Chapter 1

Mechanical Seal
Purpose and Parts
Introduction Objective
Mechanical seals continue to evolve using Upon completion of this chapter
today's technological advances. However, you will be able to describe the
the purpose and the basic parts of a purpose of a mechanical seal, the
mechanical seal have not changed since its various mechanical seal parts and
inception. This chapter will explain the their function. Introduction
purpose of mechanical seals along with
Objective
their basic parts and respective
functions. The
Mechanical
Seal

The Mechanical Seal Purpose Purpose

The
Mechanical seals are a very common sealing They may leak flush water or they packed
device used extensively throughout industry may leak product, but they still leak. stuffing box
today. This lesson will define a mechanical This fact is the number one reason
seal and describe its purpose. why mechanical packings are being
replaced by mechanical seals.
The packed stuffing box
Before mechanical seals, the attempts to Another problem with mechanical
control leakage of product around packings is that they will cause shaft
reciprocating or rotating shafts meant or sleeve damage given enough time.
restricting the shaft and stuffing box wall Even the newer materials will
clearance. This was accomplished by eventually fret the shaft or sleeve.
packing a soft, resilient material around the
shaft in what is typically referred to as a
stuffing box. Compression packings, referred
to as mechanical packings, are still used in
many applications because of their low initial
cost, availability, familiarity, and ease of
installation.

However, there are issues with mechanical

packings. They can be expensive to maintain
and in some cases result in excessive product
losses to the environment. This high potential
expense is often the result of improper
packing installation or poor equipment
condition. But the fact still remains with few
exceptions, "All packings must leak to
work properly"

Figure 1
The packed stuffing box
 The purpose
of a mechanical seal
Mechanical seals were developed to
address the disadvantages of and
problems with compression packings.
The purpose of a mechanical seal is to
reduce or, in most cases, eliminate
leakage of product or other fluids to
the environment.
Mechanical seals that are applied
correctly can reduce the operating and
maintenance costs of most plants.
However, a higher level of training is
required for engineering and
maintenance personnel in order to
ensure mechanical seal reliability.

A mechanical seal consists of two It is important to note that initial

extremely flat surfaces, called faces, installation costs for seals may be
held together by product pressure and higher than compression packings. It
The
spring force to prevent product from is also important to realize increasing
Mechanical
escaping to the environment. Visible system reliability means that
Seal
Purpose leakage that comes from compression mechanical seals must be applied
packing is usually eliminated. Non- correctly and the seal may require
The custom designing for a certain
purpose
visible leakage (i.e., fugitive emissions)
is often reduced by mechanical seals in application.
of a
mechanical order to meet the environmental laws
seal of local, state, and federal regulatory
agencies. Compression packings just
cannot be used to comply with these
environmental laws.

Mechanical Seal

Figure 2
The purpose of a mechanical seal
The Sections of a Mechanical Seal
All mechanical seals are constructed The primary seal rings
similarly. They all can be distilled down to The primary seal rings are a set of two
three basic sets of parts: the primary seal extremely flat surfaces held together
rings, the secondary seals, and the metal by process and spring pressure to
parts. This lesson will define these parts and prevent product from escaping. In a
explain their function. mechanical seal, one ring must rotate
with the shaft while the other ring
Mechanical seal construction does not rotate. These rings are
Almost every mechanical seal is constructed commonly referred to as the rotary seal
of the same three basic sets of parts. In no ring and the stationary seal ring or seat,
particular order, the parts are as follows: respectively. The
Sections
• Primary seal rings
• Secondary seals of a
Mechanical
• The metal hardware
Seal

Of course, each of the above is Mechanical

comprised of many parts which are seal
discussed in the following sections. construction

