Fluoramics Eliminates Harmful Chemicals from Sealants and Lubricants in Cryogenic Pumps

Solvent-free LOX-8 NF Oil is applied  to seals inside pumpsCalifornia-based Cryogenic Machinery Corp. (CRYO-MACH) is one of the nation’s leading producers of cryogenic pumps. Founded in 1969, the company manufactures single-stage horizontal centrifugal pumps for many of the world’s largest industrial gas suppliers as well as the leading space exploration companies.

According to CRYO-MACH General Manager Zack Swartz, the company distinguishes itself by producing highly reliable pumps that are easy to maintain. Then, they back these products with exceptional customer service that includes quick turnarounds on spare parts and immediate callbacks from a sales engineer. Not surprisingly, Swartz’s intense focus on quality also extends to environmental stewardship and safety. “We build our products to the highest environmental standards, and we think a lot about how we can improve our operations to ensure the health and safety of our employees,” he says. 

Concerning the company’s recent transition away from harmful sealants and lubricants, Swartz adds, “When I came on board a few years ago, I noticed that we were using a brand of sealants and lubricants that were capable of producing some very nasty volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although we stored and applied these products properly, we recognized that these chemicals were bad for the health of our employees and the environment, so we began exploring other sealants and lubricants that were safer to use. In time, our search led us to Fluoramics products, which we believed could effectively deliver the sealing, lubricating, and anti-galling performance we were looking for without the use of solvents or VOCs.” 

Environmentally-friendly LOX-8 Paste is used on CRYO-MACH’s  threaded connectionsThe Solution 

“Today we have completely eliminated the previous brand of lubricants and sealants from our manufacturing operations, and we have integrated Fluoramics products everywhere we can,” says Swartz. “We use Fluoramics’ oxygen-safe LOX-8® Paste to prevent galling and seizing on all of the threaded connections on our pumps, and we apply solvent-free LOX-8 NF Oil to lubricate the mechanical seals inside these pumps. We also seal the threaded connections on all our gas panels with Fluoramics oxygen-safe PTFE tape.” 

“Our products are built to the highest environmental standards, and this is the way I want to grow our business. There are a lot of products out there that produce noxious chemicals, and that has to change,” says Swartz. “I want to be using products that get the job done without doing any harm to my employees or the environment, and I look for them everywhere I can. We’ve even moved most of our business to aqueous cleaning, and we now use very little solvents anywhere in our facility.” 

According to Swartz, working with Fluoramics has been a refreshing change. “Like CRYO-MACH, they take pride on delivering exceptional customer support, and whenever I have a question about a product or how to use it, I am able to talk directly to Gregg Reick, their president and chief chemical engineer,” says Swartz. “In the past, whenever I tried to reach one of my chemical suppliers, I would spend way too much of my time reading through their Q&As and leaving messages online or through voice mail. I would never hear back from anyone. No support. Nothing. Fluoramics, on the other hand, produces great products, and they show us how to effectively use those products. Working with them has been literally and figuratively a breath of fresh air.” 

By Patti Reick, Marketing Manager, [email protected]

Image 1: Solvent-free LOX-8 NF Oil is applied to seals inside pumps. Credit: Fluoramics; Image 2: Environmentally-friendly LOX-8 Paste is used on CRYO-MACH’s  threaded connections. Credit: Fluoramics; Image 3: Fluoramics LOX-8® Paste, Fluoramics oxygen-safe PTFE tape, and LOX-8 NF Oil. Credit: Fluoramics

 

 

Fluoramics LOX-8® Paste, Fluoramics oxygen-safe PTFE tape, and LOX-8 NF OilFluoramics, Inc. is a solutions provider manufacturing engineered sealants, greases, lubricants, and rust inhibitors. Founded in 1967, the company is based in Winona, Minnesota, and proudly manufactures its products in the United States. To learn more about Fluoramics’ products, please visit the company's website at http://www.fluoramics.com.

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