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Diamondfaces The New Dimension in Mechanical Seal Technology
Diamondfaces The New Dimension in Mechanical Seal Technology
Application
Mechanical Seals
62 E
DiamondFaces ®
Introduction 3
Applications 4
DiamondFaces® technology 7
Manufacturing technology 12
Customer benefits 14
References 16
Any system can only be as functional as the lifespan of its weakest component.
This rule applies to all products in general – and to mechanical seals in particular.
Investigations have shown that the mechanical seal is a critical component in
pumps. The most frequent cause of damage to mechanical seals is still the damage
to the sliding faces due to inadequate lubrication which results dry-running.
Mechanical seals from EagleBurgmann But, when lubrication is insufficient or coating offers the same advantages
cover an extremely wide range of when the seals are running dry, the as natural diamond and is eminently
applications in numerous industrial sliding faces become extremely hot suitable for applications in the oil
sectors. They are used as shaft seals within a short time, leading to their and gas industries, the chemical and
in pumps, agitators, compressors and destruction and total breakdown. pharmaceutical industries, refineries,
other rotary machines which handle building services and slurry applications.
liquid and gaseous media. Mechanical The DiamondFaces® innovation comes
seals are usually safe and reliable into its own when it is the reliability of
components which, when working pumps and mixers that matters. The
correctly, generally operate wear-free. specially developed crystalline diamond
Recommended applications
The problem-free operation of pumps Out of the key components of a pump, International analyses have clearly
is an essential requirement for cost- the mechanical seal has so far been the shown that mechanical seals are
effective and reliable operation of plants one with the shortest average service responsible for 39 % of the damage
and systems. life. It therefore has a major influence to pumps and are therefore the most
on the MTBF/MTBR values of the frequent cause. A breakdown of the
system as a whole. costs accounted for by pump repairs
also clearly shows that mechanical
The primary aim of all operators must seals represent the largest single factor
be to significantly improve the MTBF/ at 44 %.
MTBR values of the pump/system
and minimize the process downtime
costs which result from unplanned
interruptions.
25 %
55 %
5%
n Dry-running
7%
n Normal wear
8% n Material resistance
n Installation faults
n Miscellaneous
DiamondFaces® is a synthetically Graphite has 3 covalent bonds, whereas Diamond is not DLC
manufactured, ultrapure diamond with diamond has 4 covalent bonds. The (Diamond Like Carbon)
the same outstanding properties as increased hardness results from the
the natural stone. A microcrystalline higher packing density of the diamond DLC is a coating process which
coating of 8 µm thickness on silicon structure. In contrast to diamond, the EagleBurgmann uses in gas-sealing
carbide seal faces which is capable of atomic lattice structure of, for example, technology. DLC coatings have a high
performances previously unheard of for graphite can be shifted slightly, which proportion of graphite (as high as
mechanical seals. is the reason for the good lubricating 60% in some cases) so the material
properties of graphite associated with properties can be anywhere between
What is a diamond? high wear (material removal). those of graphite and those of diamond.
DiamondFaces® technology on the
Diamond is the hardest natural material other hand uses pure crystalline
that is known. The difference between diamond.
diamond and graphite lies in the
number of bonds and the number of
covalent spacings between the atomic
lattices.
Diamond Graphite
greater with liquid lubrication. In this the heat generated by friction and
case, the coefficient of friction was up therefore increases dry-running
to 8 times lower. reliability.
n The minimized friction reduces the
lower.
0.10 SiC/SiC
uncoated
0.08
Coefficient of friction µ
0.06
0.04
Running-in peak
SiC/SiC
coated
0.02
0.00
00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00
Running time [s]
2. Virtually no wear
other. The 8-µm thick microcrystalline with media with high solids content
diamond coating therefore guarantees since diamond is the hardest
an extremely long service life compared known material
with uncoated SiC seal faces. n Coated hard/hard pairing
enables standardization
200
0,5
Temperature [°C]
0,4 150
0,3
100
0,2
50
0,1
0,0 0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Running time [s]
Wear rate 0.08 µm/h
10
Source: EagleBurgmann,
quality assurance
11
We at EagleBurgmann have been Manufacturing process for the stretched horizontally across the reactor
making significant contributions to diamond coating and heated to around 2000 °C.
sealing technology for more than
120 years. We operate on the basis For the large-area, uniform coating of The arrangement of the tungsten
of intense cooperation with our seal faces, an optimized HF-CVD (Hot filaments is one of the key factors for
customers and suppliers as well as Filament Chemical Vapour Deposition) ensuring that the coated seal faces
research institutes in order to provide process is used in order to meet are perfectly flat. Only the horizontal
solutions to demanding challenges. these requirements. The surfaces are filament arrangement makes it possible
DiamondFaces® represents a milestone coated in a vacuum chamber. While to provide the mechanical seals with a
in the development of mechanical this is happening, the topography of uniform blanket coating.
seal technology and is opening up the surface and the orientation of the
new dimensions in the performance of diamond crystals can be adjusted
dynamic sealing systems. by selectively varying the process
parameters.
