Feature Report

Part 2

Pump Sealing for

Hazardous Chemicals
Pumping hazardous chemicals requires specific shaft-sealing technologies to ensure
containment and reliability
azardous chemicals are defined Michael

H
by the Environmental Protection Kalodimos
Agency (EPA; Washington, D.C.; John Crane, Inc.
www.epa.gov) as those that are po­
tentially harmful to human health and the en­
vironment. Existing as gases and liquids, they
are manufactured, stored, transported and
18T-o“b'§E IN BRIEF
used throughout the chemical process indus­ PUMP SEALS FOR
tries (CPI). Handling toxic chemicals, such as HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
ethylene oxide, toluene, butadiene, methylene SEALLESS PUMPS
chloride, xylene and scores of other acids and
hydrocarbons, requires equipment that en­ NON-CONTACTING
sures process reliability and material contain­ FIGURE 1. Butadiene is a crucial part of countless end prod­ DRY-GAS SEALS
ment. Central to this machinery are pumps, ucts, but its hazardous nature makes it very difficult to handle NO EMISSIONS,
and transfer without the proper combination of pump and
which must reliably move fluids and gases sealing technologies INCREASED UPTIME
through every stage of processing.
Transporting and pumping hazardous Pump seals for hazardous chemicals
chemicals requires a complete knowledge of Pumps handling volatile and hazardous chem­
their physical properties. Pumping complex icals are carefully specified, along with suction
chemicals like butadiene, for example, re­ and discharge piping, to provide consistent
quires special attention to chemical composi­ flow and maintain a high level of control. Haz­
tion, as well as the transmission mechanism ardous chemicals pose significant challenges
and the hydraulics involved. For example, to pump performance, and specifically to the
butadiene presents an extreme explosion and operation of a pump’s shaft-sealing system.
fire hazard when permitted to reach its vapor The transmission of hazardous fluids de­
point (Figure 1), and has extremely rigorous mands a sealing system and sealing technol­
requirements for its storage and handling (Fig­ ogy that operates effectively while avoiding
ure 2). Like many other hazardous chemicals, emissions to the atmosphere.
butadiene must be refrigerated and main­ Pump seals are engineered to operate with
tained under pressure. Faults in its handling specific hazardous chemicals, under known
will result in pump flow restriction and a host parameters of abrasive conditions, pres­
of related operational difficulties. sure changes, extreme temperatures and
Failure of pumps and other rotating equip­ multi-phase fluid properties. Seals are vital
ment in industrial processes can have dire to maintaining pump efficiency, reliability, en­
consequences, jeopardizing environmental, ergy consumption and control of emissions
health and safety (EHS) conditions at the to the environment.
plant. Although mission-critical equipment Air-quality surveys conducted in chemical
is typically redundant with spare pumps and plants have determined that the majority of
spare piping, unplanned failure is extremely a site’s toxic-release inventory is attributable
costly and exposes the plant to periods of to the shafts of centrifugal pumps. Histori­
un-spared operation. This increases risk and cally, the performance of mechanical shaft
interrupts regular preventative-maintenance seals and the sealing technology specified
procedures followed elsewhere in the plant. has had a major effect on the toxic-release
This article examines pump-sealing ideologies survey results for a given operation. In recent
for hazardous materials. years, advanced controls and the popularity

