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 		 API "American Petroleum Institute"

 API is a part of ANSI, the "American National Standards Institute". API describes, outlines and recommends the various fundamental criteria of mechanical seals for the petroleum industry. These proposals are arguably the best recommendations currently available for the design features and application requirements of mechanical seals. Even though the recommendations are intended specifically for the petroleum industry, they are also suitable for and applicable to every other industry.
In particular API draws attention to the fact that the costs of all aspects of a mechanical seal's use such as leakage, sleeve wear, downtimes and service life length should be taken far more into account and not just the seal's purchase price.

It is also stressed that these extensive proposals are not necessarily binding for the user but represent a modern set of selection aids for helping him to select which mechanical seals to buy. Accordingly, suppliers are not excluded if they do not offer or satisfy all the criteria by API. It was obviously important for the authors of the API proposals that users should take account of the latest findings in their seal selection decisions wherever the new developments bring them advantages.
The set of API proposals contains more than 120 printed pages. Understandably, only some of the many details can be mentioned here.

The following recommended details are also important for industry in general:
  • Large seal chambers on the pump
  • Preference for stationary seal designs
  • Double mechanical seals with tandem action
  • Pressure balancing
  • Preference for cartridges
  • Slotted gland mounting holes
  • Additional safety seals
  • Springs and bellows made of Hastelloy C
  • SiSiC reaction-bonded silicon carbide (DEPAC SC) as standard and sintered silicon carbide (DEPAC SSIC) for special applications only
  • Tungsten carbide, nickel-bonded (DEPAC TC)
  • Preference for SiSiC (DEPAC SC) against tungsten carbide (DEPAC TC) face combinations in applications with media containing solids
From even this short list it is clear how forward-looking the first developments of the stationary mechanical seal designs launched by DEPAC at the beginning of the 1980s really were. Today, many of these DEPAC features are incorporated in the universally respected API specifications as recommendations for industry.


Basic Design Criteria with Connection Data

SINGLE/STATIONARY




DOUBLE/TANDEM



BI
 Barrier fluid IN
1/2" NPT
BO
 Barrier fluid OUT
1/2" NPT
D
 Drain
3/8" NPT
F
 Flush
 1/2" NPT
Q
 Quench
 3/8" NPT
                                                             DEPAC TYPE 380
                                                                                    
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