The
primary
seal rings

Figure 3
The primary seal rings
 The secondary seals The metal parts
All mechanical seals will use Mechanical seals also have plenty
CHAPIER 1 some type of secondary sealing of metal hardware. Typical
device to eliminate leakage at hardware may include the
all other areas outside the following, just to name a few:
primary seal rings. The two • Shaft sleeves
main places secondary seals • Gland rings
are used is between the • Collars
mechanical seal and the • Compression rings
equipment shaft or sleeve; and • Pins
between the seal gland and • Springs
pump stuffing box face. These • Bellows
sealing devices can take many • Drive lugs
The
Sections
forms. They can be any one of • Snap rings
of a
the following: • Seal ring holders
Mechanical • 0-rings
Seal • Gaskets
The
• U-cups
secondary • V-rings
seals • Teflon* wedges
• Molded rubber boots
The
• Chevrons
metal parts
• Square packing
•Teflon is a registered trademark of DuPont Dow

Figure 4 Figure 5
The secondary seals The metal parts
Primary Seal Rings Figure 6
The primary seal rings

Understanding the function of the

CHAPTER 1
primary seal rings is the basis for all
mechanical seal discussions. This
lesson will define seal face flatness,
describe how an optical flat works and
try to explain what takes place
between these rings.

The primary seal rings

The primary seal rings consist of two
extremely flat surfaces held together Harder, Wider Primary
Seal Ring
by process and spring pressure to Narrow, Softer Seal Ring Seal Rings
prevent product from escaping. In a
Figure 7 The
mechanical seal, one ring must rotate Typical mechanical seal showing the narrow primary
with the shaft. This ring is commonly seal rings
called the rotary seal ring. The second
ring does not rotate and is commonly
called the stationary seal ring.

Dissimilar materials are commonly

used for the rotary and stationary seal
rings. One of the seal rings is usually a
softer ring relative to the other.
Because the ring is softer, it will wear
as the mechanical seal rotates. The soft face and the hard wide face
softer seal ring contact surface or Figure 8
"face" is always more narrow than the New soft face made of carbon.
harder seal ring face material. As the Note: the long "nose"
narrow, softer face wears on the seal
ring, it maintains contact with the
harder face throughout the life of the
mechanical seal. The narrow soft face
can be on either the rotary or
stationary seal ring. Its location
depends only on seal design and type.

When the sacrificial, narrow, softer

face has worn down completely, the
mechanical seal life has expired. One
can see a similarity between
mechanical seal face wear and tread
wear on an automobile tire. When the
seal face wears down, leakage is
likely, and it's time for a new seal.
Illustrations showing a new soft face
made of carbon and a worn soft face
are shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Figure 9
Worn soft face. Note: the shorter "nose"
 Seal face flatness
A mechanical seal consists of two seal
rings whose faces have to be
extremely flat. There are numerous
factors that determine rate of fluid
flow between the seal faces,
however, the distance between the
two face surfaces is the factor that
has the greatest influence. This
means that it is vital that the distance
between these two faces be
minimized.
Primary
To achieve optimum seal face flatness,
Seal Rings
the seal faces must be lapped and
Seal face polished. The first step is to lap or
flatness create a flat surface. This surface is
then polished to achieve a reflective
Flatness
defined
finish. To ensure that a seal ring has
the proper face flatness, specialized
equipment is necessary to measure it.
Figure 10
Primary seal rings
ID
Flatness defined
Flatness is a term that describes a
level surface that has no elevations
or depressions. We use terms like
waviness, or concave and convex
surfaces to describe the condition
when we refer to the mechanical
seal faces. It is this flatness that is of
the most concern to us. Testing has
shown that if the faces are separated
by a space of about two microns or
more, the seal faces will show
visible leakage and, depending
upon the separation, let solids
penetrate that might score or in
some way injure these lapped faces.
We just said that the seal faces
should be separated by two microns
or less to seal properly. Considering
that the human eye can, at best, see
items that are forty microns or
greater, it stands to reason that we
cannot detect the proper face
flatness by ourselves without help.
Some understanding of the proper
terminology is required to discuss
how we measure distances this
small.
What is a Helium Light Band?
To understand how we measure such
small distances we have to know that
it is a characteristic of light to travel
in waves. These light waves can
interfere with each other, causing the
light to disappear. This appears as a
black band on the surface of the
measured surface. It results from the
interference of the wavelength going
and coming from the reflective
surface of the piece being measured.
0.0000232 inches
When you discuss visible light, color (0.00059 mm)
and wavelength mean the same
thing, so to make the measurement What is
we use a monochromatic or single a Helium
Light Band?
wavelength light source (mono means
one, and chromatic means color). Figure 11
Helium wavelength
Any color (wavelength) could be
used, but most companies use a pink
color that comes off a helium gas
light source. This color has a
wavelength of just about 0.6 microns
(0.000023 inches).

