November 2013 Sealing Technology7

NEWS

by the end of 2014, and the plant will start shipping products to customers in 2015.

‘We are happy with progress made so far, and this plant clearly underlines our commitment to being closer to our customers and supplying them with premium products,’ said Torsten Derr, head of Lanxess’ Keltan Elastomers business unit.

The company will use Keltan ACE technology to enable sustainable production at its new plant. Compared with conventional catalyst technology it reduces energy requirements for production and does not require catalyst extraction because of its high efficiency. Furthermore, the process enables the manufacture of new EPDM rubber grades, such as oil-extended EPDM and special high molecular weight EPDM. The new plant will produce, in total, ten premium grades of EPDM, tailored to customers’ needs in China.

EPDM is used above all in the automotive industry as door sealants, and in hoses, belts or anti-vibration parts. The product is also used in the plastics modification, cable and wire, construction and oil additives industries. Its properties include low density, good resistance to heat, oxidation, chemicals and weathering, as well as good electrical insulation characteristics.

The new EPDM plant is located at the well-established Changzhou Yangtze Riverside Industrial Park, with access to excellent storage and ship-uploading facilities. Up to 2000 peo-ple are currently working on the site.

Lanxess already operates EPDM production sites in Geleen, The Netherlands; Marl, Germany; Orange, Texas, USA; and Triunfo, Brazil.

Contacts:

Lanxess Ag, Kennedyplatz 1, 50569 Köln, Germany.

Tel: +49 221 88850, http://lanxess.com

Lanxess Chemical (China) Co Ltd, Landeszentrale 16F,

Park Place, No. 1601, Nanjing Road (West), 200040

Shanghai, China. Tel: +86 21 6109 6666ose to compl

Conferences and Meetings News

Symposia set new records; sealing-related papers highlighted

The 42nd Turbomachinery and 29th International Pump Users Symposia

(Pump & Turbo 2013) were held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, USA, on 30 September to 3 October 2013.

According to the organiser, 5857 people attended the event – almost 400 higher than in 2012 – setting a new record for attendance. The annual symposia also experienced a record number of countries represented, international attendees and booths filled in the exhibition hall.

Sealing-related papers presented at the Symposia are listed below.

Advancements in mechanical sealing – API 682 Fourth Edition: Michael Huebner, Flowserve, Deer Park, Texas, USA; Gordon Buck, John Crane Inc, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; and Henri Azibert, A.W. Chesterton Co, Groveland, Massachusetts, USA

-gies for single mechanical seals: Michael Huebner, Flowserve Corp, Deer Park, Texas, USA

injection service: Chris Riché, Flowserve, USA

Justak, ATGI, Stuart, Florida, USA-

tive failures: Pradip Sonavane, Mohamed AbdelKhalek and Quraisy Shatri, RasGas Co Ltd, Doha, Qatar

The 43rd Turbomachinery and 30th International Pump Users Symposia (Pump & Turbo 2014) is scheduled to be held in Houston, Texas, USA, on 22–25 September 2014.

Contact:

LaDonna O’Hara, Registrar, Turbomachinery Laboratory,

Texas A&M University, 3254 TAMU, College Station,

TX 77843-3254, USA. Tel: +1 979 862 1012,

Email: ladonna@turbo-lab.tamu.edu,

Web: http://turbolab.tamu.edu

Publications of Interest

Steady growth forecast for global mechanical seals market

A study released by Frost & Sullivan entitled ‘‘Global Mechanical Seals

Market’’ finds that the market earned revenues of approximately $2691.5 mil-lion in 2012 and estimates this will reach $3558.4 million in 2015.

Holding fast against the ongoing economic turmoil, the global mechanical seals market is expected to grow at a steady pace over the long-term across all major end-user industries, says the company. Continued patronage from

the oil and gas, chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries, together with the expanding base of pumps and compressors in the emerging BRIC economies, will stand the market in good stead.

‘Expansion into emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, India and China is expected to be a major driver of growth in the current eco-nomic environment,’ noted Ashwin Annareddy, Industrial Automation & Process Control Program Manager, Frost & Sullivan.

‘With the market in North America and Western Europe reaching maturity levels, the focus is expected to shift to after-sales services and product enhancements.’

Well established EU norms for energy recycling and efficiency have placed the onus on pump suppliers to consistently introduce novel product features. The EU also has strict guidelines related to fugitive emissions through equipment leaks. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) air emission standards require specific work prac-tices for equipment leak detection and repair.

Manufacturers in these regions, therefore, have to improve product reliability, functionality and lifecycle. Demand in these mature regional mar-kets will be sustained on a platform of innova-tive design features, improved pump and motor efficiencies, higher price-performance ratio and prompt after-sales service, says the study.

One of the key threats to market growth is the increased adoption of seal-less magnetic drive pumps. Oil and gas, chemicals and petro-chemicals industries require mechanical seals to comply with the API 682 standard. However, compliance requires substantial investment in research and development, which regional seal manufacturers are unable to provide.

Increasing customer satisfaction also poses a significant challenge to pump manufacturers. End-users now expect not just timely delivery of a high-quality product, but an array of effec-tive services to back their product purchase.

‘With mechanical seal reliability being a critical purchase criterion, R&D into different materials of construction, value-based design engineering, on-site system support and value sharing hold the key for effective communica-tion of enhanced value to end-users,’ advised Annareddy.

‘Overall, manufacturers need to develop a broad product portfolio and strong service back-up, while boosting penetration into emerging regions.’

Contacts:

Frost & Sullivan, 4 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH,

UK. Tel: +44 20 7343 8383, Web: www.frost.com

Frost & Sullivan, 7550 IH 10 West, Suite 400, San

Antonio, TX 78229-5616, USA Tel: +1 210 348 1000