Packing
Packing
Application
A packing is a dynamic sealing system that seals the moving plug stem to prevent the process medium escaping from the valve
into the atmosphere. The packing must seal the moving plug stem, yet without impairing the valve's performance in any way.
SAMSON AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT · Weismüllerstraße 3 · 60314 Frankfurt am Main, Germany                            Edition March 2023
Phone: +49 69 4009-0 · Fax: +49 69 4009-1507 · samson@samsongroup.com · www.samsongroup.com
We attach great importance to occupational health and safety          –   Pressure and temperature resistance
as well as environmental protection in the same way our cus-          –   Wear resistance
tomers do. Consequently, we offer solutions to meet the in-
                                                                      –   Low friction
creasingly stricter emissions requirements.
                                                                      –   High resistance to corrosive media
Environmental requirements
                                                                      –   Elastic and easily deformable
Particularly strict requirements may apply to the fugitive emis-
sions of a valve depending on the process medium and the              Installation of the packing
environmental protection as well as occupational health and           The packing is either fixed in place in the valve body by a
safety regulations in place. There are three factors that play a      threaded bushing (central threaded fastening, see Fig. 1,
major role in a valve's compliance to environmental require-          Fig. 2 and Fig. 5) or using a packing gland and a threadless
ments:                                                                bushing (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4). There are four basic packing
–   External leakage (fugitive emissions)                             designs:
External leakage occurs when the process medium in a control          –   Adjustable packing gland (see Fig. 3)
valve (e.g. with pneumatic actuator) leaks to the atmosphere          –   Packing gland loaded by external springs (see Fig. 4)
over the plug stem guide, body gasket or flanged joint. Seat          The sealing elements of the adjustable packing are com-
leakage primarily concerns the internal leakage between the           pressed between the valve body and plug stem by applying a
seat and plug as well as the joint between the seat and body          specified tightening torque. If the packing leaks, the threaded
(see Fig. 1). External leakage from the valve is termed "fugi-        bushing or packing gland can be repeatedly tightened further
tive emissions".                                                      by the specified tightening torque until the sealing elements
                                                                      must be replaced.
                                                                      Live-loaded packings are loaded by internal or external
                                                                      springs. A pre-loaded spring maintains a constant load on the
                                                                      sealing elements, which is automatically adjusted, even as the
                                                                      sealing elements wear down over time until they must be re-
                                                                      placed.
                                                                      Live-loaded packings with a tightening option are loaded by
                                                                      internal springs. After the pre-loaded spring cannot be
                                                                      compressed any further and the packing starts to leak before
                                                                      the next routine maintenance is scheduled, the packing can be
                                           External leakage:          adjusted one more time by tightening the threaded bushing or
                                           • Plug stem guide          packing gland (depending on the design) to curb leakage
                                             (packing/bellows seal)
                                                                      until the packing can be replaced at the next planned
                                                                      maintenance.
                                           • Body gasket
                                           • Flanged joint            Composition and materials
                                                                      Packings are available in various varieties and contain several
                                          Internal leakage:           rings, one or more bushings and washers. They may also in-
                                          • Between plug and seat     clude a spring to load the packing. The combination of parts
                                          • Between seat and body     and their material depends on the valve application as well as
                                                                      pressure, temperature and medium resistance properties etc.
 Fig. 1: External and internal leakage in a control valve
                                                                      There are different types of packing rings, which can be made
Measures to minimize external leakage are divided into two            of various materials. Typical packing ring types include
categories: static and dynamic seals. Body gaskets and                smooth, V-shaped and braided rings that can be made of
flanged joints belong to the static seal category. Dynamic            graphite, PTFE or modified PTFE material.
seals include packings, bellows and diaphragm seals.                  A stainless steel spring made of 1.4310 (standard), 2.4360
The packing must seal the moving plug stem to ensure the pro-         (Monel® 400) or 2.4610 (Hastelloy® C4) is used for the
cess medium inside the valve cannot escape to the atmo-               live-loaded packing.
sphere, yet without impairing the valve's performance.
