Turbo Components & Engineering Inc. (TCE), Houston, Texas, an after-market manufacturer of babbitted bearings and labyrinth seals, replaces traditional labyrinth seals made of aluminum with those made of Torlon® polyamide-imide (PAI) from Solvay Advanced Polymers, LLC. The ultra-performance plastic seals are said to offer greater reliability, increased efficiency, and longer run times over OEM-supplied aluminum seals in a range of centrifugal compressors for oil refining, chemical processing, and power generation markets.
“More and more companies are realizing the benefits of labyrinth seals made of PAI, especially the greater operating efficiencies,” noted Clark Maloney, TCE sales manager. Labyrinth seals are made of machined stock shapes of carbon powder-reinforced Torlon PAI resin from Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products Inc., Reading, Pa. They are non-galling and more forgiving than those made of aluminum for increased reliability during rotor contact, according to Maloney. In addition, they provide up to a 50 percent tighter operating clearance for reduced leakage and greater compressor efficiency. The rule of thumb is that efficiency gains of 0.5 percent per impeller can be realized, says Maloney. For a six-stage centrifugal compressor, that means an additional 3 percent of machine output.
Due to their excellent wear properties and deflection capability, labyrinth seals made of Torlon PAI can be used 2 to 3 times longer than aluminum. TCE buys Torlon PAI stock shapes up to 36 inches and manufactures seals up to 48-inch in diameter, utilizing special machining, fixtures, and tooling equipment, according to Maloney.
Torlon PAI provides the highest strength and stiffness of any thermoplastic up to 275 C (525 F), along with superior resistance to chemicals, creep, and wear for severe service environments. It meets the high-heat operating requirements of centrifugal compressors while also offering excellent friction/wear properties and dimensional stability.
About Turbo Components & Engineering Inc.
Turbo Components & Engineering Inc., based in Houston, started operations in 1991 as a manufacturer of after-market fluid film bearings and labyrinth seals for all sizes of compressors and turbines in the petrochemical, refining, and power generation industries. More information is available at www.tce1.com.
About Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products Inc.
Quadrant Engineering Plastics Products is a leading manufacturer and distributor of engineering plastic shapes and parts. The company’s products range from UHMW polyethylene, nylon, and acetal to ultra-high performance polymers that resist temperatures to over 800° F (425°C). They are used for machined parts in food processing and packaging, semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace, electronics, chemical processing, life sciences, power generation, and diverse industrial equipment. Quadrant EPP's products are supported by a global team of application development and technical service engineers. More information is available at www.quadrantepp.com
About Solvay Advanced Polymers
Solvay Advanced Polymers, LLC produces more plastics with more performance than any other company in the world. This gives design engineers worldwide more ways to solve top design challenges in automotive, medical, electronics, aerospace and other demanding industries. Learn more at www.solvayadvancedpolymers.com.
SOLVAY is an international industrial Group active in Chemistry. It offers a broad range of products and solutions that contribute to improving quality of life. The Group is headquartered in Brussels and employs about 19,000 people in 50 countries. In 2009, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 8.5 billion. Solvay is listed on the NYSE Euronext stock exchange in Brussels (NYSE Euronext: SOLB.BE - Bloomberg: SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLBt.BR). Details are available at www.solvay.com.
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