EGC’s Engineers worked with a manufacturer that was dealing with a system that exhibited temperatures as high as 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. While graphite is considered a high-temperature fluid sealing material, this particular situation required EGC’s engineers to experiment with ways to handle the heat.
The Engineers started by reviewing the application, which involved processing soot in a way that pushed hot gas through the system to rid the atmosphere of harmful emissions; thereby causing temperatures in the whole system to increase to as high as 1,600 degrees F. At those temperatures, traditional flexible graphite is no longer suitable.
The Engineers at EGC developed a seal that contained a combination of ceramic, silica, vermiculite and other high-temp materials including metal. A fibrous material, a very tight filter of sorts, was added to provide obstruction to the flow of particles. The cavity itself had to expand or contract due to temperature swings while in service. EGC’s Engineers had been looking at 0.040” in a linear format and 2 degrees angular. They tested the newly engineered material to simulate actual field conditions both at EGC and the manufacturing facility. The result was a seal that did exactly what it was intended to do!
With a non-graphite material, the seal fiber is rated at 2,300 degrees F and stood up to extreme temperatures. As particulates from the emissions built up in the seal, it acted like a blocking agent and increased its seal-ability.
Check out EGC’s Thermafoil® Graphite Pressure Seal Data Sheet
When the operating temperature exceeds the material’s boundaries, the Engineers at EGC become innovative and use other materials that will handle the heat! For more hi-temp adventures, visit EGC’s website at www.egcgraphite.com or our outage season microsite at www.outageseason.com. Better yet, just call us at 440.285.2535. Our high-temp engineers are standing by.
Corporate Profile
EGC is a recognized world leader in the engineering and manufacturing of graphite composites for high-temperature applications in sealing or thermal systems management. The EGC website can be accessed at https://egcgraphite.com/.
