What are the common causes of mechanical seal failure?

Mechanical seal failure is often caused by improper selection, incorrect installation, harsh operating conditions, or poor maintenance. Here are the most common causes:

1. Improper Material Selection

- Incompatibility with the medium: Elastomers swell/corrode (e.g., using nitrile rubber in strong oxidants), or seal faces are worn/corroded by abrasive/corrosive fluids.
- Mismatched temperature/pressure resistance: Materials exceed their limits, leading to deformation, aging, or cracking.

2. Installation and Assembly Errors

- Damage to seal faces: Scratches from impurities or improper handling (e.g., hammering during installation).
- Incorrect spring compression: Too much compression causes excessive wear; too little leads to insufficient sealing force and leakage.
- Shaft misalignment or excessive runout: Shaft runout exceeding 0.1mm causes uneven contact between seal faces, accelerating wear.

3. Abnormal Operating Conditions

- Dry running: Lack of lubrication between seal faces leads to instantaneous high temperature, burning or melting the faces.
- Fluctuations in temperature/pressure: Sudden changes cause thermal shock or seal face deformation, breaking the sealing interface.
- Solid particle contamination: Particles enter the seal face gap, causing scratches and abrasive wear.

4. Poor Maintenance and Management

- Neglected leakage monitoring: Failure to detect excessive leakage in time leads to further damage.
- Improper cooling/lubrication: Insufficient cooling fluid flow or high temperature causes seal overheating.
- Aging of components: Elastomers, springs, or other parts degrade over time without timely replacement.

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