GORE® GFO® Packing Fiber
The right packing for reliability and savings, GORE® GFO® Packing Fiber is engineered for high performance and longer in-service lifetime with less frequence maintenance cycles.
High-Performance General Service Packing
Packings with 100% GORE GFO Packing Fiber can provide maintenance engineers with consistently high-performance general service packing for wide application and use, including sealing shafts on high-speed pumps, mixers, agitators, or any other equipment with rotating or reciprocating shafts. It doesn’t become hard or brittle, is temperature and chemically tolerant and easy to install and remove.
A Sustainable Solution
Tests prove that GORE GFO Packing Fiber outperforms ePTFE/graphite packing materials in four key performance categories. Our low-friction, cool running packing can improve pump efficiency and operating costs, with minimal disruptions to operations.
For Shafts on High-speed Pumps, Mixers, Agitators and Other Rotary Equipment.
Compression packings typically used in:
- Pulp and paper manufacturing
- Mining and minerals
- Power generation
- Municipal wastewater treatment
- Steel manufacturing
- Marine
- Petrochemical
- Chemical processing
All PTFE/graphite Packings Are Not the Same
Many PTFE/graphite packings are available in the market. While they may all look the same, there are huge inconsistencies in product quality and performance. The installation of these products can increase operating costs (power, water, maintenance) and risk of premature failure as well as unscheduled shutdown.
Authorized Braiders Ensure Quality and Consistency
Through a global network of authorized braiders, the Gore Seal of Assurance Program ensures that every fiber used to braid the packing is a GORE GFO Fiber. Look for the 100% GFO seal on the box and printed right on the packing – it’s the only packing that is identified this way!
Authorized Braiders are committed to maintaining quality and consistency: Their participation in our Seal of Assurance Program guarantees that their braided packing consists of 100% GORE® GFO® Packing Fibers. The 100% GFO label on the package and on the braid tells you so!
Based on calculations for a 100 psi (6.9 bar) pump, 2 inch shaft (50 mm); Drip rate 25,000 gallons (94.6 m3)/ year; Packing = $40; Replacement of packing = 3 times per year; kWh = $0.12
Superior Performance Leads to Significant Savings in Power, Water and Maintenance Costs
The annualized cost savings example below shows an estimate of the savings that can be made by using packing made of 100% GORE GFO Fiber.
*Based on calculations for a 100 psi (6.9 bar) pump, 2 inch shaft (50 mm); Drip rate 25,000 gallons (94.6 m3) / year; Packing = $40; Replacement of packing = 3 times per year; kWh = $0.12
Hidden Costs
The operational costs of keeping a pump running vs the original packing cost is estimated to be 30 times greater*.
Avoidable Waste
Potential Costs of Inefficient Packing
A typical pump loses up to 39,000 kilowatt-hours which is enough to power 10 homes annually. The same pump will send 15,000 gallons (56.78m3) of water down the drain per year which is a similar volume of water contained in an average sized swimming pool. Using packings made of 100% Gore GFO Packing Fiber can help result in operational savings for plants.
Leakage differences between compression packings
See the leakage rate difference between a packing made with 100% GORE GFO Fiber versus a generic PTFE/graphite packing.
Leak Rate: Gore vs. Generic Packing
Would you rather lose droplets, or a steady stream?
Technical Information
| Temperature Range | -240°C to +288°C (-400°F to +550°F) |
|---|---|
| Chemical Resistance | Chemically inert, with few exceptions, over the entire 0-14 pH range. |
| Stability | Able to withstand shaft speeds to 4,300 feet per minute (21.8 m/s). |
Braid Density
The yield figures below are representative of satisfactory braided packing made of 100% GORE GFO Fiber. The data serves as a working guideline only and not as a minimum quality standard.
| Braided Packing Cross Section | Yield | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| in | mm | ft/lb | m/kg |
| 1/8 | 3.18 | 80.00 | 53.64 |
| 3/16 | 4.76 | 38.00 | 25.48 |
| 1/4 | 6.35 | 23.00 | 15.42 |
| 5/16 | 7.94 | 15.00 | 10.06 |
| 3/8 | 9.50 | 11.00 | 7.38 |
| 7/16 | 11.11 | 8.00 | 5.36 |
| 1/2 | 12.70 | 6.00 | 4.02 |
| 9/16 | 14.29 | 5.00 | 3.35 |
| 5/8 | 15.88 | 4.00 | 2.68 |
| 11/16 | 17.46 | 3.20 | 2.14 |
| 3/4 | 19.05 | 2.80 | 1.88 |
| 7/8 | 22.26 | 2.00 | 1.34 |
| 1 | 25.40 | 1.50 | 1.00 |
Braid Dimensional Tolerances
Another significant factor affecting braided packing performance is the degree to which it is properly sized. Calendaring braid and die-forming rings are two effective ways that the manufacturer can produce packing that closely adheres to dimensional specifications. The Fluid Sealing Association recommends the following tolerances.
| Cross Section | Tolerance |
|---|---|
| To 1/4 in | +/- 1/64 in |
| To 6 mm | +/- 0.4 mm |
| 1/4 in to 1 in | +/- 1/32 in |
| 6 mm to 25 mm | +/- 0.8 mm |
| Greater than 1 in | +/- 1/16 in |
Cetim EN 16752 Test Results
Cetim has performed testing on packing made of 100% GORE GFO Fiber using the EN 16752 "Centrifugal pumps – Test procedure for seal packing."
Test Protocol
- Ambient temperature
- Test medium: clean water
- 50 mm shaft diameter, 1500 & 3000 rpm
- Pressure: steady 0.6 MPa
- Loading: After 2 hours 1.8 kN, <1.5 kN 2nd & subsequent adjustments to 1.6–1.8 kN
Shaft Leak Rate
After initial break in stabilization, 3000 rpm.
Power Consumption
After initial break in stabilization, 3000 rpm.
More information on the Cetim test procedure can be found here.
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FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY
Not for use in food, drug, cosmetic or medical device manufacturing, processing, or packaging operations.
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