Wear of elastomeric seals in abrasive slurries

Seals are a critical aspect of machinery that operates in the presence of abrasive slurries. Seals act to maintain machine lubrication and prevent abrasives from affecting critical components. Over time, however, the slurry will wear the seal and lead to a loss of lubrication and eventual machine failure. It is therefore important to investigate the seal wear process in aims of improving seal design and performance. The wear process was studied by visualizing and recording the operation of the seal through a window using time-lapse video. Images from the test show that the wear process occurs in two stages: the break-in period and the aggressive wear period. During the break-in period the seal does not wear. During the aggressive wear period, however, particles under the contact band cluster and form an abrasive front that erodes the seal lip at a rapid rate. Based on these observations, the seal geometry was changed to include the periodic placement of various texture topologies, including (1) a depression surrounded by a protrusion, (2) a protrusion only and (3) a depression only. Textures featuring protrusions act to extend the break-in period and decrease the wear rate of the aggressive wear period. Seals with the protrusions-only texture outlived non-textured seals by a factor of eight. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.