Packing requirements
Packings are contact seals which seal the opening between a
moving and a stationary component. Due to the large area of
contact between the packing and the plug stem as well as the
high compression required to control leakage, the friction gen-
erated by the packing is relatively high when compared to
mechanical seals. Nevertheless, packings are still commonly
used to seal valves when they have the following properties:
2                                                                                                                     T 8000-6 EN
Design and principle of operation
An installed packing seals the space between the valve body
and plug stem after the threaded bushing or packing gland is
tightened. This creates an axial force that is applied to the
packing rings. As a result, the rings expand in the radial di-
rection and are pressed against the plug stem. The compres-
sive force applied to the packing seals off any potential paths
of leakage.
Principle based on a live-loaded V-ring packing (see Fig. 7):
The guide bushing (9) is pressed fit at the bottom of the valve
bonnet and surrounds the plug stem. The packing spring (3) is
installed on top of it. The packing rings (1a) are arranged in a
certain sequence above the spring in the packing chamber.
The compressive force is created by tightening the threaded
                                                                    Fig. 3: Adjustable packing gland (e.g. used in Type 3595 Valve)
bushing (4) or packing gland on the valve bonnet. As a result,
the packing rings (1b) are squeezed together. The V-rings are
pushed into one another and spread out. This creates a tight
seal in the space between the plug stem and valve bonnet. The
same principle applies to other ring-type seals as well.
Excessive leakage can occur if the packing is installed
incorrectly (e.g. uneven, insufficient or excessively high
tightening torque) and/or the wrong packing materials are
used. Over-tightening increases the friction between the
packing and plug stem, which may lead to premature wear
and unwanted jerky plug stem movement. It can also increase
the actuator force required to position the valve.
Unlike the adjustable packing, a spring-loaded packing
cannot be overtightened if the instructions are followed. The
central threaded bushing is tightened as far as it will go.
When using a packing gland, a visual indication is given on
                                                                    Fig. 4: Live-loaded packing with packing gland (loaded by exter-
the correct tightening position. The spring ensures that an                 nal springs) with tightening option
even and relatively optimal compressive force is applied to the
packing.
The advantage of an adjustable packing is that it does not
have any springs, making it free of cavities.
T 8000-6 EN                                                                                                                             3
Standards and regulations                                                           Table 1: Tightness classes according             Tightness class
It is impossible to achieve 100 % tightness in a control valve                      to ISO 15848-1 for helium as test
                                                                                                                                   AH      BH      CH
due to the laws of physics and chemistry (i.e. since atoms of a                     medium
substance diffuse through a solid and/or as a result of dy-
                                                                                    Measured leakage
namic forces created by the moving plug stem). Consequently,
                                                                                    rate (mass flow            Stem diameter      ≤10–5   ≤10–4   ≤10–2
regulations and standards define the tightness of a packing                         rate)                    (information only)
based on permissible leakage limits depending on the process
medium.
