Which mechanical seal face material should you specify for your application?

Selecting the right mechanical seal face material is key to achieving reliability, efficiency and reducing lifecycle costs. At Vulcan Seals, we work with engineering teams to select the right seal face pairing for real operating conditions, media, temperature, lubrication and solids. This allows you to standardise performance and minimise downtime across your assets.

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The capability of a mechanical seal is heavily influenced by the grade, quality and pairing of materials, and the optimal choice is always driven by the parameters of the equipment and application. With this in mind, here is an overview of the common seal face options we support at Vulcan Seals:

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• Carbon (carbon graphite): A highly effective face material when used with a significantly harder counterpart. Available in multiple grades, but typically avoided where solids are present due to its relative brittleness. ‍
• 304/316 stainless steel: A cost-effective option for lighter duties, but stainless steel faces must be paired with carbon and are not recommended for use with solids-laden media.‍
• Ni-resist iron: A wear-resistant, thermally stable alternative to stainless steel for use in lubricating services with temperature fluctuations; not recommended for use with chemically active media.   ‍
• Alumina ceramic (99.5%): It has strong chemical and wear resistance, but is more vulnerable to shock and is therefore not ideal for applications involving low lubricity, solids or sudden temperature changes.
• Silicon carbide (SiC): High hardness and wear resistance, as well as strong chemical capabilities. Available in multiple grades; SiC/SiC pairing is often preferred for lubricating media with high solids content.
• Tungsten carbide: Highly resilient with excellent particulate and impact resistance. Typically reserved for the most physically demanding applications due to cost and relative tribological trade-offs versus silicon carbide.

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If your goal is to implement a forward-looking maintenance strategy involving fewer failures, more predictable service intervals and stronger standardisation, Vulcan Seals can support you with material guidance and application-led recommendations. These are backed by our broader mechanical seal portfolio and technical expertise.