Water contamination in bearing oil is a common recurring issue for pumps in the oil and gas industry. Labyrinth isolators fail to stop condensate from entering the bearing housing because labyrinths have inherent leak paths. An Exxon chemical plant in Baton Rouge, LA, has hundreds of pumps in operation, and there Bingham CDA horizontal single stage centrifugal pump at Exxon has another failure due to water ingress. Exxon specified Isomag bearing isolators this time around and it was a hot job, needing a quick turnaround. Isomag was able to measure, and manufacture the bearing seals for them in less than 48 hours.
Exxon Chemical in Baton Rouge, Louisiana put an end to this issue by replacing the existing labyrinth isolators with Isomag bearing isolators. Since installed in 2015, the end user reports that the seals are running smoothly at low temperatures with no evidence of water contamination. The Isomag bearing isolators hold in the force lubrication because it is a positive seal.
A brochure for Isomag bearing isolators for pumps can be found here. Also as a reminder, Isomag bearing isolators can be custom made to fit your machine. Contact our customer service team and we will help you find the ideal solution for your needs.
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