Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd

PPE launches a new class-leading high temperature FFKM

Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) has developed Perlast® G77X – a perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) sealing material combining high temperature performance with exceptional low compression set.

Perlast® G77X has been engineered for long term performance and durability in a range of critical applications, including chemical processing, aerospace, and in mechanical seals. The material can be moulded into O-rings and custom shapes.

Perlast® G77X is class-leading in high temperature capability, with long term performance and durability in temperatures up to a maximum of 350°C. Continuous temperature performance is also outstanding, with compression set testing at 330°C for 24h and 72h – better than many other key competitor materials in this space.

Other prominent features of Perlast® G77X are:

• Excellent response to temperature cycling effects
• Exceptionally low compression set over extended periods
• Excellent seal force retention properties
• Excellent mechanical properties
• Good chemical resistance
• Aerospace tested to AMS 7257 Rev E (QPL listed)

What are the benefits?

Upgrading to Perlast® G77X can have several advantages to an operator. There is marked improvement to sealing performance in high temperature applications, across a wide range of chemistries. Other benefits include:

• Extended maintenance intervals, or MTBR (Mean Time Between Repair)
• Increased safety margins
• Reduced cost of ownership
• More reliable performance in temperature cycling applications

Furthermore, Perlast® G77X has been tested externally to AMS 7257 Rev E, and the material will be listed on the PRI-QPL database, a compliance which is hugely significant to aerospace customers.

Perlast® FFKM – a material family when performance matters most

The development of Perlast® G77X brings the total number of Perlast perfluoroelastomers for the most critical applications to six. It means that PPE can now offer a high performance sealing option for extreme high and low temperature applications, all kinds of chemically aggressive operating environments, as well as food contact applications.

To discuss how Perlast® G77X could benefit your operations, get in touch with our industrial sealing specialists,

You can also request a free quotation, or to find out more, take a look at the Perlast® G77X video!

Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) has been awarded the Cyber Essentials Certificate of Assurance, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to data security and business continuity.

Gary Bowdler, Commercial Manager at PPE, said: “This Certificate of Assurance is of critical importance for many of our customers and partners, particularly those suppling into the Defence sector where compliance is becoming a pre-requisite to doing business.”

Cyber Essentials is a UK Government scheme which aims to safeguard businesses and organisations against the impact of cyber attack. The Cyber Essentials certification evidences a level of protection against the most frequent cyber attacks. It demonstrates that PPE is taking the appropriate steps to identify potential vulnerabilities across our IT systems, and is continuing to ensure that defences are put in place to protect those systems and the data contained within them.

Among the 39 per cent of businesses reporting a cyber attack in the last 12 months, over one in five reported a loss of data or other assets¹. It is PPE’s duty as a business to do everything in our power to minimise this risk for all our customers, but for those customers with particularly sensitive applications, it is vitally important that PPE can give the assurance that their data is safe.

The Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) is a vital industry event, offering a forum for the exchange of ideas between rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide. TPS is known for its impact on turbomachinery, pump, oil and gas, petrochemical, power, aerospace, chemical, and water industries through two pathways: the technical program and the exhibition.

PPE is exhibiting (#2904) at TPS 2024, showcasing a full range of high performance sealing solutions for the most critical energy and industrial applications. 

Precision Polymer Engineering will be returning to SEMICON Korea in 2024, at Booth C437.

From plasma resistance and low trace metal contamination through to advice on reducing unscheduled system downtime, our team of specialists will be on hand to help with any sealing issue for any critical semiconductor environment.

The exhibition will showcase the latest semiconductor materials, equipment and related technologies. With special features including semiconductor technology symposium, market trend forum, supplier search programs and networking events to exchange the latest industry information. This event will be a strategic opportunity to examine the present and future of the global semiconductor industry.

About SEMICON Korea

Beginning with 189 booths in 1987, SEMICON Korea has established itself as the leading exhibition for the Korean semiconductor industry, and SEMICON Korea 2024 will be the largest ever held.

www.semiconkorea.org

Precision Polymer Engineering announces that it has switched to a new 100% renewable energy contract for its UK operations.

The company has signed a contract with a renewable energy supplier, which will provide it with electricity generated from low-carbon sources such as wind, tidal, and solar power.

PPE’s decision to switch to a renewable energy contract is part of its commitment to reduce its environmental impact and support the UK’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050. PPE has calculated that the switch to a 100% renewable energy tariff could help its Blackburn facility save over 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year – which is the equivalent of taking over 500 cars off the road!

PPE’s General Manager, Hynek Jakubicek, said: “We are delighted to announce that we have switched to a 100% renewable energy contract for our UK operations. This is a significant step in our journey to becoming a more sustainable and responsible business. We are always looking for ways to improve our performance and efficiency, and this contract will enable us to do so while making significant reductions to our carbon footprint.”

