1.1 Purpose of This Book

This book sets out to introduce the subject of sealing technology and provide the reader with an understanding of the issues involved and sufficient information, or sources of information, to assist with achieving reliable and effective sealing both when designing new equipment or as a solution to a maintenance or performance problem.

It is intended for design and development engineers from the many industries that use seals and the operations and maintenance engineers involved with the plant and machinery once it is in use. The reader should find information that will help to select an appropriate seal arrangement and optimize a current design, and if necessary explore alternative sealing methods in the search for a more reliable or cost-effective solution.

Even a relatively simple looking seal, such as the humble O-ring, depends on some quite unique properties of the elastomer material from which it is manufactured to enable it to function reliably. Failure to understand the properties of the material and adhere to some well-developed design rules can rapidly cause problems. New materials have dramatically extended the potential application areas with respect to temperature range and fluid compatibility. But, these materials often necessitate specific design rules to accommodate their characteristics.

Dynamic seals have to be optimized to provide both minimum leakage and minimum friction and wear, often mutually exclusive tribological objectives. A better appreciation of the factors involved should permit a more informed dialogue with potential seal suppliers. Practically all seals, either static or dynamic,...