Packing selection is a very important part of a turbine engineer's job. The wrong choice of packing will quickly become unusable and lead to leaks. There is a wide range of packing options available as there is a wide range of packing materials to choose from.
There is no one type of packing that can handle all types of fluids or be suitable for all types of valves and applications. A valve is only as good as its seal and a leaking seal is the equivalent of a leaking valve with all the associated faults. It is not only unpleasant to the eye, but also a hazard to work, health and fire.
Gland packings are made from a combination of fibre materials and are manufactured in braided, woven, twisted, jacketed, corrugated foil, foil-wrapped deformable core and full foil forms. It is prudent to consult the manufacturer's manual for the type of gland packing to be used. Gland manufacturers also provide a list of applications in which their gland packing can be used; these should be consulted before use.