PPE operates manufacturing facilities in the UK, US, and Saudi Arabia, providing high performance sealing solutions to a diverse range of industries – including chemical processing, food and beverage production, energy, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor manufacturing.

Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Hynek Jakubicek as the company’s new General Manager.

As the General Manager, Jakubicek will oversee all aspects of PPE’s operations, including strategic planning, business development, and organisational change, to support a new strategy focused on large customers in high growth markets. He will work closely with the senior leadership team to ensure a continued focus on customer obsession.

“We are delighted to welcome Hynek Jakubicek as the new General Manager for PPE,” said Neil Thompson, President of IDEX Sealing Solutions. “Hynek has a strong understanding of the unique demands of the industries we serve, and we believe his expertise and vision will be important in strengthening our position in the market.”

Hynek Jakubicek brings broad experience within different industries, with a strong focus on the development and commercialisation of advanced engineering solutions. His previous roles include General Manager at FTL Technology and management positions in leading global organisations, where he successfully implemented strategies to drive efficiency and deliver excellence as standard in product quality and customer service. With his extensive experience in the industry and proven leadership skills, Jakubicek is poised to drive the company’s growth and enhance its position as an innovator in the market.

“I am both honoured and excited to take on the role of General Manager at PPE," said Hynek Jakubicek. “Precision Polymer Engineering is a company with a tremendous legacy and potential for future growth. I'm looking forward to working with our talented teams to continue to deliver exceptional value to our customers, foster innovation in our products and services, and create an even stronger future for PPE.”

Under Jakubicek’s leadership, Precision Polymer Engineering aims to reinforce its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer-centric sealing solutions. By leveraging advanced technologies and industry expertise, the company will continue to develop cutting-edge sealing solutions which meet the evolving needs of customers across the most critical applications and industries.

Interviewer: It was starting to look impossible, but we’ve actually managed to pin down PPE’s new Plant Manager at Blackburn – welcome, Mark Rawson! Well, I say new…

MR: Hasn’t it been around three months now that we’ve been trying to do a welcome interview?

Something like that! But I’m absolutely positive that it’ll be worth the wait. So we’ve mentioned that you’re the Plant Manager for PPE Blackburn, but what does that involve?

I’m here to enable everybody on and off site to ensure that we deliver on time and in full to all our customers. It’s about providing a service level which keeps our customers coming back to PPE with their sealing requirements.

I feel like I should let you off for the three month wait, you sound pretty busy!

There’s definitely been a lot of exciting projects going on around the facility. No time to be bored, which is a good thing!

Do you have a work-based achievement which you’re particularly proud of?

I was actually a part of the team which brought Eurostar into service. That was something I was happy to be a part of. And during COVID I was trusted with the installation of a new business unit and production line. Hopefully there’s a lot more to come here in Blackburn in the months to come.

How about outside of work?

I feel like I hit the jackpot with my wife Claire. We’ve been supporting each other for over 30 years now, which feels like an achievement – in a good way! And to a lesser extent – if she’s reading – I’m also proud to have been twice on the inside cover of Dire Straits live albums!

Dare I ask you about music?!

I’ve always loved all kinds of hard rock. And blues as well. I’d say all together I’ve got over a 1000 CDs and a few hundred vinyl records – I’ve got an addictive gene where I have to have all the albums my favourite bands and all their members have recorded.

Could you restrict yourself to your three top bands?

No chance!

How about top five?

Still sacrilege but I’d say top spot to Thin Lizzy – I’m obsessed with them. One of my top musical memories was Thin Lizzy’s last ever London show with Phil Lynott. And then beyond Thin Lizzy there’s a whole bunch of bands like Boston, Jefferson Airship/Starship, Blue Oyster Cult, Pat Travers. And that’s before we’ve got to blues.

Go on, I’ll indulge you! What are your favourite blues acts?

You asked for it… there’s Joe Bonamassa, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepperd. I’ve also got all Gary Moore’s albums, and then Albert King’s back catalogue. Should I stop there?

I think I’ve pushed my luck already, so I’m going to say yes! Is it just listening or do you play as well?

I was gifted a guitar for my 40th birthday, but I can only play three chords so maybe I’m not a natural talent.

Three was enough for Status Quo.

That’s true, maybe there’s time for me yet to get my name up in lights!

What else do you do in your spare time?

I love cooking – especially Mediterranean-inspired food. I also enjoy travel, photography and music. Oh, and I follow Manchester City.

He says apologetically.

From around 1970, so I don’t have to be too embarrassed about it. With all the bad times I’ve seen over the decades, I’ve earned that treble!

I can’t dwell on football, I’m a United fan. So let’s move on quickly! You said you liked Mediterranean food, is that your favourite holiday destination?

I think Greece is definitely up there – something about that contrast of beautiful greenery and white sands. Although now we love the Moray Firth in Scotland. We intend to retire there.