This monochromatic light operates

using a very simple law of physics.
This law is that if two lights with Helium Light Source
identical wavelengths interfere with Reflected Light
each other the result is blackness, not
light. Please review the two Cancel Points
illustrations Figures 11 and 12. 1/2 Helium Wavelength =
1 Helium Lightband =
0.0000116 inches (0.000295 mm)

Figure 12
He/ium light reflecting off a surface
causing light waves to cancel and black
lightbands to form
II
 What is an Optical Flat?
To measure seal face flatness a
precision ground and polished clear
glass of optical quality is required.
This type glass is called an optical
flat. Optical flat glass is lapped flat on
at least one side to a certain
accuracy standard. This working
standard is a maximum of 0.000004
inches (4 mK)or0.1 microns

The optical flat is placed on the

piece to be measured. The
Primary monochromatic light is aimed at the
Seal Rings
piece and this light reflects off of the
What is piece back through the optical flat Monochromatic light and optical flat
an causing interference light bands. If
Optical Flat? the distance between the optical flat
and the piece we are measuring is
one half the wavelength of helium,
or an even multiple of the number, a
dark band is formed. This is referred
to as a helium light band and
because it is one half the
wavelength of helium it measures
0.3 microns, or 0.0000116 inches.

To understand this measurement we

might mention that the smallest
object that can be seen with the
human eye is 40 microns or 0.0015
inches. Another way to understand
this measurement is to know that
the average coffee filter is in the figure 74
range of 10 to 15 microns or 0.0004 Optical flat under a monochromatic light showing
helium light bands on a mechanical seal ring
- 0.0006 inches. Experienced seal
people know that this means that FLATNESS INTERPRETATION
CHART
solids cannot penetrate between Ughl WM BffKl Prikm Out*

the seal faces unless they open.

We check flatness of our seal face

by comparing the pattern we see to
a chart that is supplied by the
measuring equipment manufacturer.
A sample of this chart is shown in
Figure 15.

Figure 15
Typical flatness interpretation chart
showing light wave band pattern guide
12
Reading Light Bands
When using an optical flat there are Count the number of light bands
two methods that can be used to the line crosses. This indicates
determine face flatness. The two the flatness in light bands.
methods are the wedge and contact
methods. Silicon carbide, tungsten carbide
Wedge Method - and ceramic seal faces are less likely
This method is usually used when to be out of flat than carbon.
the surfaces of the work and the flat Flatness is a good indicator of wear
are nearly parallel. The flat will on the wide face of the seal.
contact the work at one point. Use a
tissue at this point between the flat
and the work. Read the bands in two Primary
directions by changing the pressure Seal Rings
point by 90 degrees. The amount of
the curve indicates flatness. If the Reading
Light
band curves across two adjacent
Bands
bands then the piece is flat within
23.2 mK. • Contact Method -This
is the best method for Ring Shaped
Work. The optical flat rests on the
highest points of the work. Establish
an imaginary line parallel to the
bands in the center of the piece.
Count the bands between one side
of the line, then on the other side of Contact Method 1 Contact Method
Light Band 2 Light Band
the line. Divide the largest number by
0.0000116 inches 0.3 0.000023 inches
the smallest number. The result microns 0.6 microns
indicates the flatness in light bands.
Localized distortions are measured by Figure 17
taking an imaginary line across the Flatness interpretation chart
showing the contact method for various rings
light bands.

