Steam service requires a material that can withstand high temperatures for an extended period without degradation, and valves require a packing material that is robust and pressure resistant without damaging the valve stem. A major petrochemical plant was having problems with high temperature, superheated steam leaking from valve stems throughout the facility. Leakage of such high temperature steam posed a significant safety risk for all those on site and the leakage was also negatively influencing the quality of the process. In addition, the steam leakage was causing extremely high maintenance costs due to down time. Steam valves can prove to be a challenging application to create an effective, long term seal. 

A premier biopharmaceutical company raised concerns about the gaskets being used on their heat exchangers and whether they had the ability to withstand the cycles they were being put through...

Sealing failures by the previously used sealing material caused efficiency losses in the equipment and the process as well as posing a safety risk.

A large petrochemical plant began experiencing leakages on the superheated steam valves in their Ethylene unit.

A major chemical plant was working with recurrent leakages in their Bromine Tower, causing production to use alternative resources in the process due to the equipment inefficiency.

A customer was using a rigid silica filled, restructured PTFE gasket in a large rectangular heat exchanger flange in a chemical processing facility.

Flue Gas Desulfurization

When a large refining custWhen a large refining customer came to us with a request to manufacture camprofile style 942 gaskets more than 12 feet in diameter, we immediately recognized a number of challenges.omer came to us with a request to manufacture camprofile style 942 gaskets more than 12 feet in diameter, we immediately recognized a number of challenges.

A rectangular heat exchanger, responsible for 28% of the plant’s acrylic acid production, was leaking during hydrotesting prior to the plant’s planned start-up.

An end user was experiencing spiral wound gasket failures on an 8” 600# knife gate valve. The current gaskets were breaking and there was a concern about fragments of metal contaminating the line and causing damage to equipment (high potential for millions of dollars of cost in repairs and downtime).