What’s your biggest weakness?

I’d say malt whisky. I’ve built up a pretty big collection from around the world.

I think I’d have emptied it all over the course of a decade under the Glazers ownership. Do you have a favourite movie or TV show?

Depends what mood I’m in when you ask me, but right now I’d probably say Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Or the Blues Brothers.

What’s your most valued possession?

I have a pocket watch that my father exchanged for his cigarette ration when in Germany in 1945. That’s invaluable to me.

Is there anything at the top of your bucket list which you want to achieve next?

I don’t have one. I truly believe that I need to live in the here and now.

We’ll just close up with a quick fire round, just one word answers! Dogs or cats?

Cats.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee.

Sweet or savoury?

Savoury.

Morning person or night owl?

Mornings are for me!

Thanks so much for your time Mark! I look forward to many miserable Monday mornings following derby batterings.

I’m not going to jinx it!

15/05/2024 - 16/05/2024

Hall 1 - NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT

CHEMUK is now established as the UK’s largest annual Chemical, Laboratory & Process Industries Supply Chain Expo & Speaker Programme.

PPE will be showcasing our range of high performance sealing solutions for critical chemical processing applications, including our Perlast range of FFKM material grades.

The event will showcase over 500 specialist exhibitors across three show zones: Chemical Industries Supply Chain Zone; Chemical, Process & Plant Engineering & Safety Zone, and the CHEMLAB – Laboratory & Innovation Zone.

The CHEMUK 2-day speaker programme will host over 100 expert speakers discussing the big challenges and opportunities affecting the UK’s chemical & chemical product industries. Last year’s programme included keynotes from Clariant, Unilever, IChemE, RSC and many more...

Register for your free two-day visitor pass at www.chemicalukexpo.com

Cibus Tec is one of the most innovative food and beverage technology exhibitions, with over 80 years of heritage inspiring innovations and pioneering solutions.

Cibus Tec 2023 is set to feature over 1,200 exhibitors from over 30 countries, offering a wide range of solutions for all food and beverage sectors.

Precision Polymer Engineering will be at Stand L047 in Pavilion 5, showcasing Perlast FFKM - a family of exceptional sealing materials specifically developed for the unique demands of food and beverage process industries.

We look forward to meeting you at the show, with answers to all your food process sealing questions.

www.cibustec.it

SEMICON Taiwan is the premier event in Taiwan for microelectronics manufacturing, shaping the future of design and manufacturing for semiconductors, nanoelectronics, MEMS, Photovoltaics and related advanced electronics.

The semiconductor industry in Taiwan has demonstrated astonishing growth during the past 30 years and has become one of the major IC producers in the world. SEMICON Taiwan 2023 is set to be another landmark in this growth trend.

Precision Polymer Engineering is proud to be exhibiting this September. We'll be showcasing Perlast™ Helios at Booth #N0967, among our range of other high performance sealing solutions for critical semiconductor applications.

http://www.semicontaiwan.org/en/

CHEMUK 2023 is the UK's largest dedicated tradeshow for the Chemical, Laboratory, and Process industries. Across two days, the event is a platform for discussion on the big challenges and opportunities affecting the UK's chemical industries.

Precision Polymer Engineering will be exhibiting at the Process & Plant Engineering Zone, illustrating how our high performance sealing materials are critical to improving plant reliability, extending service intervals and improving your operating margins.

At the show, we will be focusing on our Perlast FFKM materials and our new range of hygienic connector sealing solutions. You will also be able to explore our FDA and USP Class VI approved pump, valve and mechanical seal sealing solutions.

The ‘acqua alta’ phenomenon describes the unusually high peak tides which can occur in the northern Adriatic Sea. These tides result when standard astronomical and geophysical tidal effects combine with the sirocco Mediterranean wind, forcing water into the north-western region of the Adriatic. Because of the particular location of Venice, the distinctive shape of the Venetian Lagoon and the well-documented subsidence of the city in general, flooding in Venice can be particularly severe compared to other coastal Adriatic cities. The highest recorded tide level in Venice took place in on 4th November 1966, when the city was covered by 194cm of saltwater. As recently as 29th October 2018, a 156cm high tide threatened further deterioration and damage to Venice. With high water events increasing in frequency as well as intensity, Venetians were in dire need of a long term solution. The MOSE project was the result.

MOSE (or Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico) is a critical large-scale engineering project, with the intention of protecting the city of Venice and the Venetian Lagoon from flooding. The project is an installation of 78 mobile gates across the three inlets (Lido (1), Malamocco (2) and Chioggia (3), numbered in the image below), between the Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea. In the event of an impending high tide, the gates can be individually raised or closed according to the conditions. Working alongside many other flood prevention measures, including coastal reinforcement and the raising of quaysides, MOSE will help to protect Venice from future tides of up to three metres in height.

