Sealing Solutions for the Chemical Process Industry

In addition to selecting the suitable sealing compounds, the production of crops and livestock food products across the entire process chain requires compliance with a variety of legal standards and regulations. Parker Prädifa offers suitable solutions.

The agricultural sector encompasses arable farming, viticulture, the production of bio energy from renewables and animal husbandry. In addition to selecting the suitable sealing compounds, the systematic production of crops and livestock food products across the entire process chain, as an essential source of life, requires compliance with a variety of legal standards and regulations.

One of the requirements for sealing compounds in this context is that no chemical components must be dissolved from the sealing element and enter the agricultural product, and/or that the sealing element must not react with the agricultural product.

Thanks to its extensive materials and sealing know-how, and PWIS-free production technologies (PWIS = Paint-wetting impairment substances), Parker Prädifa offers proven solutions for a wide range of uses involving paints and varnishes, including automotive applications.

For health and environmental protection reasons, water-based paints/varnishes and dispersion paints, or even solvent-free powder paints and 2-component varnishes are primarily used today. These products make special demands on the materials of the equipment and components used in this field. In addition, frequent color changes and increasingly short production process cycles entail thorough cleaning of all paint and varnish components.

PWIS-free production guarantees finished products which are free from substances that might impair paint wetting and thus meet a requirement specifically for printing presses and paint shops. The quality inspection for PWIS is performed according to international automotive standards.

Process gases are used in diverse industrial processes. To ensure smooth and efficient process flows and compliance with strict emission control regulations, high demands are made on flow meters and gas supply systems, including valves and fittings, control units, gas purifiers and filters. The seals and other polymer products used not only have to exhibit a wide range of resistances against diverse process gases, but be as pure as possible as well in order to prevent outgassing of the materials and thus contamination of the process gases.  

In the food industry, for instance, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen are used in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to preserve the natural freshness of foods. Cryogenic, slow refrigeration and freezing involving the specific formation of small crystals distributed across the entire food product takes place by means of process gases (liquid gases) as well and additionally reduces the risk of bacterial growth.

In reactors, continuous stirred-tank reactors, separators, milling and mixing systems, storage tanks and bottling equipment, oxygen and the humidity it contains, is frequently undesirable. The utilization of inert gases can partially or fully displace either of these and keep them away from the products.

Ammonia is the most important nitrogen compound in technical uses, with a large part of the ammonia production being processed further to produce nitrogen fertilizers. Other uses of ammonia include the production of nitric acid, fibers and plastics.

Process requirements in perfume and cosmetics production include the need for special “hygienic” seal designs and suitable sealing compounds which do not release any components to the cosmetic products. Parker Prädifa offers appropriate solutions.

The European Union regulates the approved preservatives, colorants and UV filters in the interest of consumer safety and transparency (Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009).

The various production processes require suitable seal designs that are free of dead spaces, conforming to EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering Design Group) regulations, and easy to clean in order to prevent contamination such as bacterial growth. Equally important is the selection of suitable sealing compounds for the respective production step to prevent ingress of compound ingredients in the cosmetics.

Parker Prädifa supports you with suitable seal designs and in the selection of appropriate sealing compounds from an extensive portfolio of relevant proprietary developments. As a result, you will benefit from high product safety including compliance with locally applicable legal requirements, high equipment availability and product quality in cosmetics production.