                                                                                  The endurance class is used to determine the classification ac-
Such regulations include the German TA Luft (German techni-                       cording to the number of mechanical cycles. A differentiation
cal instructions on air quality control). This regulation serves to               is made between isolating valves and control valves. Isolating
protect the general public from the harmful effects of air pollu-                 valves are classified according to CO endurance classes and
tion on the environment and to provide precautions against                        control valves according to CC endurance classes. These en-
harmful effects of air pollution in order to attain a high level of               durance classes are subdivided into three stages depending
protection for the environment altogether.                                        on the minimum number of mechanical cycles. A certain se-
The TA Luft regulation requires that sliding-stem valves are                      quence of cycles is performed for each endurance class. The
fitted with a high-performance bellows seal with backup                           endurance classes for control valves are listed below as an ex-
packing or use an equivalent gasket sealing system. In the TA                     ample:
Luft regulation dated 24 July 2002, a gasket sealing system                       –       CC1: 20,000 mechanical cycles (10,000 cycles at room
can be regarded to be equivalent if the temperature-specific                              temperature and 10,000 cycles at test temperature in to-
leakage rates are met in the verification procedure stipulated                            tal)
in VDI 2440:2000-11. Compliance is given when the
                                                                                  –       CC2: 60,000 mechanical cycles (CC1 + an additional
construction of the sealing system is expected to continually
                                                                                          40,000 cycles consisting of 20,000 cycles at room tem-
fulfill its intended function under the operating conditions and
                                                                                          perature followed by 20,000 cycles at test temperature)
the following specific leakage rates are met:
                                                                                  –       CC3: 100,000 mechanical cycles (CC2 + an additional
 Temperature                              <250 °C          ≥250 °C
                                                                                          40,000 cycles consisting of 20,000 cycles at room tem-
 Specific leakage rate              10–4                10–2                              perature followed by 20,000 cycles at test temperature)
                                                                                  If the leakage measured exceeds the values in Table 1 during
The latest edition of the TA Luft regulation came into force on                   typetesting, it is permissible to mechanically adjust (i.e. tight-
23 June 2021. A transitional period for compliance to the                         en) the packing once for each qualification stage performed
new requirements ends on 2025-01-01. The latest edition of                        (according to the endurance class). For example, a maximum
the TA Luft regulation refers to the internationally applicable                   of three adjustments is permissible for CC3.
ISO 15848-1 concerning equivalent gasket sealing systems.
                                                                                  The tightness test is always performed for a specific tempera-
This standard deals with the measurement, test and
                                                                                  ture and pressure. Fixed temperature classes are defined in
qualification procedures for fugitive emissions in industrial
                                                                                  ISO 15848-1. However, the standard permits a test tempera-
valves. It prescribes specific test procedures and test media.
                                                                                  ture that deviates from the temperature class, which is speci-
Packings are classified according to categories of tightness,
                                                                                  fied in brackets after the temperature class in the performance
temperature and endurance. The number of mechanical cycles
                                                                                  class.
(full strokes) is also classified since it is a relevant factor for
packings.
The objective of DIN EN ISO 15848-1 is to enable a classifi-                      Fig. 7 to Fig. 11 show various packings.
cation of the performance of different valve designs to reduce
fugitive emissions. It defines the type test for evaluation and
qualification of valves where fugitive emissions standards are
specified.
Testing can only be performed on fully assembled valves. Heli-
um gas (H) or methane (M) of 97 % minimum purity is pre-
scribed as the test medium. After testing, the packing is as-
signed to a performance class (see Fig. 6).
Fig. 6: Typical performance class marking for Form LoE packing installed in a Series 240 Valve
4                                                                                                                                         T 8000-6 EN
Legend for Fig. 7 to Fig. 11
                                                                                                                  4
 1    Packing (entire)          5    Spacer
 1a V-ring packing              6    O-ring                                                                       8
 1b Seals with square/          7    Seal
    rectangular cross-section   8    Spacer
 2    Washers                                                                                                     7
                                9    Guide bushing (PSA
 3    Spring                         version: wiper ring)
                                                                                                                  1a
 4    Threaded bushing
                                                                                                                       1
4 3
                                                                                                                  5
                                              1a
                                                                                                                  9
                                              3
                                                            Fig. 9: ADSEAL packing · DN 65 to 80/NPS 2½ to 3
                                              5
                                                                                                     6
                                                                                                     1a
                                                                                                              1
                                                                                                     2
4 9
                                              1a                                                         4
                                                                                                         6
                                                     1
                                              1b
                                                                                                         1a
                                                                                                                  1
                                                                                                         2
2 3
5 5
                                                                                                         9
                                              9
T 8000-6 EN                                                                                                                5
Table 2: Part 1: Packing forms
V-rings • • • •
                                           Square
