High Temperature Bearings for Oil Field Flares
High temperature, self-lubricating Graphalloy bearing materials, uniquely suited to help control volatile gas burn-off flares at oil and natural gas production sites, are another application-specific advance produced by Graphite Metallizing Corp.
Graphite Metallizing Corporation
This development resulted from a customer requirement to overcome design problems in a control linkage. The high heat of these flares caused bushing lubrication failures and this, in turn, caused flare control systems to fail. These repeated failures resulted in unacceptable maintenance and replacement costs.
EPA regulations require that oil field flares destroy the volatile organic compounds emitted into the atmosphere in an environmentally friendly manner. To meet these requirements, oil field operators must use flares at their production sites that provide a clean burn. These flares must operate reliably at remote sites under all conditions.
Given the loss of lubrication within the faulty linkage, it became obvious that flare controls and gas burn-offs were not meeting EPA regulations nor providing “clean” burns. The flare manufacturer tested other bearing materials. None met the challenge until Graphalloy, the high temperature self-lubricating graphite/metal alloy material was tested, approved and put to work.
Source: Graphite Metallizing Corporation
