Compression packing: from natural fibers to hybrid composites

摘要

Control of fluid loss is essential to the successful operation of mechanical equipment used in fluid handling. Various sealing methods are utilized to control leakage at shafts, rods, or valve stems and other functional parts of equipment requiring containment of liquids or gases. The oldest and still most common of these sealing devices is compression packing. Compression packing finds its major use in the process industries such as petrochemical, paper and steel mills, and in the service industries like utilities, marine, water, sewage, food and nuclear. They seal all types of fluids including water, steam, acids, caustics, solvents, gases, oil, gasoline, and other chemicals over a broad range of temperature and pressure conditions. They are used in centrifugal, rotary, and reciprocating pumps, valves, expansion joints, soot blowers, and many other types of mechanical equipment.