PVF Roundtable Magazine December 2025 | Page 43

Seals perform three critical roles in any valve system:

1) Leakage Control – Preventing fluid loss is fundamental for safety, regulatory compliance, and environmental responsibility. Whether it’s methane emissions or toxic process media, fugitive emissions are no longer tolerated.

2) Operational Integrity – A valve that leaks internally or externally cannot reliably isolate or throttle. Sealing systems preserve torque response, ensure repeatability, and extend mean time between failures (MTBF).

3) Equipment & Asset Protection – By preventing ingress of abrasives, sand, or corrosive fluids, well-designed sealing arrangements protect the metallic internals of the valve and downstream assets.

Without effective sealing, even the most sophisticated alloy body or actuator system becomes irrelevant. That’s why end users increasingly prioritize advanced polymer and elastomer solutions alongside metallurgy when specifying valves.

The Challenge: Diverse Media, Extreme Conditions

Modern process industries demand valves that can operate in very severe environments, which places extraordinary demands on sealing elements:

- Temperature Extremes: Cryogenic LNG service down to –320 °F, or refinery

LNG service down to –320 °F, or refinery processes exceeding 600 °F.

- Aggressive Chemicals: Concentrated acids, sour gas, aromatics, or amines require chemically resistant polymers and elastomers.

- High Cycling & Abrasives: Fracturing service, slurry pipelines, and high-cycle isolation applications erode traditional seats and packing.

- Fugitive Emission Standards: API 622, ISO 15848, and EPA regulations are driving tighter leakage criteria for stem packing and body seals.

The industry can no longer rely on “off-the-shelf” elastomers and PTFE blends. Specialized formulations, engineered to each application, are what enable valves to perform reliably in these environments.

ODIN’s Approach: Engineering Sealing Systems for Critical Service

At ODIN Heavy Industries, we focus exclusively on advanced sealing solutions for valves, pumps, compressors, and other severe-service equipment. Our value proposition is simple: To be the trusted partner for engineered polymer solutions in the world’s most demanding environments—delivering innovation, precision, and performance that redefine industry standards.​

Seats

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