Contact Contact
Point Point

Contact
Contact
Point
Point

*/Flat

Work Work Work

Work
Wedge Method Wedge Method Wedge Method
Wedge Method

Figure 16
Flatness interpretation chart
showing the wedge method for various symmetric pieces of work
 Flatness Readings - Rules of Thumb
Hard seal faces should read less than
three light bands for seal faces with a
mean diameter up to four inches.
There should be no visible leakage.
Leakage is always subject to definition,
but three light bands of flatness will
allow a mechanical seal to seal a
vacuum down to a measurement of
one torr (one millimeter of mercury).
Carbon graphite faces relax after
Primary
lapping. Although lapped to less than
Seal Rings
one light band by the seal
Flatness manufacturer, you will see readings as
Readings high as three light bands if you check
Rules of the faces. These faces should return to
Thumb flat once they are placed against a
Seal face hard face that is flat.
lubrication
Most large seal manufacturers use
The finite element analysis techniques to
asperity
design these faces. Some repair and
theory
smaller seal facilities supply, replace o.r
repair these faces with no provision for
keeping them flat during temperature
and pressure transients.
Carbon is a flexible material. It can go
out of flat easily. It should go back flat
again when it presses against the hard
face.
Some seal companies lap faces
concave or convex on purpose.
That is why three helium light
bands is often the specification.
Tests done with two hard faces (they
do not relap easily) show that visible
leakage starts to occur at about five
helium light bands.
It is not a good idea to relap carbon
graphite faces. Imbedded solids are
pushed even further in, causing
scoring and wearing of the hard face.
Remember carbon cannot wear a hard
face, only foreign material stuck in the
carbon can do that, and relapping
cannot remove it.
H
Seal face lubrication
Mechanical seals typically require a
layer of gas or liquid lubrication
between the rotary and stationary
seal faces. Seal face lubrication is
crucial in maintaining seal life and
reducing energy consumption. Even
though mechanical seals have been in
operation since the early 1900's in
one fashion or another, it is still not
known what actually happens
between seal faces. There are at least
five common theories of what may be
happening between the faces. These
are explained in more detail as
follows.
The asperity theory
This theory was proposed by the
Battell Memorial Institute back in
1963. They were commissioned by
the U.S. Air Force to find out once
and for all what was happening
between seal faces.
Battell made one of the faces out of
glass and photographed the result.
The test was run on a carbon
graphite face running against this
glass face. The sealing medium was
MIL7808 oil, a high grade turbine oil.
Battell observed that the faces were
separated by vapors coming from the
asperities in the seal faces. Figure
18-A describes the seal face lapped
flat. Being a mixture of carbon and
graphite, the graphite transfers
Figure 18-C to the hard face, leaving
asperities (roughness of surface).
Unlike other materials that tend to
wear smooth, these asperities
continue to appear as the faces wear
(graphite is a natural lubricant).
Battell observed vapors coming from
the asperities Figure 18-B. The
British picked up on this idea and
came out with vapor phase seals in
which the seal faces were heated to
vaporize the fluid.
The one problem with this theory is it
does not explain how we are able to
run ceramic against ceramic or
tungsten carbide against tungsten
carbide. These materials do not have
asperities on the seal face.
Figure 18
Asperity theory
The pressure drop theory
This theory has some similarities to
the asperity theory. It assumes, that
as asperities develop, the fluid goes
through a series of pressure drops
across the face until all pressure is
lost at the atmospheric side of the
seal faces. In addition, a meniscus of
fluid forms on the inside diameter of
the face and is held there by
centrifugal force.
Miniscus held by centrifugal force
Pressure
Figure 19
Pressure drop theory
The pressure wedge theory
This theory is the one we use when
discussing mechanical seal balance.
It claims that the faces are running
on a film of liquid that produces
hydrodynamic forces, keeping the
faces apart. The liquid is forced
between the faces by a combination
of pressure and capillary action.
The pressure drop across this
"wedge" is assumed to be linear for
most applications. This means that
Primary
as the fluid travels from the process
Seal Rings
pressure side (high pressure) to the
atmospheric side (low pressure) the The
pressure drops by the same amount pressure
for every 0.0001 inches or 0.01mm drop
we move across the seal face. theory
However, the drop may not be linear The
across the wedge and seal pressur
manufacturers need to be aware of e
this to properly design mechanical wedge
seals. theory
Process Pressure Side
Non-Linear
Pressure Drop
Atmosphere Pressure Side
Figure 20
Pressure drop across the pressure wedge
from the process pressure side to the
atmospheric pressure side
15
Secondary Seals Figure 23
Typical dynamic shaft seal