A deposition process takes place during
a period of approximately 24–36 hours
in a reactor, during which diamond
crystals are formed from a gas mixture
of hydrogen and methane. These
diamond crystals are deposited onto a
SiC surface (seal face) at a temperature
of 800 °C.
The diamond crystals created in this
way grow together to form a closed
layer. The deposition process is initiated
with tungsten filaments which are
Pressure, energy, gas flow and gas phase Hydrogen Methane Gas atmosphere in
99 % 1% vacuum
Deposition of
diamond crystals
(0.2-1.0 µm/h)
12
13
14
The average increase in service life can The DiamondFaces® innovation comes During normal operation, the amount
be exploited to combine maintenance into its own when it is the reliability of frictional heat produced is also
activities with those of other of pumps and mixers that matters. reduced by the reduced sliding friction.
engineering or plant components such DiamondFaces® is ideal for applications The lower friction output of the sliding
as bearings or couplings. in the oil and gas industries, chemical surfaces permits reduced cooling
and pharmaceutical industries, with double seal systems and higher
According to this analysis of the refineries, building services and slurry temperature limits with low-boiling-
average component service life, pump applications. point media. The universal chemical
repairs and the associated downtimes resistance demonstrated by the
and production stops can be avoided by product and its insensitivity to media
successfully increasing the service life with high solids content has meant
of the mechanical seals. that it can be used in the chemical
and pharmaceutical industries as
standard. Carbon graphite materials,
which can lead to inadmissible product
contamination under abrasion, can in
many cases be replaced.
Bearing
3 years
15
The challenge
The new Steam Assisted Gravity
Drainage process is used to exploit
large oil-sand fields in Canada. With
this process, oil components are
dissolved by exposure to steam and
transported using a multiphase pump
from Bornemann. Because of the
extreme abrasive properties of the
delivery medium and the dry-running
condition, the average service life of a
mechanical seal is 2 weeks.
Operating conditions
n Substrate: Buka 22
and sand
n Product pressure p: 1.0 bar (abs)
The solution
The service life was increased by a
factor of 25 by using the innovative
DiamondFaces® coating in combination
with the Burgmann HJ4S1/80-G179.1
mechanical seal. The new coating
innovation is the optimum sealing
technology for all multiphase
applications.
16
The Challenge
Performance of dry-running tests in
different (high-temperature) applications
in the laboratory of BT-Burgmann in
benchmark with Q6Q6 without coating.
Operating conditions
n Medium (product): Air
n Product pressure p: 1.0 bar (abs)
The challenge
The operationally induced evaporation Results
of dissolved coolant in the sealing - Q6Q6 without coating, failure after a
gap of the refrigeration plant is few minutes.
unavoidable. The screw compressor is - DiamondFaces®, in good condition
therefore forced to run dry, which in after 60 minutes.
turn frequently leads to leaks at the
mechanical seal. This required a cost-
effective solution with improved dry-
running capability for the mechanical
seal.
Operating conditions
n Substrate: Buka 22
R404A (dissolved)
n Product pressure p: 17.5 bar (abs)
n Product temperature t: 45 °C
-1
n Rotational speed: 3000 min
The solution
The leakage rate was reduced by a
factor of 4 to 5 by using a Burgmann
H75/N/85-00 with DiamondFaces®.
17
n Product temperature t: 25 °C
18
The challenge
Prevent seal failures during dry-
running and when there is insufficient
lubrication when restarting a swimming-
pool pump which has, for instance,
been shut down for the season.
Operating conditions
n Medium (product): Air
The solution
Burgmann MG/28 with Buka22
DiamondFaces® made for:
improved dry-running capability
under conditions involving insufficient
lubrication and permanent seal failure.
Temperature/°C
Time/min
Time/min
Uncoated DiamondFaces® Uncoated DiamondFaces®
after 120 min after 120 min after 1 min after 15 min
19
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