Hydract, a company that specializes in valve technologies for the hygienic liquid processing industry, has partnered with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies to develop three food-legislation-compliant seals for Hydract’s patented water-hydraulic process valves; the Hygienic Pressure Seal made of Quantum PTFE F18245 and 85 EPDM 302 in two sizes, a hygienic radial seal made of 85 EPDM 302 and a static seal in which two O-rings made of 85 EPDM 302 are combined to form a sealing element.

The company states that unlike conventional valves, Hydract relies on water instead of compressed air to power the valve actuator. The valves used in the process industry must be able to meet high standards in terms of hygienic design specifications, receive industry-specific approvals and resist CIP/SIP media (Clean in Place/Sterilization in Place). The developers at Hydract therefore turned to the experts at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies to create seals specifically for their patented valves.

Three sealing solutions are design to be fully functional over a long service-life. They are designed to offer resistance to extreme pressures, meet hygienic design standards and have properties for use in the beverage industry. With a tailored hygienic design, all three seals offer high-pressure resistance from +5-°C to +140-°C, pressure resistance from 0 to 10 bar and a long service life. The materials used have received the relevant approvals and were subjected to the conformity tests according to EG (Reg.) 1935/2004, EU (Reg.) 10/2011, FDA and 3-A Sanitary Standards.