In a mechanical seal there are CHAPTER 1

numerous "secondary" seals that
function to keep the liquid from
leaking to the atmosphere. This lesson
will describe the types and functions of
various secondary seals. It is very
important to understand the limitations
of each type of seal so that it will be
used properly.

The gland seal Secondary

The gland seal is a static seal. A static Seals
seal is a seal between two surfaces
The
that have no relative motion to each Shaft Seal is Moved by Springs
gland seal
other. It functions to provide sealing
Figure 24
between the gland and the face of the Dynamic shaft seal being moved by the springs
The
stuffing box. The gland seal is usually a shaft seal
gasket or an o-ring and can be made
of many different materials. As with all
secondary seals, this seal needs to be
compatible with the fluid being sealed.
Figure 22
The gland seal

to the right as the soft seal face wears

Figure 25
Static shaft seal plus another secondary seal
that is dynamic and moves to the right as the
soft seal face wears

The shaft seal

The shaft seal is the part between the
mechanical seal and the shaft (or
sleeve) that prevents fluid from
leaking along the shaft out to the
atmosphere. The shaft seal can come
in various types and configurations.
Some common ones are o-rings, V-
rings (chevrons), U-cups, wedges, and
boot-type seals.
\1
 O-ring seals
An o-ring is a sealing ring with a
circular shaped cross section. 0-
rings come in many different sizes
and cross sections depending on
the application. They are very
common in mechanical seals and
have two distinct advantages over
most other secondary seals.
• It is impossible to install
an o-ring the wrong way.
Think about it. You can't do it.
• An o-ring can seal both
Secondary
positive pressure and vacuum.
Seals
This is important if the pressure
0-ring in the stuffing box can fluctuate
seals
between these two extremes.
V-ring
(Chevron)
seals
Figure 26
O-ring seal
18
V-ring (Chevron) seals
The V-ring, or Chevron, is a sealing
device that requires constant loading in
order to seal properly. The V-ring must
be oriented so the "V" opens toward
the fluid pressure. If the V-ring is
installed backwards, the pressure in
the stuffing box could force the fluid
underneath the ring and leak to
atmosphere.
Unlike o-rings, Chevrons can only seal
in one direction. In other words, they
can seal either positive pressure (when
installed as illustrated below) or
vacuum (when installed backwards),
but not both. Most V-rings are loaded
by the springs and the process pressure
and are usually dynamic shaft seals.
Figure 27
V-ring (Chevron) seal with "V'open
to process pressure
U-cup seals
The U-cup seal is another sealing
device that requires constant loading in
order to seal properly. The cup must be
oriented so the "U" opens toward the
fluid pressure. If the U-cup is installed
backwards, the pressure in the stuffing
box could force the fluid underneath
the ring and leak to atmosphere.
Like Chevrons, U-cups can only seal in
one direction. That is, they can seal
either positive pressure or vacuum, but
not both. Most U-cups are loaded by
the springs and the process pressure
and are usually dynamic shaft seals.
Figure 28
U-cup seal
Wedge seals
This type of secondary seal is a
wedge, usually made of Teflon, that is CHAPTER 1
spring-loaded and mates behind the
rotating primary seal ring. The spring
and process pressures keep the
wedge in contact with the shaft. The
wedge must be oriented so that it
provides a leak-free seal when
exposed to this process pressure.
Like Chevrons and U-cups, wedges
can only seal in one direction. Again, Secondary
this means they can seal either Seals
positive pressure or vacuum, but not
both. Because of the tendency for U-cup
Teflon to "cold-flow", almost all seals
wedges need to be loaded by one or Wedge
more springs along with the process seals
pressure. And in almost all
mechanical seals that use the wedge,
they are usually dynamic shaft seals.
Figure 29
19
Wedge seal
 Boot-type seals Additional secondary seals
This type of secondary seal usually Additional o-rings or secondary
consists of a rubber boot and a large seals may be located throughout a
single-coil spring that loads the boot mechanical seal design. Typically,
against the back of the rotating primary these seals will allow for radial or
seal ring. The boot is made of any axial movement of the primary
number of rubber materials and seal rings while still eliminating
provides two things for the mechanical leakage. These seals can be
seal. dynamic or static in nature. As we
• The boot is the shaft seal said earlier, all secondary seals
and prevents leakage must be compatible with the
along the shaft or sleeve. product and operating
• The boot, along with the spring, temperature so it will not
Secondary
provides the drive mechanism deteriorate and produce leakage.
Seals
that attaches to the shaft and
Boot-type
rotates one of the primary seal
seals
rings. Drive mechanisms will be
Additional discussed later in this chapter.
secondary
seals Because boot-type seals are loaded by
the spring and do not move in relation
to the shaft, they are considered to be
static shaft seals. Also, because the
boot has to adhere to the shaft to
work, almost all mechanical seals that
use this type of secondary seal and
need to be replaced require a
completely new seal, as they cannot be
rebuilt very easily.

