WARNING:
Failure or improper selection or improper use of Durashield seals or related accessories can cause equipment failure or damage, personal injury or death. Possible consequences of such failure, improper selection or improper use include, but are not limited to:

• Contamination of systems and environments from leaking fluids or gases.
  
• Ingress of dust, fluids or other substances.
  
• High velocity fluid discharge.
  
• Physical contact with released fluids or gases that may be hot, cold, toxic or otherwise injurious.
  
• Contact with suddenly moving, falling or suddenly halted objects that are to be held in position or moved in part or fully by the function of the product.
  
• Improper function or failure of host devices or equipment, or connected devices or equipment.
  
• Burn-inducing temperatures, smoke or flame from overheated devices or equipment.
  
• Injuries resulting from inhalation, ingestion or physical exposure to solvent-based systems.
  

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Scope This safety guide provides instructions for selecting and using (including designing, assembling, installing and maintaining) seals (including all elastomer and/or plastic products commonly called \'seals\') It also includes related accessories (including mounting hardware, surface preparation solvents, protective liners, application systems, containers and packaging materials). All such devices are collectively referred to as "Products" in this safety guide. This safety guide is a supplement to and is to be used with the specific AGD publications for the specific seals, isolation devices, air regulation equipment and related accessories that are being considered for use.

Fail-Safe Products can and do fail without warning for many reasons. Design all systems and equipment in a fail-safe mode, so that failure of the Products will not endanger persons or property.

Distribution Provide a copy of this safety guide to each person who is responsible for designing, specifying, selecting or purchasing these Products. Do not select these Products without thoroughly reading and understanding this safety guide as well as the specific AGD publications for the products considered or selected.

User Responsibility Due to the wide variety of operating conditions and uses for these Products, AGD and its distributors do not represent or warrant that any particular Product is suitable for any specific end use system. This safety guide does not analyze all technical parameters that must be considered in selecting a product. The users, through their own analyses and testing, are solely responsible for: * Making the final selection of the seal * Assuring that the users\' requirements are met and that the use presents no health or safety hazards. * Providing all appropriate health and safety warnings on and with the equipment on which the seals or air regulation equipment are used. * Before Installing your DURA-SHIELD Seal read and follow the Equipment Manufactures Safety Instructions. * Never attempt to Install your DURA-SHIELD Seal in an application that is not completely powered down and electrically or mechanically or both locked out.

Additional Questions Contact the appropriate AGD technical service department or your Durashield representative if you have any questions or require any additional information. See the Durashield publication or web pages for the product being considered or used, for telephone numbers and/or e-mail addresses of the appropriate technical service department.

SEALING PERFORMANCE Sealing Performance: Seals In general, seals are used to maintain an unbroken sealing line separating adjoining volumes of media or fluid, under all normal operating conditions. Some seals may be designed to provide other functions (e.g., mechanical check valves). Maintaining the sealing line may be necessary when that line is formed on a surface that remains stationary relative to the seal (i.e., static sealing). Or, the sealing line may be formed against a surface that moves (i.e., dynamic sealing). Numerous criteria are involved in typical sealing designs, including choice of sealing material, gland design, and/or other seal retention and mating features, etc. Specific sealing requirements and the performance of any related sealing system must be clearly defined for every given application in order to select the best sealing solution. The user should provide these definitions, ideally in partnership with applications support from AGD at the earliest possible stages of the design process.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY Electrical Conductivity: Seals Extreme care must be exercised when selecting seals for applications in which electrical conductivity or non-conductivity is a factor. Durashield seals designed for sealing against liquids and gases may be developed with electrically conductive properties to meet specific application requirements. Conversely, non-conductive seals can be provided for applications prohibiting electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity or non-conductivity of Durashield seals is dependent upon many factors and may be susceptible to change. These factors include, but are not limited to, the materials used to make the seal and/or related parts (including seal-bearing assemblies provided by AGD), how and where the seals and/or related parts are installed, moisture content of the seal at any particular time, and other factors. Users should be aware of any safety-related issues with using electrically conductive, or insulating, seals in a given application. These concerns should be documented and discussed with AGD before or during the seal selection process.

