To be able to cope with the sand, water and gases found in crude oil, mineral oil pumping systems require heavy-duty pumps with reliable, hard-wearing mechanical seals that feature dureable sliding faces with good emergency running characteristics. Often it is necessary to seal pressures in excess of 100 bar and sliding velocities of over 60 m/s. The ideal combination for such conditions has proven to be high-strength carbons running against silicon carbide.

Compressors are high-speed machines whose trouble-free availability constitutes a major precondition for many process engineering operations. Key criteria for the selection and design of compressors are the working medium, the compression ratio, the volume flow, the number of intermediate inputs and outputs, and the design of the shaft seal.

The cutter heads on quarrying and mining machines are fed with water, not only for cooling purposes but also for settling the dust and extinguishing any sparks produced by the cutting tools.
Mechanical seals perform the dual function of rotary joint and seal for the cutter and roller heads.

There were times, particularly during the oil-crisis years, when coal gasification centred on the process of hydrogenation, e. g. to produce motor fuels. Nowadays the driving force behind its further development is the generation of electricity by combination-type power stations with integrated coal gasification. Here the main objectives are to lower CO2 emissions, to raise fuel efficiency and to stretch existing resources.

The materials used in the chemical industry need to be capable of coping with the large array of media, many of them explosive or toxic and others which could become when mixed.

An increased awareness of environmental risks calls for a maximum reliability and operational safety, especially from sealing systems.

The processing of crude oil in refineries is a complex, multi-stage process in which crude oil is transformed into refined, high-quality end products or feed materials for the petrochemical industry. Sealing technology for this area faces special challenges in various respects: Risk of insufficient lubrication and dry running, media with a diversity of physical properties, high and low temperature ranges, and the handling of hazardous substances are all conditions which need to be controlled with absolute reliability.

Hot water is conveyed by pumps for a variety of purposes in thermal energy generating systems, district heating systems, home heating systems and so on. The suitability of a mechanical seal for such applications depends on many different parameters, e.g. pressure to be sealed, temperature at the seal, sliding velocity, power consumption, water quality (pH-value, O2-dose, conductivity, operating mode), water additives such as corrosion inhibitors etc.

Sealing systems featuring maximum operational reliability, convenient maintenance and low leakage rates with necessary environmental protective measures are standard requirements in modern power stations.

Wood is the most important raw material for the pulp and paper industry. It is either digested to chemical pulp in digesters or reduced to mechanical pulp in grinders or refiners. The pulp produced this way is then graded, bleached and washed, and conveyed to the paper machine. There it passes through the various stages, such as headbox, wire part, press section, drying section and reeling section.

Municipal and industrial sewage is conveyed by waste water pumps into collection tanks at the sewage works. Sewage works pumps are usually operated with single seals in either a deadend arrangement (conical) seal chamber or with product circulation or external flushing (cylindrical seal chamber).

With automations in marine applications and the protection of our seas, the sealing technology is becoming increasingly important. Burgmann seals meet these high economical and ecological demands and have been certified or authorised by many shipping institutions.

Sugar campaigns are over in a relatively short time. For optimum economy and ecology it is all the more important, therefore, to have a reliable sealing system. In the past it was normal for juice pumps to be equipped with double seals to cope with the tendency to crystallization and carbonation. Today the use of single seals is possible in most cases due to the availability of modern materials and new seal compartement geometries.

In addition to meeting technical requirements a seal has to display many other characteristics in connection with cleanliness, health and general legislation. These include for example materials which are compatible with food, smooth and abrasion-proof surfaces which are easy to clean, complete units which can be sterilized and cleaned without having to be dismantled (SIP/CIP). Burgmann mechanical seals have been used world-wide with great success in sterile processes for over 20 years.