When a high tide is forecast, the MOSE gates are raised through the introduction of compressed air and subsequent deplacement of water. This results in the rotation of the gate around its hinge axis, and the gate rising from the sea floor housing to above the water line. With each gate weighing in at 330 tons, and at a total project cost in the region of €6 billion, you would rightfully expect the engineering going on in and around these gates to be of the highest specification. This is where Precision Polymer Engineering comes in.

Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) was selected to develop two distinct sealing geometries for the MOSE project. These geometries made use of PPE’s proprietary high performance Z85L material.

The Z85L grade is an HNBR hydrogenated nitrile, which is specially compounded for long term reliable service in low temperature applications. The high mechanical strength of Z85L provides excellent wear and abrasion resistant properties, particularly when used in dynamic applications. Excellent chemical resistance makes the material ideal for use with all kinds of operating fluids, from sea water through to the most chemically aggressive of industrial lubricants.

PPE not only supplied the original equipment manufacturer with high performance sealing solutions, but owing to our positioning with the MRO provider for the MOSE project, we are also proud to offer our continuous support to MOSE with its ongoing spares demand.

This is just one example of how Precision Polymer Engineering sealing materials have been adopted into major international projects as a result of their proven performance and reliability in harsh operating environments.

To find out more about our range of sealing materials, or to discover which grade is best suited to the unique demands of your application, contact your nearest PPE sealing expert today.

FEA Simulation

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a computer-based technique that calculates how components are likely to perform in real-life applications. This advanced technique can determine how components may be impacted by exposure to extremes in temperature and pressures, particular stresses and aggressive chemical environments. Skilled use of FEA simulation can remove the need for extensive manual testing by accurate modelling through predictive behaviours. Mechanical stress and vibration are among the factors typically considered in this type of analysis.

FEA simulation enables design engineers to highlight potential faults or areas of weaknesses in a component, impact the overall application’s efficiency or its ability to function in a given application.

The range of benefits associated with FEA simulation make the technique highly favourable when it comes to developing sealing solutions for particularly demanding or complex applications, such as those found in the Oil & Gas sectors.

Finite Element Analysis in Oil & Gas

The long term reliability of sealing components is vital for any critical application. Precision Polymer Engineering works across a diverse range of industries, offering sealing solutions for critical applications from Food and Pharmaceuticals through to Chemical Processing and Marine Engines. Whilst there are severe ramifications for sealing component failures across applications in these industries, few challenges are more intense than those faced by seals in Oil & Gas applications.

Oil & Gas applications need to withstand the most intense of operating environments, with extreme temperatures, pressures and chemical aggression. FEA simulation enables component developers to foresee what may have been considered unpredictable variables, and to engineer resistances to counteract these issues before they materialise.

Owing to costs involved with missed productivity, downtime is not an option for Oil & Gas applications. Design engineers working in these fields must opt for component manufacturers adhering to the highest standards of quality and long term reliability in order to deliver undisturbed operational efficiency. FEA simulation is of central importance to ensuring these standards are met and maintained.

Oil & Gas companies must also consider their environmental responsibilities in addition to their own losses, should component failure occur. Whilst plummeting productivity levels during downtime are costly to the company, should component failure cause an oil or gas leak, these costs are minor in relation to the resulting environmental fines.

Benefits of Finite Element Analysis

FEA Simulation is an advantageous asset for any sealing application in any industry, not just Oil & Gas. This kind of detailed analysis:

● Removes the need for real-life testing and is therefore more efficient in terms of materials and resources.
● Provides an analysis accurate enough to isolate the exact area or location where performance is weak or requires modification, improving time efficiency.
● Requires less testing and fewer modifications.
● Improves versatility, as any modifications can be tested using FEA Simulation before the seal of approval and component manufacture.
● Safeguards against the potential risks of component failure, enabling us to identify and react to them in advance, improving cost efficiency.
● Helps us to gain a more thorough understanding of the general behaviour of the product, and the nature of the application as a whole.

FEA at Precision Polymer Engineering

At PPE, the virtual environment of FEA Simulation allows our engineers to model accurately by characterising PPE-specific materials under set conditions. Through this, we can predict how sealing components will behave in real-life applications and detect where compromises in performance and/or reliability may become apparent. Alongside FEA Simulation, PPE hosts a comprehensive suite of sealing solutions and services to ensure that your setup delivers optimal performance. Find your sealing specialist today for a custom-engineered sealing solution tailored to the demands of your critical Oil & Gas application.

As part of ongoing customer experience improvements here at Precision Polymer Engineering, we’ve created the role of Field Market Development Engineer. The new role involves working with strategic customers to understand their market requirements, and facilitating the necessary design work and industry approvals to deliver what is needed. We are delighted that Kyle Fearns has agreed to step into this position.

