Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Growth
Globally, LNG is continuing to experience growth in demand as an attractive fuel option. With the significantly increased amounts of natural gas now being produced to be liquefied and transported around the world, a commensurate set of extreme low-temperature challenges are posed by LNG to the Energy Industry, an industry where polymers and elastomers are essential components of the supply chain, from liquefaction to gasification. The selection of suitable polymers for use at cryogenic temperatures is now an urgent issue.
Incumbent materials struggling in low temperatures
A mixture of hydrocarbons, predominantly methane but with varying levels of ethane, propane, butane and other naturally-occurring gases, LNG normally has a boiling temperature of between -166°C and -57°C, at atmospheric pressure. According to EN/ISO 16903:2015, many construction materials fail in a brittle manner when they are exposed to these very low temperatures.
VICTREX CT polymers for cryogenic environments
VICTREX CT polymers offer processors and end-users a tailor-made solution to address the challenges of low-temperature environments. Victrex sealing material solutions are designed and tested for performance in cryogenic environments offering more consistent and reliable sealing across a broad temperature range compared to fluoropolymers.
Award-winning VICTREX CT 200 polymer
VICTREX CT™ 200 polymer received the Innovative Industry Solutions Award at the China International Engineering Plastic Industry Innovation Conference (2021工程塑料产业创新获奖名单).
The annual conference has been sharing information on new materials and market trends since 2016. It is sponsored by the China Plastics & Engineering Plastics Professional Association, organized by DT New Materials, aiming to support the advancement of China’s engineering plastics industry.
Higher tensile strength coupled with comparable modulus confirms more ductility across a wider range of temperatures; testing at -196°C to +150°C indicates better sealing capabilities which could also extend to higher temperatures in the range of +200°C
Lower and constant coefficient of thermal expansion ensures more dimensional stability and minimizes the shrinkage at low temperatures.
Higher thermal conductivity permits a faster reaction to temperature changes allowing the seat seal to keep interference with the steel counter-surface at all time – contributing to more consistent sealing.
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