                      Seals                                          —                           —                            —                             —
                                           cross-section
                                           Smooth                     •                           •                            •                             •
Design                                     Braided                   —                           —                            —                             —
                                           One                        •                           •                            •                             •
                      Bushing(s)
                                           Multiple                   o                           o                            o                             o
                      Washer(s)                                       •                           •                            •                             •
                      Spring                                          •                           •                            •                             •
                                           Single                     •                           •                            •                             •
                      Packing
                                           Double                    o 5)                        o 5)                         o 5)                          o 5)
                                                                 PTFE-carbon                 PTFE-carbon                 PTFE-carbon                   PTFE-carbon
                      Seals
                                                                  (Pure) PTFE                 (Pure) PTFE                 (Pure) PTFE                   (Pure) PTFE
                                                                  • 1.4301
                                                                  o 1.4360
                      Bushing(s) and washers                                                  • 2.4610                    • 1.4404                      • 2.4610
Materials 1)                                                      o 1.4404
                                                                  o 2.4610
                                                                  • 1.4310
                      Spring                                      o 2.4360                    • 2.4610                    • 1.4310                      • 2.4610
                                                                  o 2.4610
Lubricant                                                            Yes                         Yes                          Yes                           Yes
Suitability for
                      pH range                                      0…14                       0…14                         0…14                          0…14
process medium
                                                              –10 to +220 °C     2)
                                                                                          –10 to +220 °C     2)
                                                                                                                      –50 to +220 °C    6)
                                                                                                                                                    –50 to +220 °C 6)
                      Process medium
Temperature                                                    14 to 428 °F 2)             14 to 428 °F 2)            –58 to +428 °F 6)             –58 to +428 °F 6)
range                                                          –25 to +120 °C              –25 to +120 °C              –50 to +120 °C                –50 to +120 °C
                      Ambient
                                                               –13 to +248 °F              –13 to +248 °F              –58 to +248 °F                –58 to +248 °F
Service life (mechanical cycles)                                  >500,000                    >500,000                    >500,000                      >500,000
                      DIN EN ISO 15848-1:2017 7) 9)                  —                           —                             •                             •
Certification
                      FCI 91-1 (ANSI)                                —                           —                            —                             —
                      TA Luft 2002 (VDI 2440)                         •                           •                            •                             •
Requirements
                      TA Luft 2021 8) 9)                             —                           —                             •                             •
(met)
                      NE 167 8)                                      —                           —                             •                             •
6                                                                                                                                                        T 8000-6 EN
              A                       B                       D                     H                         HT                                                              Form
             —                        —                       •                     —                         —                Live-loaded (spring-loaded)
             —                        —                      —                      —                          •                     Once
                                                                                                                                                   Adjustable
              •                       •                       o                      •                        —              Several times                                     Style
             —                        —                      —                      —                         —                         With packing gland
              •                       •                       •                      •                         •                    With threaded bushing
     • Up to DN 150/
                                      •                       •                     —                         —                     V-rings
          NPS 6
     • Up to DN 150/
          NPS 6                                                                                                                     Square
                                      •                      —                       •                        —                                         Seals
     • DN 200/NPS 8                                                                                                           cross-section
        and larger
              •                       •                       •                      •                         •                   Smooth
              •                       •                      —                      —                          •                   Braided                                   Design
              •                       —                       •                     —                          •                        One
                                                                                                                                                    Bushing(s)
              o                       •                       o                      •                         o                   Multiple
              •                       •                       •                      •                         •                                    Washer(s)
             —                        —                       •                     —                         —                                        Spring
              •                       •                       •                      •                         •                     Single
                                                                                                                                                      Packing
                                     o 5)                    o 5)                   o 5)                      o 5)                  Double
        PTFE-carbon              (Pure) PTFE