Kyle started with Precision Polymer Engineering in 2003 as a Technical Apprentice. Over fifteen years later, and Kyle’s experience across industrial sealing has seen him emerge as a true expert in the field, and a valued asset to many of our customers. Kyle’s new role will offer our life science customers a higher level of specialist support on optimising sealing systems.

We caught up with Kyle Fearns to ask him about this exciting new challenge…

“I’m proud to take up this new PPE role. I’m directly involved with our customers and distribution partners, identifying the critical sealing support they need and aligning our service response appropriately. It’s a big challenge with additional responsibilities, but I can’t wait to get started!”

“The close working relationships I’ve got with our New Product Development and Materials teams keep me at the cutting edge of product innovation in sealing technology – which obviously means our customers are too. It’s just one part of the way PPE is evolving to better serve our customers, and I’m very pleased to be part of these new developments.”

If you would like to discuss your sealing requirements with Kyle, call 01254 295 407 or email kfearns@idexcorp.com.

White FFKMs – what’s the big deal?

From valves and screw feeders through to reactor vessels and pipe couplings, sealing for life science applications involves highly specialised challenges. Not only do you have the concerns of seal performance and long term reliability in high temperatures and aggressive chemical environments, but the nature of life science means you need to have total confidence that your chosen material will not put human health at risk.

In the recent past, when it came to seal technology the manufacture of APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) involved a known trade-off between thermal and chemical resistance and physical performance. With innovations in elastomeric sealing – and chiefly the development of high purity white perfluoroelastomers (FFKM) – this trade-off is no longer a concern. But what is it about white FFKMs which have changed sealing in life science applications?

The best of both worlds

The ability to resist thermal and chemical extremes is a must in pharmaceutical applications. The operating environments of process lines for pharmaceutical manufacturing often include APIs, and cleaning regimes are notoriously harsh.

Stage II sterilisation processes use high temperature steam and are chemically aggressive, conditions under which many sealing materials struggle to perform reliably. FFKM is the ultimate elastomer material which is resistant to these harsh operating environments, while conforming to two key regulatory standards in:

• FDA 21 CFR 177.2400 and CFR 177.2600
• US Pharmacopeia (USP) Class VI

With FFKM, pharmaceutical engineers have a robust, reliable seal with outstanding mechanical properties and virtually universal chemical resistance – and critically, could be used safely in pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment.

Why white?

Imagine you’re an engineer trying to develop an FFKM which will provide excellent mechanical performance. You’ll discover it’s much easier to make it black. Carbon black filler has significant reinforcing effects on the finished seal. Nevertheless, as strong as FFKM seals are, on rare occasions any seal can shed particles. If you’re running an oil rig, particles from a black seal won’t bother you at all. In life science applications, black specks in the product can lead to a loss of a production batch.

With white FFKM seals, which are FDA and USP Class VI compliant, operators lose none of the mechanical strength while eliminating risk of product loss through visible contamination. This can have significant savings on manufacturing costs as well as reduced equipment downtime.  

Performance aside, the development of white FFKM seals – indistinguishable from black FFKMs in terms of performance – has had a marked impact on stockholding efficiency. By standardising to white FFKM, it is easier to maintain stock and cut down on the sheer volume of space involved in holding inventory of both white and black seals to cover all applications.

Making the difference to big pharma

Many of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies are already seeing the benefits of using white FFKM sealing materials. Working with a Global Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, Precision Polymer Engineering material scientists and application engineers were able to review their sealing systems and identify improvements using CAD techniques. Precision Polymer Engineering’s white FFKM – from the Perlast® range – was subsequently adopted to cover their dynamic sealing applications, pumps and valves.

The improvements in time between seal changes achieved resulted in the implementation of Perlast® seals across a further seven of their pharmaceutical process lines.

Summary of white FFKM feature and benefits:

• High temperature capability (-15°C to +310°C)
• Universal chemical resistance
• Outstanding mechanical properties
• FDA compliant
• USP Class VI compliant
• Extended maintenance cycles
• Lower cost of ownership
• Reduced process contamination
• Consolidation of inventory and reduced stock holding

How could you benefit?

Perlast® G75S has been specifically developed for pharmaceutical applications due to its exceptional chemical resistance, FDA compliance and comparable strength to its black FFKM counterpart.

If you’d like to discuss your requirements with one of our engineers, and improve your process lines as many global pharmaceutical manufacturers already have, visit our Contact Us page to find your nearest sealing specialist.

 Previous Post

Materials used in the seals of split butterfly valves for aseptic pharmaceutical manufacturing should be chosen carefully.

Split butterfly valves (SBVs) minimise the amount of airborne particle exposure during the transfer of potent powders from one process step to the next. A fundamental feature of all SBVs is that they consist of two halves that dock together, namely the active (Alpha) unit and the passive (Beta) unit. Each half consists of half of the butterfly disc, which is sealed against the main body with an elastomeric seal to create high containment. Elastomer seals are used within each half as a seat, providing an effective containment seal between the active and passive halves once docked together.

