Cryogenic milestone for DeltaV-Seal™

Pipeotech gasket, DeltaV-Seal™ is engineered for long term use, all the way down to applications running at -196°C, based on stellar results of cryogenic leakage tests at a pre-eminent European research lab.

Pipeotech launched its metal-to-metal DeltaV-Seal in 2015. Backed by unique DNV GL type certification, DeltaV-Seal immediately set a new gas-tight standard for industrial gaskets, offering the first sealing solution that was proven to stay exceptionally tight over time with zero maintenance or retorquing required. After proving its efficacy in sectors ranging from hydrocarbons to chemicals processing, maritime, pharmaceuticals and food and beverage production.

Raising the bar

Pipeotech has now blazed a new trail, conducting leakage testing of a bolted flange joint (BFJ) under cryogenic conditions in a laboratory testing programme engineered and carried out together with Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in Poland. The BFJ contained a DN40/PN40 material 316L DeltaV-Seal with a sealing length of 0.2 metres and containing helium pressures from 10 bar to 100 bar.

“To stand a chance of eliminating fugitive emissions, modern cryogenic processes require a new generation of sealing product that can maintain absolute integrity all the way down to -196°C. The data we have seen is conclusive and should promote DeltaV-Seal right to the top of the pile, we’re delighted with the results,” said Pipeotech CEO Henrik Sollie.

The results show that the DeltaV-Seal maintains a tightness level higher than 10-8mg/s at temperatures down to -196°C at all tested pressures.

Hydrogen is key new market

A major part of the gas value chain features cryogenic processes where operating temperatures often approach the temperature of liquid nitrogen (i.e. -196°C). Liquefaction, LNG/LPG shipping and terminals, floating LNG (FLNG) facilities, and regasification are consequently one of Pipeotech’s main markets, but the broad spectrum of existing and emerging industries that also use cryogenic processes can also greatly benefit from using the DeltaVSeal.

“These industries include production and handling of emerging new green fuels – particularly hydrogen, where there is a lot of activity right now – as well as ammonia and biofuels,” said Sollie.

Challenging the status quo

The status quo in cryogenic processes has been to use old technology that has been extremely prone to leakage, requiring constant maintenance and replacement of gaskets.

The Wroclaw lab carried out exactly the same tests under the same cryogenic conditions on 20 to 30 competing high-performance gaskets with graphite or PTFE sealing components. “The results showed that the DeltaV-Seal is more than 10,000 times tighter at 8 bar, which was the highest applied test pressure for these other gaskets. This clearly puts it in a league of its own,” said Sollie.

An important landmark

“Gaskets have for too long been treated as a disposable afterthought, giving rise to the unacceptable phenomenon of 'acceptable leakage'. The raw performance and ever-expanding value proposition of the DeltaV-Seal, even at extreme temperatures, is challenging that belief with these excellent results becoming another important landmark in our technology development,” said Sollie.