Talk
about a replacement for metals. Carbon-reinforced
Xycomp thermoplastic
composites have 80 percent lower density than steel, 60 percent less than
titanium, and 40 percent less than aluminum. They have higher continuous
service temperature capabilities than most plastics and better toughness than
most thermosets.
They are used as containment shells in magnetic-driven pumps
and mixers to form a closed system that seals off the fluid contact areas of
the pump/mixer. This seal-less design replaced the traditional style of
packings and complex mechanical seals, with their associated piping, valves,
cooling units and other equipment, and offers a reduction in maintenance.
Traditional shell materials such as Hastelloy or carbon-reinforced epoxy are
said to suffer from significant energy losses through eddy currents.
The reduction in eddy current using Xycomp shells means there
is no heat generation and a stable fluid temperature, boosting the safety level
in hydrocarbon applications where pumps are operating with media close to the
boiling point. Xycomp composites can be made from polyphenylene sulfide (PPS),
polyether imide (PEI),
poly(aryletheretherketone) (PEEK), or poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK). PEKK is
said to be the only polymer that can withstand continuous high temperatures of
around 260C - its melting point is 360C.
Xycomp components are molded through the proprietary Techna3
process, which produces complex tubular shapes with flanges, reinforcement ribs
and closed ends. www.gtweed.com
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