Wear Resistance
Silicon carbide stands out among mechanical seal materials with its exceptional wear resistance against abrasive media exposure, such as water. This durable material helps ensure tight seals under difficult conditions to prevent fluid leakage while increasing equipment lifespan and decreasing operating costs. Furthermore, its low friction coefficient reduces energy usage for lower operating costs overall.
RB SiC seals are chemically inert, withstanding exposure to aggressive or corrosive fluids without degrading or losing sealing integrity. Their chemical compatibility makes silicon carbide mechanical seals a good choice in applications where contamination may be an issue.
Silicon carbide, being a hard material, is capable of accommodating slight imperfections or misalignments on mating surfaces to adapt to process environments more readily without risking failure due to improper sealing. Furthermore, its high temperature stability helps ensure proper functioning in harsh environments while its thermal conductivity allows heat dissipation effectively while minimising distortion and damage to seals.
Silicon carbide mechanical seal material stands out from its competitors due to its ability to withstand vibration and impact loading, making it suitable for rotating equipment that experiences sudden pressure shifts as well as environments with frequent changes in pressure, temperature or media types. Furthermore, silicon carbide’s superior durability allows multiple relaps and polishings thereby decreasing costs associated with ownership over time.
Morgan offers high-grade silicon carbide seal faces and bearings that can enhance the tribological performance of mechanical seals, from O-Rings, V-Rings, T-Rings to custom shapes for special applications.
Get more insight into Morgan’s market-leading silicon carbide materials now by speaking to one of their experts! They will conduct a complete design evaluation and choose the optimal silicon carbide material for your application based on advanced manufacturing techniques and strict quality control measures – guaranteeing high performance, long-lasting mechanical seal. Click here now and reach out!
Conductividad térmica
Silicon carbide is one of the lightest and hardest ceramic materials. Due to its low thermal expansion, high mechanical strength, chemical resistance, low thermal expansion rate, frictional wear resistance and erosion-resistance qualities it is an ideal choice for mechanical seal faces and other mechanical seal applications such as mechanical seal faces in mechanical seal faces as well as mills, cyclone components or even nozzles.
Considerations should be given when selecting materials for use in mechanical seal construction, with silicon carbide (SC) and tungsten carbide (WC) both offering comparable capabilities in this regard. Both materials can withstand extreme temperature fluctuations and shocks as well as being resistant to corrosive media and heavy abrasive wear.
Silicon carbide’s hardness renders it highly resistant to abrasive wear, while carbon is less so. Although silicon is more costly than carbon, its increased chemical and corrosion resistance as well as superior temperature stability and lower coefficient of friction make it better suited for dry running applications.
Sintered silicon carbide (SiC) seal face material is produced by pressing powdered SiC and heating it at high temperatures in either a press or sintering furnace, making it the most economical and popular type. Pressureless or pressured conditions may be used depending on desired properties and consistency requirements for production.
CVD SiC, also known as chemical vapor deposition silicon carbide, features higher specific density than sintered silicon carbide while boasting excellent thermal conductivity properties. Unfortunately, it’s more costly than its conventional sintered SiC counterpart.
Siliconized graphite (SG) is a type of graphite treated with chemicals to add silicon atoms into its structure, in order to increase seal performance by decreasing friction coefficient and wear rate. This treatment can also serve as an economical replacement for standard PTFE seals in applications without chemical resistance requirements; additionally, free graphite serves as a dry lubricant that minimizes energy loss while avoiding locking cavities from forming.