Critical considerations for valve sealing

In order for a butterfly valve seal to perform to its full potential, it must be optimised for the respective application. To provide this effective configuration, the following are some key considerations.

Hygiene certifications

Safeguarding the health of the consumer is a paramount concern. For butterfly valves in pharmaceutical industries, hygienic properties of all sealing elements must be ensured. FDA (CFR 21.177.2600) and USP Class VI (USP 26, NF21, 2003 Class VI)are two of the key standards concerning elastomeric materials and their contamination risk to consumable media.

The primary sealing element in the valve is not the only material that must be compliant. Compression packing, for example, can use a wide range of fillers and fibres that help to eliminate contamination risk while being FDA compliant. Many FDA-compliant sealing choices also perform well for strength and wear resilience, as well as the chemical aggression of sterilise-in-place and clean-in-place processes.

Multibarrier sealing

The optimal sealing solution might not lie with just one product used in isolation. With butterfly valves in particular, along with ball and plug valves, many applications utilise a primary and secondary sealing element in conjunction to create a leak-tight seal effect.

The primary seal might be a spring energised polytetrafluoroethylene seal backed by the high temperature and mechanical strength of a graphite packing grade. The combinations are wide and varied, with a particularly extensive choice of O-rings and thermoplastic lip seal options available. The most effective pairing is of course dependent on the valve application, and a sealing specialist can help identify the multibarrier sealing system that meets specific needs.

Temperature and pressure extremes

A seal needs to be able to stand up to the high and low temperatures that can be typical of some process industries, as well as the pressures of these applications; both these factors have to be considered equally. The temperature can determine whether you use metal or elastomer sealing materials, and pressures impact the extrusion and permeability of a sealing choice over the long term. Finding the best compromise for the demands of an application is where a specialist sealing engineer is useful. By determining the exact operational requirements of valves, one can ensure a correctly sealed valve that will optimise efficiency and minimise downtime.

Precision Polymer Engineering is strengthening its US-based operations by relocating its Houston team to the company’s purpose-built facility in Brenham, TX.

The Brenham facility, which opened in 2016, currently houses the US manufacturing operations. The move will see PPE’s state-of-the-art laboratory, material scientists, sales and customer service teams join their colleagues in Brenham.

“The strength of our team will increase with everyone under one roof,” commented Rhea Krol, Human Resources Manager at PPE LLC. “This move will improve our technical capabilities and our communication between departments, delivering better service levels to our customers and preparing us for the continued rapid growth we have experienced in recent months.”

By bringing together all the various business functions into a fully-equipped facility, Precision Polymer Engineering is ensuring that customers in the Americas benefit from a high level of specialist sealing support for years to come.

The Houston sales office at 4702 North Sam Houston Parkway will close on March 31, with all PPE business activities transferred to 3201 South Blue Bell Road, Brenham as of April 2, 2018.

Contamination such as metal ions, particles and organic residues create device-level “killer defects". Contamination currently accounts for over 75 percent of the yield losses in semiconductor IC device manufacturing. Metallic contamination in particular is a key factor in device yield that results in the degradation of various electrical parameters. With today’s nanoscale technology nodes, meeting cleanliness, purity and defect requirements has become increasingly challenging. High-purity sealing materials with metal ion contents restricted to parts per billion levels are imperative for semiconductor manufacturing.

Impact of Metal Ion Contamination

Metal ions easily diffuse through bulk silicon, along interfaces and across surfaces. Manufacturers cannot easily determine the metal source, and fab contamination investigations are extremely expensive. The killer defects from metal contamination cause reliability problems, as they are often undetected until after the device has been built into an electronic product. Metallic contamination can come from raw materials (dopants, gases, etc.) and equipment (seals, valves, etc.) as well as human engineers and technicians.

Critical impurity elements in silicon devices can be broken into several groups. Critical heavy metal contaminants include elements such as copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co) and molybdenum (Mo). Light metal contaminants include aluminum (Al); critical alkali metals contaminants such as sodium (Na), potassium (K) and lithium (Li); and alkali earth metals such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and barium (Ba).

Heavy metals tend to diffuse through the semiconductor and are trapped in stressed regions such as the device junction region, which is precisely doped to a highly controlled resistivity. Trace amounts of metallic ion contaminants can change the resistivity and electrical characteristics such as carrier lifetime and mobility, impacting the device performance and yield. 

Monovalent alkali metal ions can readily diffuse through the silicon dioxide (SiO2) dielectric even at room temperature. They tend to accumulate at the Si/SiO2 interface and cause unpredictable surface potentials and drift currents. The spacing between conductors has decreased with smaller node technologies, making the properties of dielectrics increasingly important to reduce RC delay, crosstalk noise and power dissipation. Alkali ions degrade the dielectric layers, causing current leakage, reduced dielectric break down voltage or even complete gate breakdown.

