Leakage Retardation of Static Seals via Surface Roughness and Wettability Modification.

Abstract

In this paper, the effects of surface roughness and wettability on the leakage performance of static seals were highlighted. The results show that the leakage rate is negatively correlated with the contact pressure and positively correlated with surface roughness. Surface wettability affects leakage performance. Leakage retardation is achieved by modifying the roughness and wettability at the interface. The seal interface consists of two oleophobicity surfaces and exhibits an excellent seal performance, of which the leakage reduction is approximately 64%. A theoretical model based on wettability is established to predict the leakage rates under varying wettability conditions, and its validity is confirmed. This research result is expected to be applied in the field of seals and predict the leakage performance of interfaces with different wettabilities to minimize and reduce the leakage of oil in static sealing systems.