B02 HNBR
B02 HNBR
Chapter B2
HNBR seal material
NOTICE: The information in this chapter is provided under the terms and conditions of the Offer of
Sale, Disclaimer, and other notices provided in the front matter of this seal handbook.
HSN1
Saturated Nitrile
Tornac (Polysar)
General material description
Compared to NBR seal materials, HNBR offers outstanding abrasion resistance,
good resistance to swelling and flex cracking, and improved temperature, chemical and
compression set resistance. The improvements are gained by reducing unstable double
bonds through saturation with hydrogen. The typically quoted temperature range for
HNBR is -50 to 320°F (-46 to 160°C).2 This is 70°F (39°C) hotter than the typically
quoted maximum continuous operating temperature of NBR.
durometer, -14 material is a popular dual durometer energizing material because it has
better compression set resistance than the 65 durometer, -17 compound, and provides
lower interfacial contact pressure than the 75 durometer, -16 compound.
Wide Footprint SealsTM made from the -10 HNBR compound have been
satisfactorily tested in low differential pressure conditions at 302°F (150°C) with an ISO
32 viscosity grade lubricant and a wide range of our typically recommended axial spring
loads.
The -11 compound was the first HNBR seal material ever adopted by Kalsi
Engineering. It was adopted at a time when true 90 durometer HNBR compounds were
unavailable. Although the -11 compound has a long history of success in high
differential pressure service, the -15 material offers superior high pressure extrusion
resistance, and should be considered in cases where seal geometry and radial cross-
sectional depth are compatible with the -15 compound.
The -15 compound is presently the most popular dynamic lip material for dual
durometer shaft seals. Because of the longstanding acceptance and popularity of the -11
compound, the -15 compound is currently underutilized in single durometer seals. We
believe that many customers who use the -11 compound in high differential pressure
service would be better served by the -15 compound. For example, the fixed location,
pressure retaining seal of a mud motor is a prime candidate for the -15 compound, if it
meets the cross-sectional depth criterion described below.
The -15 compound has been qualified for Wide Footprint Seals that have a 0.345”
(8.76mm) or greater radial cross-sectional depth. The -15 compound has also been
qualified in Wide Footprint Hybrid SealsTM in radial cross-sectional depths of 0.305”
(7.75mm) or greater, using a ratio of two Type C enhanced lubrication waves to every
one zigzag wave.3 Since the Type C wave is the least aggressive Enhanced
LubricationTM wave, the -15 compound is also compatible with more aggressive wave
patterns.
Higher than anticipated hydrodynamic leakage has been observed with Type C
waves when used with the -15 compound. Before using this combination, consult the
relevant test data, and make sure your lubricant reservoir is adequately sized. No such
leakage affect has been observed when the -15 material is used with the zigzag waves of
second generation Wide Footprint Seals.
The 95 durometer, -18 compound
The 95 durometer, -18 compound offers better high pressure extrusion resistance
than the -15 compound, however it is only used as the inner lip material of a -107, -114,
or -115 Dual Durometer shaft seal.
3. Environmental considerations
Using HNBR with diesel-based drilling fluids
Significant swelling of HNBR can occur with #2 diesel-based oil well drilling fluid.
This is particularly the case with low aniline point diesel fuel. Differential pressure,
barrier seals, and/or rotary seal spring loading should be used to help to minimize
swelling when low aniline point environments are anticipated. If possible, drillers should
consider the aniline point when specifying diesel-based drilling fluids. Due to its adverse
effect on elastomers, low aniline point diesel muds should be avoided when possible.
3 Our tests of 0.270" (6.86mm) radial cross-section, PN 641-19-11 and 641-19-15 Type C Wide
Footprint Enhanced Lubrication SealsTM indicate that the -15 material no longer provides a benefit over
the -11 material seal in such small cross-section Type C seals. As of this writing, the -15 material has
not been tested in 0.270” radial cross-section seals that have more aggressive enhanced lubrication
wave patterns.
Kalsi Engineering successfully performed a 500 hour, 250°F (121°C), 1,000 psi
(6.89 MPa) rotary test with 7.2 lb/gal “neat” (i.e. 100% diesel fuel) #2 diesel-based
drilling fluid using HNBR (85 to 92 Durometer Shore A) seals at a surface speed of 346
ft/minute (1.76 m/s). In rotary seal testing with other swell-inducing fluid media,
however, swelling caused a significant reduction in high pressure extrusion resistance.
To reduce the risk of swell-induced loss of extrusion resistance, an outboard barrier seal
can be used to protect the high pressure shaft seal from the swell-inducing environment.
In applications with differential pressure, very little of the surface area of the rotary
seal is actually exposed to and soaked by the drilling fluid. This helps to minimize
swelling. In the aforementioned 1,000 psi lab test, swelling of the seal was limited to the
small portion that was directly exposed to the drilling fluid at the extrusion gap between
the seal carrier and the shaft. In low differential pressure applications, axial spring
loading of the seal can also be employed to minimize swelling by establishing sealing
contact pressure with the environment side groove wall. Similar to differential pressure,
spring loading limits the area of the rotary seal that can be exposed to the drilling fluid.
Special precautions with winterized diesel based drilling fluids
Diesel-based drilling fluids are often more aggressive to HNBR seals in the
wintertime due to the lower viscosity/condensate type winterizing additives. Benzene is
even sometimes encountered in diesel-based drilling fluids on a seasonal basis, and
dramatically reduces the life of HNBR-based rotary seals.
When using HNBR in the fixed location, higher differential pressure seal position
of a downhole mud motor, the material(s) of the barrier seal(s) and the compensation
piston sliding and rotary seals should be selected based on anticipated chemical
exposure if winterized diesel-based drilling fluids are anticipated.
Using HNBR with brine-based drilling fluids
While HNBR is resistant to the salt solutions sometimes encountered in oil well
drilling, and has good compatibility with water, steam, and formate brine, it is poor
against zinc bromide and fair to poor against calcium bromide. Both bromides are
sometimes encountered in brine drilling fluids. When using HNBR in the fixed location,
high pressure seal position of a downhole mud motor, the material(s) of the outboard
barrier seal should be selected for bromide resistance if brine-based drilling fluids are
anticipated. FEPM and FKM are suggested as candidate barrier seal materials.
H2S
Table 1
Available HNBR materials for single durometer rotary seals
Material hardness,
Material dash no. Material description Shore A Durometer
-10 HNBR (fully saturated, 80 ±5
peroxide cured, up to
43% ACN)
-11 HNBR (peroxide cured, 85 to 92
up to 43% ACN)
-14 HNBR 70 ±5
-15 HNBR 90 ±5
-16 HNBR 75 ±5
-17 HNBR 65 ±5
Table 2
HNBR material combinations for Dual Durometer rotary seals4
4 Techniques have been developed to manufacture our rotary seals in most hardness combinations
without the need for special tooling.