TEMPERATURE RANGE AND FLAMMABILITY Temperature Range and Flammability: Seals Temperatures can affect seal performance, including occurrences such as heat hardening and oxidation. The temperature range of a given seal application, and the expected performance of any sealing system within this range, must be clearly defined in order to select the best sealing solution. Temperature at the seal itself may vary widely from the ambient condition, sometimes by hundreds of degrees. The user should provide the temperature range, ideally in partnership with applications support from AGD at the earliest possible stages of the design process. Temperature range is generally defined as the maximum and minimum temperature limits within which a seal compound is expected to function properly in a given application. Virtually all Durashield sealing materials feature a recommended use temperature range, which should be regarded in the seal selection process. This information can normally be found on related Durashield web pages, product literature or from AGD Products technical services departments. In addition, temperature range should be considered for all integral seal elements (e.g., fasteners, adhesives, plastics, metals, etc.) and for application features such as gland dimensions, fluid temperatures, dynamic or static operation, etc. For example, temperature, or the range of temperature, for a given operation may require some modification of the gland dimensions. Changing the fluids a seal is exposed to will change the temperature limits of the seal. This is because some chemical reactions take place at higher temperatures, but not at lower temperatures. The temperature limit in a particular sealing application cannot be properly determined without knowing what specific fluids or other media the seal will be exposed to. Flammability information is available for most Durashield seal materials. Certain materials are available with various UL (Underwriters Laboratories) ratings for flammability/flame resistance. When AGD seal materials are integrated with other materials (e.g., plastic frames), the user, or AGD, may need to determine the flammability data for these other materials. For more safety information on temperature and flammability, consult with AGD Products. INC technical service departments.

COMPRESSION AND PRESSURE Most Products require some level of compression to function properly. Different materials and configurations will have varying compression characteristics, including resilience, and diverse compressive force requirements. Product materials may undergo compression set or other compression-related changes depending on the specific application. Fluids and other media may physically affect a Product and cause changes to the Product\'s compression characteristics in an application. Compression (and decompression) qualities of materials, compression force requirements, and related compression requirements should be considered for a given application in order to select the best Product solution. This also includes the number of pressure cycles to which the Product will be exposed, and the number of times a Product will be disassembled. Compression data is available on most Durashield Product materials, and users should consult with Durashield applications services early in their design and Product selection processes. Pressure has a bearing on Product design and selection, as it may affect the choice of compound hardness and other properties. Proper selection may require the choice of higher or lower durometer materials to accommodate more severe pressure situations. Compatibility with the medium should be of concern e.g., excessive swell in an application can generate extremely high pressures. If not considered in the design and selection stages, high pressures in an application can affect mating assemblies and lead to Product failure, e.g., by extrusion of the Product material. Pressure data should be provided as part of the selection process, as well as the choice of interface design and materials. This includes maximum and minimum pressures and cycling conditions.

FLUID AND OTHER MEDIA COMPATIBILITY Compatibility: Seals This is a critical aspect of proper seal selection, based on the number of fluids or other media with which seals are expected to interact. All media that may come in contact with the seal and air regulator should be considered. For example, if the system is to be cleaned or purged periodically, be sure to anticipate what cleaning fluids will be used. Also, consider any lubricants, e.g., friction reducers, which may be affected by the sealed media. These secondary fluids are as important to selecting the most compatible seal material as the principal operating media selects. Any increase in seal mass (volume) due to exposure to the sealed fluid, must be a design consideration. Excessive swell in an application can generate extremely high pressures and affect the seal function. Conversely, any decrease in seal volume, caused by a reaction to the sealed fluid can also degrade performance by reducing compression force or causing other severe dimensional changes resulting in possible loss of the sealing interface. Seals exposed to atmosphere, including ozone and air pollutants, or to vacuum may experience some types of degradation. Corrosion issues should also be considered, particularly of metallic mating or seal mounting hardware. In all cases, fluid and gas compatibility should be a major consideration for every sealing application, and fully discussed with AGD Products. INC engineering services.