                                                         (Pure) PTFE          (Pure) graphite          (Pure) graphite 4)                               Seals
          PTFE-silk           PTFE with silk cord
                                                         • 1.4301
                                                         o 1.4360
          • 1.4404                 1.4404                                        Carbon                (Pure) graphite 4)           Bushing(s) and washers
                                                         o 1.4404                                                                                                       Materials 1)
                                                         o 2.4610
                                                         • 1.4310
             —                        —                  o 2.4360                   —                         —                                        Spring
                                                         o 2.4610
             Yes                     Yes                     Yes                   No                         No                                                          Lubricant
                                                                                                                                                                     Suitability for
           0…14                     0…14                   0…14                   0…14                      0…14                                    pH range
                                                                                                                                                                   process medium
     –10 to +220 °C     2)
                              –10 to +220 °C     2)
                                                      –10 to +220 °C     2)
                                                                                ≤350 °C    2)
                                                                                                          ≤400 °C    2)
                                                                                                                                               Process medium
      14 to 428 °F 2)          14 to 428 °F 2)         14 to 428 °F 2)          ≤662 °F 2)                ≤752 °F 2)                                                   Temperature
      –25 to +120 °C           –25 to +120 °C         –29 to +120 °C          –50 to +120 °C           –50 to +120 °C                                                       range
                                                                                                                                                     Ambient
      –13 to +248 °F           –13 to +248 °F         –20 to +248 °F          –58 to +248 °F           –58 to +248 °F
         >500,000                 >500,000               >500,000               >200,000                  >500,000                                Service life (mechanical cycles)
             —                        —                      o 3)                   —                         —             DIN EN ISO 15848-1:2017 7) 9)
                                                                                                                                                                       Certification
             —                        —                      —                      —                         —             FCI 91-1 (ANSI)
             —                        —                                             —                          •            TA Luft 2002 (VDI 2440)
                                                                                                                                                                      Requirements
             —                        —                                             —                         —             TA Luft 2021 8) 9)
                                                                                                                                                                              (met)
             —                        —                                             —                         —             NE 167 8)
                                                           o FDA
                                                                                                                            Other certification (e.g. in the food and beverage
             —                        —               o Regulation (EC)
                                                                                                                                          as well as pharmaceutical industries)
                                                      No. 1935/2004
          240, 250                240, 250               240, 250               240, 250                  240, 250                   Series
                                                                                                                                                                 Suitable for valves
                                                                                                                                        Type
                                                    – High level of seal-
                              Cavity-free packing                          – Suitable for
                                                      ing performance
                              suitable for process                           high-temperature
     Cavity-free packing                              with low mainte-                                    Suitable for
                              media that crystal-                            range (e.g. for su-
     suitable for process                             nance require-                                   high-temperature
                               lize or polymerize                            perheated steam)                                         Applications/suitability/special features
     media that crystal-                              ments                                           range (e.g. for su-
                             and for which discol-                         – To fulfill graphite
      lize or polymerize                            – For process media                                perheated steam)
                             oration is not permit-                          purity requirements
                                                      that are not permit-
                                       ted                                   ≥98 %
                                                      ted to discolor
1)     Materials that are interdependent as well as being dependent on other fac-           5)   Depending on the valve series
       tors, such as valve body material, temperature ranges, medium properties etc.        6)   Depending on the valve, the use of an insulating section is prescribed for low
2)     Medium temperature at the valve inlet (applies to versions without insulating             temperatures down to –50 °C (see the data sheet of the corresponding valve).
       section and/or bellows seal)                                                         7)   Tightness class, test medium, endurance class, temperature class and pressure
3)     Manufacturer's Declaration for stem seal exists                                           rating on request
4)     Braided end rings made of pure expanded graphite yarn with edges rein-               8)   Pressure rating and temperature class on request
       forced with carbon fibre, highly compressed washers and specially impreg-            9)   Certification for Type 3510 Micro-flow Valve on request
       nated adapter rings made of high-density, expanded pure graphite
T 8000-6 EN                                                                                                                                                                        7
Table 3: Part 2: Packing forms
4)    Braided end rings made of pure expanded graphite yarn with edges rein-                     8)    Pressure rating and temperature class on request
      forced with carbon fibre, highly compressed washers and specially impreg-                  9)    Certification for Type 3510 Micro-flow Valve on request
      nated adapter rings made of high-density, expanded pure graphite