Figure 31
Mechanical seal with numerous secondary seals,
including the shaft and gland seals

Figure 30
Boot-type seal
Mechanical Seal Hardware
As mentioned earlier, mechanical
seals also contain a multitude of
other parts and hardware,
mostly made of metal.
Understanding the type and
function of this hardware is
important to ensure proper
mechanical seal operation. This
lesson will describe the various
pieces of hardware found in most
mechanical seals and define the
function of each.
Figure 32
The gland
The gland
The gland holds the non-rotating
parts of the mechanical seal,
including the stationary seal ring.
The gland is also called the
stationary holder, gland plate, end
plate, or flange. The gland is
mounted to the seal chamber, by
means of various types of bolts, to
prevent the stationary parts from
moving. It also provides an Mechanical
opposing surface to mount the Seal
static seal to the seal chamber as Hardware
previously discussed. The
gland
I]
 The spring mechanism
The spring mechanism is a machined
component that stores energy and,
when required, releases that energy.
The spring provides the force to hold
the rotary and stationary rings together
when the seal is not pressurized. The
fluid pressure in the seal chamber
provides the majority of the closing
Large
force holding the seal rings together.

The spring mechanism may be located

on the rotary, stationary, or both
Mechanical depending on mechanical seal design.
Seal
There are basically five types of spring Figure 33
Hardware
mechanisms. All, except one, are Large single coil spring
The metal parts. The one that is made of
spring an elastomer must be compatible with
mechanism the product and operating Multiple small springs
Large
temperature so it will not deteriorate Many of the newer mechanical seal
single coil
and produce leakage. designs incorporate multiple small
springs springs as the spring mechanism.
Large single coil springs These small springs operate better
Multiple
Large single coil springs were one of in high speed mechanical seal
small
the first spring mechanisms used in applications as well as low speed
springs
early mechanical seal designs and are applications. Because of their
still used in a wide range of quantity, these small springs are not
applications today. They are found in prone to distortion. Consequently,
older seal designs, but they work very they exert an even closing force on
well when used properly. However, the seal ring at all times. Unlike the
there are several limitations to this large single coil spring, the multiple
spring. small springs may be used with a
wide range of shaft sizes. Also,
• They have a tendency to
distort at high surface speeds. because of their size, they do not
This means that large seals require as much axial and radial
at high rotational speed can space as large coil springs.
be affected by this problem.
• There is a large axial
and radial space required.
Because there is just one
spring, it has to be of
sufficient mass to provide
the proper spring load.
• There is a need to stock
a different size spring
for each seal size.
• The large coil springs,
by design, cannot provide
even closing pressure for the
entire seal ring. This could
cause uneven seal face wear
n and premature failure.
Figure 34
Multiple small springs
Metal bellows
Metal bellows are another form of Thin (0.005 inches or 0.13 mm)
Welded Metal Plates
spring mechanism used in
