Composite Lip Seal Material for Lubricity and Seizure Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lip seal materials using rubber, such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1, often suffer from insufficient lubricity, leading to seizing, damage, and potential leakage during use.

Innovation Solution

A rubber-like elastic lip seal is developed, incorporating hydrogenated nitrile rubber, EPDM, and/or fluoro rubber, along with a reinforcing filler material and a non-reinforcing filler material with a specific aspect ratio, to enhance lubricity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional rubber materials (nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, fluoro rubber, silicone rubber, or ethylene propylene rubber) are used for lip seal, then the sealing performance is improved through fluid pressure, but the lubricity becomes insufficient during use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidlubricity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite rubber materials by combining base rubber (hydrogenated nitrile rubber, fluoro rubber, or silicone rubber) with specific non-reinforcing fillers (graphite, PTFE, or MoS2) to create a composite material that provides both sealing performance and improved lubricity. The filler content is controlled at 1-50 parts by weight per 100 parts of rubber to optimize both properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material composition parameters by introducing specific non-reinforcing fillers with controlled particle sizes (0.1-10 μm) and content ratios. This parameter change transforms the rubber material from having insufficient lubricity to having enhanced lubricity while maintaining sealing performance through optimized composition ratios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the lubricity of lip seal material is insufficient, then seizing occurs and the lip seal becomes damaged, but adding filler materials may affect the rubber's elasticity and sealing properties

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelubricityVSAvoidsealing material integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the filler content parameter within a specific range (1-50 parts by weight per 100 parts of rubber) and controls particle size (0.1-10 μm) to enhance lubricity while preventing excessive filler from compromising the rubber matrix integrity and sealing material strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The improved lip seal material achieves enhanced lubricity, reducing the risk of seizing and leakage, while also improving various properties of the lip seal.

Implementation Method 1

the lubricity of the rotating shaft and the lip seal can be improved by blending a certain amount of a non-reinforcing filler material having a specific shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLubrication: Lubrication

Data Source

PatentUS12215229B2Lip seal
Publication Date: 2025.02.04 EAGLE INDS

AI summary

Lubricity of a lip seal material using hydrogenated nitrile rubber is improved. A rubber-like elastic lip seal which is fixed to a housing and slides with a shaft that rotates relatively with the housing, wherein the lip seal includes a rubber-like elastic body containing hydrogenated nitrile rubber, EPDM or fluoro rubber, a reinforcing filler material, and a non-reinforcing filler material having an aspect ratio in a range of 1 or more and 30 or less, and the lip seal contains 1 part by weight or more and 150 parts by weight or less of the reinforcing filler material and 5 parts by weight or more and 90 parts by weight or less the non-reinforcing filler material per 100 parts by weight of the rubber-like elastic body.