Frictional study of alumina, 316 stainless steel, phosphor bronze versus carbon as mechanical seals under dry sliding conformal contact

Abstract

This paper presents an investigative study on the frictional characteristics of alumina, 316 stainless steel, and phosphor bronze materials against resin-impregnated carbon in the form of mechanical seals. An experimental setup was designed and fabricated to study the frictional characteristics of the seal for varying normal load and speed. Pairing of stationary seal and rotary seal was done among the three combinations among which alumina versus resin-impregnated carbon exhibited the superior frictional characteristics. Whereas in comparison with 316 stainless steel versus resin-impregnated carbon and phosphor bronze versus resin-impregnated carbon, the latter exhibited the better frictional characteristics. Phosphor bronze pair and 316 stainless steel pair resulted in low and stable friction coefficient in the range of 0.07-0.08 and 0.12-0.13, respectively. This work highlights that the phosphor bronze might be an alternate substitute for the applications involving 316 stainless steel as a seal face material, where the frictional characteristics was a major concern.

Experimental study on frictional characteristics of tungsten carbide versus carbon as mechanical seals under dry and eco-friendly lubrications

“…So, further tailoring of the eco-friendly lubricant can be carried out to obtain the best frictional performance. Upon investigation the friction coefficient values under paraffin oil lubrication, at the initial load of 100 N, due to ineffective oil film formation between the mating surfaces, the starting friction was high and fluctuating trend was observed and approximately after 200 s, the friction coefficient attains a stable value of μ = 0.0997 [9]. The presence of mixture of n-alkanes cyclic chain in the paraffin oil results to this frictional behaviour [26].…”

“…The industrial applications of mechanical seal were innumerable such as for pumps, mixers, dryers and other specific equipment, commonly used anywhere, in which liquid and gases were transferred by rotating equipment [9]. Usually mechanical face seals were composed of two mainly flat rings, a stationary ring (harder material) and a rotating ring (softer ring) which was in relative motion, separating a pressurized fluid from the atmosphere, with a compression spring and a drive mechanism [10].…”

The Tribological Performance of Frictional Pair of Gas–Liquid Miscible Backflow Pumping Seal in Oil–Air Environment

“…Researchers have conducted extensive studies aimed at improving the tribological performance and wear resistance of these seals. Improvements in the overall performance of seal ring materials [6,7] and surface engineering techniques [8,9] have been commonly used to improve mechanical seals. In recent years, considerable efforts have been invested in developing new materials to meet the requirements of more demanding operating conditions and higher performance.…”

Frictional characteristics of diamond like carbon and tungsten carbide/carbon coated high carbon high chromium steel against carbon in dry sliding conformal contact for mechanical seals

“…It incorporates various components such as rotating ring (softer material), stationary ring (harder material), and a spring, which ensures the actuation force for proper mating of ring at specific pressure. Over the past two decades, pioneering studies have been made in improving the bulk properties [4][5][6] and surface sensitive properties of the mechanical seals to enhance its performance and durability. In general, researchers had tried two approaches using surface engineering concepts [7,8].…”