Hoerbiger Rings & Packings

Rings & Packings Training Seminar

Basics - Sealings
Types of seals
Static seals Dynamic seals
for unmoved parts for moved parts

Positive seals Contactless seals Contact seals

Sealing rings Labyrinth seals Stuffing box

Gaskets Bellow seals Lipp seals

Rings & Packings

for rec. compressors
 SEALS

Task of Rings and Packings

Rings and packings are dynamic seals
They seal the gap between a moved and a stationary component
within the compressor, this means:
DYNAMIC SEAL: DYNAMIC SEAL:
axial and radial ring- axial and radial ring-
movement in the groove movement in the groove
packing
liner housing

piston rings packing rings

piston gas pressure piston rod

axial & radial

movement of the
piston and
the piston rod

Advanced R&P Engineering Seminar

 Material Basics
Two material options if there is no lubrication present:
soft hard
PTFE metal

counterface counterface

Soft sealing element Hard material

can bed-in into counterface Wears down the
counterface

If lubrication is present there is no direct contact between sealing

element and counterface => less complicated
soft / hard

Oil 7.1.2.4
counterface

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Material Basics – Transfer Layer
The Transfer Film Mechanism (no lubrication present!)

1. Polymer to Metal:
initially high friction
2. Ring Material is sheared
away by friction forces
3. Transfer material forms a film Polymer
and bonds to counterface Ring
4. Establishes Polymer / Polymer
contact Polymer
Ring Reciprocating
5. Result: low friction
Motion
Transfer Film (Polymer)

Counterface (cylinder liner or piston rod - metal)

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 Material Basics - Friction Coefficients

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Material Basics- Properties of PTFE:
• The Carbon-fluorine bonding is one of the strongest in the organic chemistry
• Die carbon-chain is nearly completely covered by Fluor Atoms and thereby shielded against
influences from the outside => good chemical resistance.
• PTFE obtains one of the lowest friction coefficients, especially if counterface is also PTFE.

• Establishment of transfer film occurs by wear of the rings:

The process of transfer film is a tightrope walk between wearing of sufficient material to establish a
good sliding film (and remain it) but too much = high wear.

• The stability of the transfer film is important for less wear.

- Roughness is important: good mechanical connection to counterface
- Heat treatment, metal oxides, oil, grease influence the adhesive strength
- The transfer film can be destroyed by liquids / solvents
- Debris can “erase” the film

• Pure PTFE has a very low coefficient of friction but also a low wear resistance. If there is no
transfer film PTFE will wear away rapidly.
In order to increase the wear resistance and the mechanical strength fillers are used (Carbon fibre,
Graphite powder, Glass fibres, Ceramic powder, metal powder, Polymer powder, MoS2).
Material Basics – Overview of All Material Types
Non Metallics for both Lubricated & Non-lubricated applications
Blends - alloys based on:

PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)

PEEK (Polyetheretherketone)

PPS (Polyphenylenesulphide)
If the requirements of certain applications exceed the prospects of PTFE, premium materials like PEEK
(Polyetheretherketon) and PPS (Polyphenylensulfid) can pitch in.

with additives for

glass fibre - higher strength

carbon fibre - higher chemical resistance

MoS2 - higher thermal resistance

graphite / carbon - lower thermal expansion

PEEK - better wear characteristic

bronze

PPS
Material Basics - Tribology
X
Material enbedding
• High wear
 classic wear, defined by adhesion forces
 Polymer on metal
 High coefficient of friction, high adhesion forces
 adhesion wear depends on normal forces

• Low wear - Transfer film


 Polymer - Polymer
 Establishes ideal transfer film Transfer film
 Lower coefficient of friction, independent of pressure,
defined by molecular cohesion forces.
Transfer film
An area with enbedded material appears dully.
Material Basics – Surface Roughness

• Lube or mini – lube:

“enbedding” (= establish transfer film on counterface)
• Enbedding is not necessary
Counterface:
• To hold the oil film a roughness of Ra = 0,2 – 0,3 um is necessary.

• Non – lube:
“enbedding”
• Enbedding into counterface is required to reduce the coefficient of
friciton and therefor also the frictional heat.
Counterface:
• Cylinder liner Ra = 0,4 to 0,6 um
• Piston rod, induction hardened Ra = 0,2 to 0,4 um
• Piston rod, coated Ra = 0,2 to 0,25 um

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Intriduction to HY Materials
Material Selection

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a guideline how to choose the

most suitable material for your given application.
Correct choice of material depends on many factors:
Lubrication
Pressure and temperature of gas:
Extrusion, creep take place at high pressure and temperature
Initial choice of PTFE or stronger PEEK based material
Humidity (water):
Determines the performance of many of the lubricating fillers
Liquid phase content (hydrocarbon)

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Material Selection
Correct choice of material depends on many factors:

Oxidising/Reducing Potential of Gas:

Changes possible surface reactions
Counterface:
Roughness, material, coating, hardness
Corrosive Nature of Gas:
May attack ring material
Gas Compatibility with Ring Material:
May attack ring material
Reactivity of process:
Product formation in cylinder

particularly problem in polypropylene process

polymerisation in cylinder - solid product
Abrasives: Foreign bodies,
Wear debris etc.

Requires harder materials
HOERBIGER Materials for Rings and Packings

HOERBIGER has a vast library of tribological materials suitable for all applications.
Selection is made via HOERBIGER application case study data base and a wealth of experience in
the reciprocating compressor industryEE

7.1.2.1

Advanced R&P Engineering Seminar

Material Selection - Ring Material

We will start to choose the material for the wearing parts first.
On the next two pages you will find a short overview of the most
commonly used HY grades for Rings and Packings devided into
materials for lubricated and materials for non-lubricated applications.
There are some other materials in use (e.g. HY549, our ceramic filled
PTFE grad for dirty gases) but these 7 grades cover ~ 95% of all
applications out in the field.

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Material Selection – HY Grades

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Material Selection – HY Grades

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Material Selection - Other R&P Components
Back-Up Rings:
Standard material is bronze or PEEK. If H2S is in the gas, the bronze must
be replaced by PEEK or cast iron. Deva bronze or deva cast iron must be
used in case of no lubrication (higher price!).

Garter Springs:
Standard material is stainless steel. If H2S is in the gas, inconell springs
must be used.

Containers:
Standard material is martensitic steel. If corrosive elements (e.g. H2S,
HCl) are in the gas, austenitic steel must be used.

Wiper Rings:
Standard material is bronze & Cast Iron. Babbit can be used for worn
down rods as it is more adaptable. There are also some non-metalic
wipers in use (e.g. Rubber, PTFE, PEEK)

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End of Seminar

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