Home » Pump & Valve Packings » Valve Packings

Types of Valve Packings

    Request a Callback

    Cotter Marketing carries many types of valve packing for your plant operations. With exclusive rights within Ireland to distribute the Chesterton range of valve packing products, our products and expertise can help your operation succeed and thrive.

    Valve packing is essential for preventing leakage. In brief, packing is a gasket that provides a sturdy seal between the valve’s stem and the bonnet. In most valves, gland followers are tightened until the valve is leak proof.

    Loose packing results in leakage; tight packing negatively affects the valve movement and may cause damage to the stem. Valve and stem packing should be test operated after installation to ensure that the packing is not so tightly compressed as to result in the valve not easily turning.

    There are two main types of valve packing: ring-shaped or in rope form, of which the latter can be cut to size as required. Rope valve packing is typically made of Graphite or Teflon, which self-lubricates to ensure a smooth and efficient operation. Elastomeric and fibrous materials are also common.

    Keep reading for more information on how Cotter Marketing can help your plant achieve its full potential with our stem packing and our various types of valve packing products, our industry-leading expertise, and our people-driven approach to help your business succeed. Leave your enquiries with us and our friendly staff will be happy to reach out to you and respond quickly.

    Below are some of the products we proudly distribute:

    types of valve packing

    1600 Graphite Valve Packing

    System Solution for Leakage Problems

    477-1 Multi-Purpose Packing

    Innovative PTFE-Coated Carbon Yarn Formulation

    Valve Sealing System

    Superior Leakage Control

    Valve Packing Partnership Benefits

    Purchasing the right products amongst a myriad of types of valve packing can be time-consuming. Moreover, subpar and inferior quality products can not only jeopardise your equipment but also endanger you and your employees’ safety.

    Keeping a tight and efficient supply chain is dependent upon forming lasting relationships with quality suppliers. That’s where Cotter Marketing can help. By partnering with us, you’ll have access to friendly and knowledgeable technical experts that can help you identify the best products for your specific needs. Here are some of the benefits of partnership with Cotter Marketing for your different types of valve packing products:

    • Improve equipment reliability and efficiency
    • Reduce friction on valve stems, resulting in a longer lifespan
    • Reduce energy consumption
    • Reduce equipment maintenance and repair costs
    • Perform in-field and regional valve repairs and upgrades
    • Protection from erosion and abrasion
    • Control liquids and gases with leak proof products
    • Permits equipment to operate safely at high temperatures and pressures

    In addition to the above benefits, Cotter Marketing also provides professional technical expertise for many types of plant operations. Partner with Cotter Marketing if you’d like to align your supply chain to access high-quality types of valve packing products and industry-leading expertise for your operation.

    Join our Mailing List

    Receive latest news and updates.

    Our Valve Packing Products

    Valve packing and stem packing products specifically designed for your heavy-duty equipment should be leak proof and provide sufficient lubrication for the smooth operation of your machinery. That means you shouldn’t settle for inferior products that may compromise the safety and reliability of your equipment.

    Thanks to Cotter Marketing’s exclusive rights to distribute products from great suppliers such as Chesterton, finding the right products for your plant equipment doesn’t need to be daunting or time-consuming. Engineers, plant managers, procurement officers, and machine technicians can purchase many great stem packing and valve packing products for a wide range of applications. Some examples include:

     

    1600 Graphite Valve Packing

    When your equipment needs to be leak proof and built with superb integrity, few types of valve packing can do the job like the 1600 Graphite Valve Packing.Compact strands of layered graphite reinforced with Iconel wire mesh covering lends to a highly durable construction applicable in all types of isolation valves. Its advantages are:

    • Greater emissions control over time
    • Fire safe (meets API 589 and API 607 standards)
    • Easy to install
    • Works well in high-temperature and high-pressure applications
    • Contains corrosion inhibitor

     

    477-1 Multi-Purpose Packing

    Ideal for use in multiple valve and pump sealing applications, the carbon fiber 477-1 Multi-Purpose Packing uses superior blocking agents to seal pumps and valves alike in one product. Although strong, it’s also pliable and not brittle like many other carbon packings. Its interbraid construction also allows it to effectively block many gases or liquids from leaking. Its advantages are:

    • Both strong and pliable
    • Uses an inorganic blocking agent to prevent gas or liquid penetration
    • Prevents stem pitting by means of a Molybdenum-based corrosion inhibitor

     

    Valve Sealing System

    For a complete approach to valve and stem packing, few types of valve packing products are as hardworking and efficient as Chesterton’s Valve Sealing System. As a complete package, this product comes with a warranty from Chesterton for 3 to 5 years, depending on the service requested. This product can be used on a wide array of valves, including for nuclear power plants, fossil fuels, chemical plants, and refineries. Its advantages are:

    • Ensures valve performance and repeatability
    • Fewer repairs and maintenance required
    • Helps to lower operating costs
    • Low-friction design improves production quality and production yields

    Frequently Asked Questions


    What is the difference between pump packing and valve packing?

    Pump packing is designed to allow leakage between the sleeve, shaft, and packing in order to lubricate and dissipate heat emanating from the rotating sleeve.

    Valve packing is designed to be leak proof and to create a tight seal between the stem of the valve and stationary packing.


    Can pump and valve packings be used interchangeably?

    Not entirely. Some pump packing products can be used on various types of valve packing, but valve packing should not be used for pump applications. Generally, purpose-built stem packing, valve packing, and pump packing products should be used as intended and not interchangeably unless otherwise indicated.


    What is valve packing material?

    Packing is available in many varieties, including: graphite, carbon, PTFE, fibreglass, cotton, acrylic, and aramid. Valve packing materials are more limited, however. Although there are many types of valve packing, graphite and carbon fibre are amongst the more popular choices.

    Blocking agents are also commonly added to valve and stem packing products to better control leakage.


    What is the difference between mechanical seal and gland packing?

    Mechanical seals and gland packing are both useful across a range of applications, but some applications are best served with one over the other.

    Where either can be used, mechanical seals tend to provide greater long-term care for your equipment and require less maintenance than gland packing. Packing is sometimes more ideal than mechanical seals, but it tends to have a lower upfront cost whilst requiring more frequent maintenance due to less long-term lubrication.

    Packing also tends to be more conventionally used for many applications, meaning that replacement with another packing product can be less time-consuming and more convenient.


    What is graphite packing?

    Graphite is a resilient material best suited for environments where your valves may be exposed to high temperatures. Furthermore, graphite valve packing is a highly chemical resistant, highly lubricating, and highly resistant sealant for valves.


    What is carbon fibre packing?

    As the name implies, carbon fibre packing is made of either interwoven yarns of carbon fibre or strands of carbon fibre. Amongst the various types of valve packing materials, carbon fibre excels in terms of heat conductivity, chemical resistance, and a leak proof operation. Moreover, carbon fibre packing is versatile, durable, and boasts a long lifespan.


    Contact Cotter Marketing Today


    High-quality valve packing products can help your production plant achieve greater efficiency, cost savings, equipment reliability, and safety. It only makes sense then to partner with a reputable distributor such as Cotter Marketing.

    Please feel free to contact us if you’d like to enquire about the advantages that partnership with us for valve packing products can yield for your business. In addition to servicing and distributing a wide range of different types of valve packing, we can also assist you with:

    Cotter Marketing is an industry leader with over 35 years of experience assisting plants of various types, including: mining, pharmaceutical, power generation, food processing, local authority, general manufacturing, and dairy. We have offices in Cork and Dublin to better serve you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help boost your plant’s competitiveness.