High Purity Seal Materials

Seal materials with the extreme purity levels required for semiconductor fabrication are made by compounding, extruding, molding, cleaning and packaging in tightly controlled cleanroom environments using ultrapure raw materials. Fluoroelastomers (FKM), perfluoroelastomers (FFKM) and hybrid fluoropolymers are typically the base polymers used to manufacture Perlast®, Nanofluor® and Kimura® semiconductor elastomer seal materials.

Perlast perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) sealing materials are the most chemically resistant elastomers available. Perlast grades have been specifically developed to provide high-purity, high-temperature resistance and sealing force retention in critical semiconductor-sealing applications. Perlast G65HP has a 100 percent organic structure to minimize particle generation while providing excellent radical fluorine, chlorine and oxygen plasma resistance. Perlast G67P is a translucent beige FFKM compound with a semi-crystalline fluorinated organic nano-filler providing market leading low trace metal contents.

PPE Semiconductor Seal Solutions

PPE has a sealing material suitable for every aspect of semiconductor fabrication including thermal, wet chemical and plasma processes. Critical metal contamination levels acceptable only a few years ago at the larger node-scale technologies are no longer viable in nanoscale semiconductor manufacturing. Semiconductor process seals must be made of ultrapure materials to reduce their contamination potential. They must also survive extreme temperatures, erosive plasmas and a mixture of fluorinated gases while providing the proper hardness, compression set and permeability for reliable sealing performance. PPE’s Application Engineering (AE) team should be consulted to determine the PPE seal materials best suited for specific semiconductor applications. The AE team supports semiconductor customers and has the ability to do simulations and FEA analysis. It provides comprehensive design service for O-rings and seals. The AE team can help optimize seal installation and assembly (e.g., groove design) and provide failure analysis to find the root cause of any problems. PPE can be your partner in developing seal materials with extended performance and properties for emerging 7 nm IC fabrication processes and beyond.

Contamination and cleaning requirements for nanoscale technology nodes have changed drastically as semiconductor devices move toward faster operational speeds, smaller feature sizes, larger scales of integration and lower manufacturing costs from yield enhancements and defect reduction. PPE seals are clean-room manufactured and provide low particle generation, low trace metal contamination, low outgassing and low erosion rates resulting in higher yields, extended uptime, increased mean time between failure (MTBF), decreased wet clean frequency and minimized cost of ownership (CoO)through reduced cost of consumables (CoC). 

PPE’s ultrapure elastomers and exceptional service have made PPE one of the main semiconductor seal suppliers for many of the largest OEMs worldwide. Contact PPE’s application engineers today to discuss your semiconductor process applications and select the most suitable, high performance PPE products to evaluate for your project.

Why is seal failure common in Oil & Gas?

Few engineering components are required to perform under more challenging environments than those for Oil & Gas applications. The conditions involved in Oil & Gas production include extreme temperatures, pressures and chemical media, and place rigorous demands on equipment which must be precision engineered to ensure proper functionality and long term performance.

Due to the inherently aggressive nature of Oil & Gas applications, sealing components are at a greater risk of failure than would be the case in industries operating in less extreme environments. In food or pharmaceutical applications for example, sealing components might have a relatively stable life expectancy borne of the consistency and level of control the operator has over the process. Production environments in Oil & Gas can bring a greater degree of unpredictability, impacting the required material properties of the seal.

What properties must Oil & Gas seals demonstrate?

All seal applications have properties and characteristics that must be adhered to in order to ensure a component is fit for purpose. With the increased criticality of Oil & Gas seals, there is a requirement for them to demonstrate proven resistance to the following challenges:

• Explosive decompression
• Sour gas (H2S)
• Temperature and pressure extremes
• Aggressive chemicals

Why do oil seals fail?

In most cases, seals of this kind fail due to issues relating to operation and maintenance. However, all too often seal failure can be a direct result of poor planning, material selection or improper installation.

Planning

Viewed alongside other Oil & Gas equipment, O-rings (and other sealing components) are relatively small in stature. On occasion, this physical disparity can lead some planners to view the humble O-ring as something of an afterthought. Moreover, the priority of materials and equipment in the design or overhauling process is often based on cost and lead time. These common assumptions can treat the procurement of an optimised sealing solution as a trivial ‘final’ element.

The priority of materials and components should be based on their criticality – namely, what are the consequences of that element failing? This more considered approach places O-rings and other sealing components as a key priority in any Oil & Gas engineering project.

Related: Why you shouldn’t leave O-rings as an afterthought

Selection

The correct O-ring selection is imperative to efficient performance of any application, and particularly so in the aggressive environments of Oil & Gas production. There are a number of common technical reasons for O-ring failure, the risk of which can be mitigated by the correct material and seal profile selection. These failure modes include:

• Chemical Attack
• Chemical Swell
• Compression Set
• Extrusion & Nibbling
• Explosive Decompression
• Outgassing
• Spiral Failure
• Thermal Degradation

For more information, read our guide to O-ring failure modes.

