O-ring Selection: Chemical & Thermal Resistance

[GuruOfManufacturing]

Hey guys,

First time poster here with a problem regarding O-rings.

I'm currently working in the oil and gas industry on an intern basis and my employer is having issues with their O-rings. This isn't a particular area of mine as I want to help out a colleague, but I'm keen to impress them both with some outside knowledge.

I do know that she's on the lookout for O-rings with good chemical and thermal resistance so any advice you can offer would be great.

Thanks

 

[Chestermiller]

Hey guys,

First time poster here with a problem regarding O-rings.

I'm currently working in the oil and gas industry on an intern basis and my employer is having issues with their O-rings. This isn't a particular area of mine as I want to help out a colleague, but I'm keen to impress them both with some outside knowledge.

I do know that she's on the lookout for O-rings with good chemical and thermal resistance so any advice you can offer would be great.

Thanks

Try Google.

 

[Ranger Mike]

https://www.mcmaster.com/o-rings

good place to start

 

[jim hardy]

Train your search engine. Google knows what you look up and how much time you spend where . (Facebook I'm convinced knows every keystroke you make)

my first two hits

https://www.globaloring.com/oring-materials/
https://www.marcorubber.com/o-ring-material-quick-reference.htm

EDIT Wow this one's worth saving a copy https://www.physics.harvard.edu/uploads/files/machineshop/epm_oring_handbook.pdf

 

[jim hardy]

PS Learn the terms in those documents , familiarize yourself with how to measure o-rings.

I do know that she's

good luck. She'll appreciate your efforts I'm sure.

 

[JBA]

Contact an o-ring supplier directly for the type of information you are seeking. They will ask for all of the elements of the service including the chemical details and the service details such as operating pressure temperature, etc. Parker is major international supplier who, I have used for seals and o-rings for petrochemical and petroleum services for many years . If you go to the below site you will find a listing of the different o-ring materials and their specifications; however, this online technical document is not sufficient for getting recommendations for your plants specific service, particularly if there are already o-ring compatibility problems, so contact them directly

http://ph.parker.com/us/en/seals-and-o-rings

 

[ChemAir]

Specifying "good chemical and thermal resistance" isn't adequate for specifying elastomers in service. You will need to specify actual temperature ranges, and the specific chemical(s) the o-ring will be exposed to.

Improper specification related to the chemical compatibility can result in potentially catastrophic failures. This can extend beyond things like leaks. They can react with the chemical they are sealing against. Most of the time this is a non-issue, but serious care needs to be taken with highly reactive chemicals. Specification may even include the acceptable lubricants that may be present on o-rings.

For unusual chemicals, in addition to what JBA has stated above, you can go to the chemicals' manufacturer (preferably the one you buy from), and they should be able to give you gasket, O-ring, piping, valve, etc.. recommendations for compatibility.

 

[Baluncore]

I'm currently working in the oil and gas industry on an intern basis and my employer is having issues with their O-rings.

O-rings come in different sizes. Some instruments seal shaft glands with OD=1mm o-rings, while the Space Shuttle SRB gave problems on cold mornings with slightly larger o-rings.
You need to give some idea of scale, pressure, temperature and chemistry.

I do know that she's on the lookout for O-rings with good chemical and thermal resistance so any advice you can offer would be great.

An engineer rapidly reduces a problem to a solution by narrowing the material selection criteria. An outsider will get more credibility from NOT throwing information into that pool before they understand the problem and the constraints on solutions.

When you feel the need to impress, step backwards and assess the implications of failure.
Many young impulsive men, with risk-taking immature brains, kill themselves and others trying to impress women.
If you really want to impress, search for all outside-the-box solutions that do not need to use o-rings.

 

[zanick]

call Global Seal in Irvine Ca and speak to Brian. tell him i sent you. he is the best in the business and can answer any question regarding seals and mechanical packings. 714 438 2277

 

[GuruOfManufacturing]

Thanks guys for the great suggestions! I ended up coming across a customer rubber manufacturer online called TRP Polymer Solutions who were able to help with what my colleague needed. They manufacture custom O-rings made from Perfluoroelastomer which helped with the chemical and thermal resistance qualities she required.

https://trp.co.uk/products/high-performance-elastomer-o-rings/