mechanical seals. The welded metal
bellows is formed by welding
separate thin (-0.005 inches or 0.13
mm) plates of metal together to
form the bellows assembly. This
one-piece unit provides the spring
loading required to maintain face
contact. Because metal bellows
mechanical seals are often designed that Form the Bellows
without elastomers (i.e., no o-rings), Vibration Damper
Mechanical
they are typically used in high
Seal
temperature applications.
Hardware
Figure 35
Typical welded metal bellows mechanical seal Metal
with vibration damper
bellows

Figure 36
Metal bellows. Note: this seal uses no elastomer
 Some common problems with • Stainless steel should not
welded metal bellows seals be used as a metal bellows
Welded metal bellows seals work well material because of the
when applied properly. However, there possibility of chloride stress
are some inherent problems with them corrosion (to be discussed later).
that are listed below. Better materials like AM350,
Hastelloy* C or Inconel** 718
• Welded metal bellows are very should be used instead.
sensitive to vibration (either • Welded metal bellows seals have
harmonic or slip-stick). Vibration
limited use in slurry applications.
problems can be recognized by
The seal can fail from bellows
a cracking of the bellows near
rupture due to wear or corrosion.
the end-fittings. Vibration damping is
It can also fail when the slurry
a serious problem at extreme
Mechanical
temperatures because the shaft and clogs the bellows.
Seal
the vibration damper (notches on the • Because the most common failure
Hardware
inside diameter of the bellows) are for these seals is bellows breakage,
Some
growing at different rates. The shaft is metal bellows seals are very costly
common
usually growing faster. If the vibration to repair. If this occurs, the whole
problems
damper causes the seal to fail by bellows requires replacement.
with
welded
sticking to the shaft, rub marks will
be present on the shaft. Finger springs
metal
bellows • Some bellows materials are Finger springs (sometimes called leaf
seals not very corrosion resistant. This springs) are spring mechanisms that
can cause problems if the seal is are typically located on the outside of
finger
cleaned with an acid or a solvent the mechanical seal gland. These
springs
because the bellows is very thin. springs are a new design that provide
• Recirculation lines can act the force required to hold the
as a sand blaster and rupture the stationary and rotary seal rings
thin bellows. together. Because these springs are
• If the product that is being sealed outside the mechanical seal, they are
has a tendency to harden or much less prone to clogging from the
set-up between the seal faces, product.
the bellows can twist and rupture
because the faces have stuck
together. Remember the bellows
is only 0.005 inches (0.013mm) thick.
• When using welded metal bellows
in high temperature petroleum
products (or other organics),
the proper environmental controls
must be used or coking will cause the
seal to fail. Coking is the build-up of
a hard black organic residue caused
by over-heating. This coke builds up
on the inside diameter of the seal and
can fill the spaces between the metal
bellows plates to stop the bellows
from acting like a spring.
* Hastelloy C is a registered trademark of
Haynes International Incorporated * *
Inconel is a registered trademark of
International Nickel Company

