Trelleborg develops extreme-cold sealing material

Trelleborg, Sweden – Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has introduced two new advanced elastomers engineered to withstand extremely low temperatures while meeting international standards for use in oil & gas production.

Describing them as “convention-defying” materials, Trelleborg said that Isolast XploR J9523 perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) and XploR V9T82 fluoroelastomer (FKM), maintain sealing function at very low temperatures while subjected to high pressure conditions.

The materials now meet the ISO 23936 standard as well as revision three of NORSOK M-710, Trelleborg added.

According to the seals manufacturer, the new materials can replace higher-cost solutions as well as pre-heated equipment in extreme low tempreatures like the North Sea or Canada and Alaska.

Standard hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) and FKM materials offer limited sealing capability below freezing when operated at high pressures.

Operating temperatures for Isolast XploR J9523 from -40 °C to +240 °C with short excursions to 250 °C, while XploR V9T82 operates from -48°C to +200°C with short excursions to 210°C.

These low Tg values allow the materials to remain elastic under pressure at much lower temperatures than standard grades.

The materials are also designed to stand up to rapid gas decompression (RGD), are suitable for sour service conditions and have an “extreme low temperature performance”, said Andrew Longdon, UK technical manager at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions.

In addition to wellhead applications that may be subject to high operating pressures at low temperatures, the materials may also be suitable for drilling and intervention equipment that is stored in subzero conditions before being deployed into high pressure scenarios, Trelleborg suggested.