James Walker Supagraf® HT

Innovative high performance solution for ultra-high temperature valve stem sealing applications

A commitment to product development and supporting customers in critical applications leads the sealing solutions experts at James Walker to a new offering for valve stem sealing in ultra-high temperature applications.

As temperature demands in industrial processing and power generation are increasing, the market demands are for more advanced, superior sealing options. As a result, cutting edge material technology has been constantly evolving in conjunction with new, unique stem sealing system constructions designed specifically to withstand a very harsh environment with the ultimate target to maximise stem packing service life and ensure effective sealing performance.

James Walker’s level of expertise in compression packing development and manufacturing, alongside collaboration with valve Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), test houses, end users and well-known EPC companies experiencing significant sealing challenges of sealing molten salt media, have been the key success factors driving the development of the company’s latest advanced packing solution.

This work has seen the development and now launch of Supagraf® HT – designed specifically for ultra-high temperature applications with the ultimate goal of minimising leakage and maximising service life whilst simultaneously improving the ease of valve maintenance for customers.

The product also provides other important benefits, such as improved health and safety through reduced housekeeping and maintenance needs, as well as a reduction of product loss in the system, significantly improving operational efficiency through a reduced total cost of ownership.

Jakub Marczyk, Global Product Manager for Gaskets & Compression Packing at James Walker, said “I am pleased to be able to expand the Supagraf® range with this new addition, enhancing our product portfolio for ultra-high temperature applications. As you would expect from James Walker, Supagraf® HT is designed using state-of-the-art, cutting edge technology.

Specifically intended for valve applications handling ultra-high temperature molten salt up to 650°C, the product consists of a set of rings made from a unique combination of engineered components in an innovative configuration, providing excellent chemical and corrosion resistance to withstand the harsh environment. Such a design enables the product to seal the media from external atmosphere as well as protect the sealing elements in the packing set from aggressive, ultra-high temperature and abrasive molten salt.

The way these materials are combined and positioned against media side and atmospheric side ensures customers with critical valves handling high temperature molten salt have a mechanically and thermally stable packing solution that covers pressure classes from Class 150 up to Class 600 on rising stem valves - gate, globe valves or quarter turn valves - butterfly valves.”