Installation

If a sealing component has been improperly installed, the likelihood of eventual failure is significantly increased. The smallest of nicks from an installation tool can exacerbate very quickly in strenuous operating conditions, particularly if coupled with inattentive maintenance. Taking the time to deliver effective training on seal installation can result in notable reductions in equipment downtime through seal failure.

Oil & Gas Seal Selection

When selecting a seal for an Oil & Gas application, some key elements to consider are:

1. Material
2. Sizing
3. Hardware design
4. Manufacturing capabilities

Precision Polymer Engineering has decades of experience in finding sealing solutions for a range of critical Oil & Gas applications. With a certified range of oilfield elastomers (EnDura® and Perlast®), custom component design service and a range of specialist manufacturing capabilities, such as FEA Simulation and sealing consultancy, there are steps which can be taken to guard against an unreliable Oil & Gas seal.

Find your nearest PPE sales contact or get in touch today.

Upstream Oil & Gas

The upstream sector of the Oil and Gas industrial process is concerned with the extraction and production of natural gas and crude oil. Applications in the upstream sector are often sited in hard to reach places, from the Arctic to deep sea drilling platforms. Operating costs are also incredibly high. The critical nature of upstream oil and gas applications has a major impact on the expectations placed on component performance and long term reliability.

Whether for pumps, valves, downhole tools or ROVs, the risk of downtime as a result of failed sealing systems can never be totally eliminated. But the risk can be significantly reduced through the proper selection of sealing materials and profiles. What considerations should be made for upstream oil and gas applications in order to keep equipment running more efficiently for longer?

Oil & Gas Sealing Materials

When sealing in the harshest, most inhospitable environments in the world, an operator needs to have total confidence in their choice of sealing material. This is particularly the case in oil and gas industries and applications, where a seal failure can have catastrophic consequences for both worker safety and widescale ecological damage. Such critical upstream oil and gas applications require truly exceptional sealing materials.

The key threats to a sealing material in upstream oil and gas are centred on chemical and thermal degradation, with two specific threats in the shape of explosive decompression (ED) and sour gas (H2S). Proper consideration when selecting elastomer grades can ensure peak chemical resistance to the extreme challenges the sealing system will face.

Related: Sealing failure in Oil & Gas: Reducing the impact of RGD

Unique Elastomer Materials

No two upstream oil and gas applications are exactly the same. This uniqueness of applications makes custom-engineered sealing solutions advantageous. Precision Polymer Engineering offers a comprehensive level of support at all stages of the seal specification, design and implementation process, ensuring a sealing solution which exceeds all expectations in the field.

The development of two specialist elastomer materials has been crucial to our successes with upstream oil and gas applications – namely EnDura® and Perlast ICE.

EnDura​® – this suite of materials has been specifically developed for downhole and subsea applications, and has been engineered for outstanding resistance to ED and sour gas.
Perlast​® ICE ​– delivering a unique pairing of exceptional chemical resistance and market-leading low temperature performance, sealing at temperatures as low as -46°C.

Oil & Gas Certifications

Independently verified oil and gas certifications exist so an operator doesn’t have to take a seal manufacturer’s word on the quality of a sealing material. Among the international standards to endorse the quality of Precision Polymer Engineering seals are:

● NORSOK​ – developed by the Norwegian Petroleum Industry
● TOTAL​ – developed by one of the seven “Supermajor” oil companies globally
● NACE​ – developed by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers
● ISO 10423 ​– developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation
● API 6A​ – developed by the American Petroleum Institute
● ISO 23936-2 ​– developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation

Most recently, EnDura® V91K has been successfully accepted by Shell Global Solutions following a Type Acceptance Test (TAT).

FEA Simulation

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Simulation is a technique allowing sealing specialists to predict how sealing components are likely to perform in real-world applications. This level of detailed analysis comes into its own for especially critical applications such as those found in upstream oil and gas.

FEA would typically include simulations relating to:

● Mechanical stress and vibration
● Fatigue
● Motion
● Heat transfer
● Fluid/mold flow

Related: The Importance of FEA Simulation in Oil & Gas

Technical Support & Advice

When it comes to upstream oil and gas applications, risk-taking with your sealing setup isn’t an option. Through a detailed consultancy service for all elements of upstream seal specification – including material selection and testing, analyses and post-installation aftercare – you can allow yourself to focus on mitigating risk in other areas of your operations.

Upstream Seals from PPE

For quality upstream oil and gas seals, bringing together unique elastomer materials, custom-engineered profiles and ongoing support from sealing specialists, contact Precision Polymer Engineering for your free consultation.