Figure 37
Finger springs.
Note: springs are external to the seal
Rubber bellows
The rubber bellows, although not
made of metal, also acts as a spring
mechanism when used with a single
coil spring. Because it is a bellows, it
has speed limitations. Like all
elastomer parts, it must be
compatible with the product and
operating temperature so it will not
deteriorate and produce leakage.
The rubber bellows is required to
bond to the shaft to work properly.
Silicone grease should never be
used to install this bellows. Rubber
bellows seal designs were one of the
first mechanical seal designs
available to industry over 50 years
ago. Due to its longevity, and low
cost, this is a popular seal choice for
original equipment manufacturer
(O.E.M.) pump companies.
Figure 38
Rubber bellows with single coil spring bonded
Shaft Surface
Adhered to Bellows
to a shaft to perform its shaft seal and spring
mechanism duties
Some common problems with
rubber bellows seals
Some of the more common problems
with rubber bellows are listed below:
• Many of the existing rubber
bellows are made of Buna-N
rubber. This rubber has a finite
shelf-life and is easily attacked
by sunlight and ozone.
• Mechanical seals using a
rubber bellows often fail due
to bellows breakage. This failure is
usually catastrophic in nature. This
Mechanical
is different from o-ring seal failure Seal
because o-ring problems usually Hardware
begin slowly and gradually
deteriorate, allowing for time to Rubber
schedule repairs. bellows
• The rubber bellows suffers from Some
repair problems because the common
elastomer bellows bonds to the problems
shaft in order to obtain a proper with
seal and drive mechanism. rubber
bellows
During a repair the bellows usually
seals
must be scraped clean from the
shaft after the mechanical seal
has been removed.
• Installation of this seal type is
often difficult. The rubber bellows
location is critical and there is no
way to set it. The only recourse
to this issue is to relocate the
spring, however, this does not
always solve the problem.
• The rubber bellows must be
lubricated to slip it over the shaft,
however, once installed the
rubber bellows must bond to
the shaft. Most other mechanical
seals use silicon grease to lubricate
the elastomer. Silicon grease
should never be used with
a rubber bellows seal because it
will not allow the bellows to bond
to the shaft. The shaft will spin
through the bellows, thereby
causing premature failure.
 The shaft sleeve
The shaft sleeve is a cylindrical-
shaped piece of metal or composite
material placed over the shaft,
usually inside the stuffing box.
Some common reasons for using a
shaft sleeve are listed below:
• Probably the most common
is to provide protection
from wear to the shaft
due to mechanical packing.
• The second most common
Mechanical
is to provide protection
Seal
from wear to the shaft
Hardware due to mechanical seals.
• Shaft sleeves are often
The
used to provide the proper
shaft
spacing for the impeller.
sleeve
• They also can be used to
provide a "step" in the shaft
to achieve hydraulic balance Figure 39
for the mechanical seal Common shaft sleeve used to protect the shaft
and provide impeller spacing
(to be discussed later).
• Some sleeves are installed
because the fluid is extremely
corrosive and it would be
costly to make a shaft
from the sleeve material.
• Lastly, cartridge mechanical
seal designs use a sleeve as
an integral part of the seal.

Figure 40
Shaft sleeve used to provide hydraulic balance in a mechanical seal and protect the shaft
The drive mechanism
The drive mechanism is the part of
the mechanical seal that provides
positive contact to the rotating shaft.
This mechanism, once secured to
the shaft, allows the rotating parts
of the seal to rotate with the shaft.
Probably the most common drive
mechanism is a group of set screws.
However, other mechanisms such
as a clamp, rubber boot (vulcanized
or bonded to the shaft) or o-ring
drive are also used.

Mechanical
Seal
Hardware

The
drive
mechanism

Vulcanize

Figure 41 Figure 43
Clamp drive mechanism Vulcanized rubber boot drive mechanism

O-ring Drive

Figure 44
O-ring drive mechanism
11
Figure 42
Set screw drive mechanism