Polymer seals play important role in food and water applications

In food production, polymers are at hand from the very beginning. In the cultivation of fields for crop growing, tires protect the soil from unnecessary damage. Once the crops are harvested and being processed, seals, millions of which are fitted throughout food processing systems, help prevent contamination, even in difficult and demanding dairy production. This is also the case for high technology hoses, which are regularly used by wine producers for all the best vintages.

Finally, at the end of the manufacturing process, trucks equipped with damping solutions transport these essentials to consumers worldwide.

With regard to water-related products, rubber is vital in certain critical applications. Sealing products are used extensively in the treatment and transportation of drinking water. They range from large gaskets used in wastewater treatment plants and infrastructure, to tiny but equally important O-Rings found in faucets in homes. Globally, as the sea levels are rising land protection is of growing concern. Technology used for flood defence systems in flood-prone countries, such as the Netherlands, is being transferred to projects worldwide. In this type of application, rubber products help to waterproof foundations and divert watercourses.

Congested roads are also becoming an increasing problem, particularly around metropolitan areas. With little land to divert traffic to, underground road tunnels are becoming longer and larger. Gaskets are an integral part of these, preventing water ingress into underground arterial routes.

Polymers are also present in a wide range of seawater applications, such as mooring systems that protect ships when docking in harbour. Subsea rubber and polymer products contribute to the safety of personnel and equipment involved in oil and gas exploration. One example is VIV suppression products that protect pipelines from the destructive vortex-induced vibrations caused by underwater currents.

Water-filled onions

Collapsible water storage containers from the UK-based Trelleborg company, Dunlop GRG, can be supplied in two formats, either pillow shaped or 'onion' shaped. The pillow shaped tank is ideal for water and other aqueous solutions and has a standard capacity range of 3700 to 75000litres, while the onion tanks are specifically designed for storage of potable and non-potable water and have a capacity range of 3780 to 11350litres. The onion tank comes in three configurations - open top, roll top, to keep contamination out, and zipper top, which prevents both contamination and evaporation. Both formats are easily rolled up and transported and can be custom ordered to specific capacities. Pumps, hoses and water distribution sets are part of the solution, making the water containers suitable for both military authorities and relief agencies.

Processing food

In a processing plant, processing dairy products or other kinds of food, there are thousands of lengths of piping and at each juncture there is a coupling sealed with clamp gaskets and O-Rings. Ineffective sealing frequently results in production stops for maintenance, or even unplanned part replacements. Carefully matching the seal material to the process media and the aggressive chemicals used in cleaning regimes maximizes the life of seals and gaskets. This improves production efficiency, reducing overall costs for the manufacturer. From high-performance EPDM elastomer compounds to advanced materials, such as Resifluor and the perfluoroelastomer Isolast, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions offers the right sealing material for diverse operating conditions.

- Donna Guinivan and Margareta Mildsommar are with Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. www.trelleborg.com

 

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