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM OCTOBER 2019 51

 seconds of dry running can result in
ISCBtS immediate bearing failure, which is
u often catastrophic. In such events,
impeller alignment is lost, and fre­
V\ quently the containment shell of the
pump is in danger of rupture. Even
where lubrication is thought to be
adequate, hydraulic requirements of
the system can place demands on
thrust surfaces, wear rings and bear­
aa-ii'X***-
ings that are beyond the capabilities
FIGURE 2. Butadiene is often stored in specialized FIGURE 3. Pumps that handle hazardous materi­
spherical vessels that maintain the proper pres­ als can be equipped with non-contacting dry-gas
of the process fluid. This can result in
sure and temperature to ensure safe and reliable seals to improve fluid transfer and safety unplanned failure and increased risk
processing of containment rupture.
drive a set of magnets. The driven The application of magnetically
of dual seals and dual non-contacting magnets, in turn, transfer torque driven pumps requires a thorough
gas seals have played a major role in to a set of opposite-pole magnets understanding of their hermetic tech­
reducing the toxic-release totals at that drive the pump’s impeller. The nology, as well as a precise familiar­
chemical manufacturing plants and pump shaft’s magnets operate in the ity with the fluid being moved. Some
petroleum refineries. Two very differ­ pumped fluid, and are hermetically modern magnetically driven pumps
ent emissions-abatement strategies sealed. Again, shaft bearings are lu­ apply ceramic containment shells to
have been applied to fluid transmis­ bricated by the fluid being pumped. serve as the can containing the drive
sion in recent years: sealless pumps, The product flows through lubrica­ elements of the magnetic coupling.
and non-contacting, dry-running tion and cooling ports integral in the This strategy has been applied to
dual-gas seals. pump head design. combat problematic eddy currents
As a result of this approach, a and localized wear that can occur
Sealless pumps trend developed where magneti­ with conventional alloy canisters.
On the heels of the Clean Air Act cally coupled pumps were applied
of 1990, and amendments to the wherever emissions were a potential Non-contacting dry-gas seals
act implemented by local air-quality problem. After baseline air-quality Introduced in the 1980s, non-con­
boards, the answer seemed to lie in surveys found emissions levels to tacting, dry-gas seals have become
pumps that did not rely on conven­ be out of compliance, decisions standard in the industry for pump
tionally driven impellers. Magnetically were made to limit penetrating seals handling hazardous chemicals.
coupled pumps or “sealless" pumps shafts, resulting in a significant in­ Spiral-grooved dry-gas seals are
enjoyed significant interest from a vestment into magnetically driven, non-contacting, dry-running me­
large segment of the conventional sealless pumps. chanical face seals that consist of a
ANSI pump market. The absence of Conceptually, in sealless pumps, mating ring and a primary ring. Typi­
a mechanical coupling theoretically the product being pumped must cally, the grooved face (mating ring)
eliminates any leak path between the assume two new roles: that of the is stationary and the ungrooved pri­
flooded pump volute and the electric heat-transfer fluid; and as the bear­ mary ring is rotating. Seal arrange­
motor drive. ing lubricant. Unfortunately, the ments vary, and often there are re­
Two types of sealless pumps are product being pumped does not quirements for the ungrooved face to
common: canned motor pumps and often possess the lubricating and remain stationary.
magnetically driven pumps. Canned heat-transfer properties required to In either arrangement, a spi­
motor pumps have the windings of properly support the magnetically ral groove pattern will compress
the electric motor built into a her­ coupled equipment. This can lead an inert gas to produce a hydro-
metically sealed pump body. The to significant maintenance problems dynamic lifting force, allowing the
pump shaft and impeller are driven associated with sealless pumps. stationary face to separate and
by a rotor winding affixed directly to The bearings of a magnetically operate with a small gap, which is
the shaft. This rotating shaft is sup­ driven pump are typically made effectively lubricated by the inert
ported by bearings and surrounded of inert, non-metallic materials — gas that serves as a barrier fluid.
by the motor’s stator winding. All of often ceramic or silicon carbide. Of In recent years, dual non-contact­
these components are hermetically course, any bearing is intolerant of ing gas seals have featured spiral
sealed into a can, which forms the lubrication loss, but silicon carbide is grooves at the inner diameter (I.D.)
pump. Motor windings are cooled, particularly unforgiving of dry-sliding of the seal face. The inboard seal is
and bearings are lubricated by the contact. The absence of adequate pressurized on the I.D. with barrier
fluid being pumped. liquid volume can quickly lead to crit­ gas. The arrangement differs from
Magnetically driven pumps rely ical damage of bearings and bush­ conventional outer-diameter (O.D.)
on a conventional electric motor to ings, and high repair costs. Brief pressurized gas seals. This arrange-

CHErvllCAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM OCTOBER 2019

merit can further enhance the behavior of the seal by
placing the liquid being sealed at the O.D. of the faces,
effectively eliminating the possibility of de-watering and
drying of the process fluid. Process fluid drying and de­ INDUSTRIES, INC.
watering, as well as changes in viscosity, which can
happen with conventional dual seals, are a significant “The Sizing People” ®
root cause of failure.
Non-contacting dry-gas seals typically use an inert
Screening Equipment] Wire Cloth
barrier gas supplied at roughly 25 psi above stuff­
ing box pressure. Barrier gas is supplied as a dead­
headed source of inert gas. When the shaft is not [ Replacement Parts] [Emergency Shipping)
turning, the spring-energized seal faces contact the
un-grooved portion of the mating ring, effectively
forming a static seal.
Non-contacting seals are gas lubricated. The barrier
gas provides a stiff lifting force to both primary rings of
the seal, eliminating contact and, as a result, friction.
Spiral grooved non-contacting seals generate virtually W
no heat. The double seal arrangement and pressur­
ized barrier gas offer a zero-emissions solution, while
*
maintaining product purity. These seals are suitable for
use in harsh working environments that must handle
hazardous chemicals (Figure 3).

No emissions, increased uptime

Pumps that handle hazardous chemicals are subjected
to the rigors of abrasive conditions, pressure changes
and extreme temperatures, and therefore, can be prone
to axial movement over time, a condition under which
many seal designs can fail.
Dry-gas seal designs that incorporate a rotating mat­
ing ring are better able to tolerate radial movement and
imperfect pump-shaft excursions over time. Ultimately,
a non-contacting gas seal does not develop a wear
pattern. This delivers a more tolerant seal and results
in significantly improved uptime when compared to
sealless pumps.
Of considerable importance where non-contacting
dry-gas seals are applied is the preservation of prod­
uct purity. Often, the product stream is finished or nearly
complete. Additionally, product streams can be sensitive
O
CHEM
to seal lubricants and barrier or flush liquids. Examples of
ultra-high purity requirements include special polymers, SHOW
food and flavor ingredients and even water that is used
OCT 22-24
for intravenous injection. Preserving product purity is a
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key driver, and often eliminates filtration and costly liquid-
extraction activities. ■
Edited by Mary Page Bailey
Visit Midwestern at Booth #329 to see
Editor’s note the Ultra-Vib Screener and the all new
Read the online version ol this article at www.chemengonline.com tor an Electro-Lift screen changing system
additional case study on pump-sealing strategies for butadiene handling.

TOLL FREE
Author
Michael Kalodimos is global product manager at John Crane. Inc. (6400 Oakton
St. Morton Grove. IL 60053: Email: [email protected]) He specializes
in work related to spiral-groove technology and various seal-face finishing tech­
nologies. He has served in a number of manufacturing, engineering and marketing (877474-9464)
roles since joining the company 35 years ago. Kalodimos received a B.S. in industry
and technology from Northern Illinois University. Visit: midwesternind.com
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM [email protected]
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