CORROSION AND ENVIRONMENT Corrosion and Environment: Seals Seal corrosion is not seen with rubber-based sealing materials, but corrosion of integrated metal seal components, mounting devices and mating hardware can be a safety-related factor when choosing sealing solutions. Corrosion of these materials can compromise the integrity, proper function and normal results of the seal design. As such, potential corrosion opportunities should be determined and accounted for in the seal design process (e.g., using coated or plated metals). Similarly, environmental issues should be considered when developing sealing designs and specifying seal materials. Environmental conditions, e.g., weather, temperature, salt spray, dust, etc. can affect the sealing material, sealing hardware and/or the media being sealed, which in turn can affect the sealing properties. Consult with Durashield specialists on seal design in respect to corrosion and environmental issues.

LEAKAGE Leakage: Seals Leakage control and leakage rates are fundamental to the design of any efficient seal. When properly used in sealing liquids there should be no detectable leakage of a liquid over a given period of time. Gases, on the other hand, will typically diffuse through the rubber at some very low rate that can be detected by a leak detector, a mass spectrometer or other very sensitive measuring device. The leakage rate depends primarily on the temperature, the pressure differential, the type of gas and the type of elastomer used. Out-gassing is a vacuum phenomenon wherein a substance spontaneously releases volatile constituents in the form of vapors or gases. In rubber compounds, these constituents may include water vapor, plasticizers, air, inhibitors, etc. To identify and address safety concerns, consult with Durashield applications specialists on leakage issues relevant to all seal designs and selections.

AGING Selection should consider both the shelf life and the installed life. AGD maintains cure date records for many Products. For some Products, AGD also follows established industrial, customer, United States or other global age control standards. Certain materials, e.g. conductive coatings, inks, adhesives, etc. have a relatively limited shelf life and use life. Integral materials, e.g., pressure sensitive adhesives; on Products may have aging properties different from the main Product material. Users should consult available Durashield data, and consult with Durashield specialists to determine shelf life standards and installed seal life standards, and relevant procedures, when selecting seals for their applications.

SYSTEM WEIGHT Product selection should include considerations related to Product weight, hardware/peripherals weight, and total system weight. Material weights are available from AGD web sites, literature, or from Durashield applications services. When weight is critical to achieving a proper application, this should be addressed as early as possible with AGD design engineers. AGD can often provide technical prediction of Product performance via finite element analysis and other tools. Successful results are best accomplished by working closely with AGD applications engineers beginning early in the design stages.

HANDLING Safe handling of Products refers to the safety of the handlers and to the security of the seal parts. Any safety concerns relative to the safety of Product assemblers; inspectors, maintenance personnel, etc. should be addressed with AGD before the Products enter the handling stages. Though not usually required, AGD can provide available Material Safety Data Sheets and other safe handling and storage documents for certain Products. Consult with AGD on the need and availability of this form of documentation. The Products should always be handled in ways that will not cause physical (visible or not) changes to the materials that could affect performance in their intended application. It is recommended that Durashield applications services be consulted on best practices for safe storage and handling of these Products. Safe operation of automated handling, assembly, insertion, storage, etc. equipment used with the Products, should be optimized for safe use by operators, maintenance personnel, etc. Automated or manual equipment, used for handling seal products, should not affect the Products in any way that can alter their attributes and result in unsafe conditions. It is recommended that Durashield applications services be consulted on best practices for safe handling of the Products.

PRE-INSTALLATION INSPECTION Prior to installation, a careful examination of the Product must be performed. This includes checking for correct size, style, quantity, and part number. The Product should be examined for cleanliness, abrasion and any other visible defects. Faulty Products should be properly stored away from other inventories. Quality assurance testing programs for the Products should be established in consultation with Durashield quality engineers or other authorized personnel.

PREPARING THE INSTALLATION AREA Cleanliness of the Product and its installation area are key to successful installation and performance. Every precaution must be taken to insure that all parts are clean at assembly. Cleanliness is important for proper Product functions. Foreign particles in the installation area, including dirt, metal debris etc. can damage the Product or impede function. Remove all sharp edges near mounting surfaces. When required, use lubricants on the contacting surfaces only after discussion with Durashield Seal engineers. Cleaning solvents can cause swelling or other damage of some Products. Thus, cleaning solvents should be cleaned off thoroughly. Some Products may require priming of installation surfaces. These processes should be done according to instructions from AGD. Mounting gaskets may have specific installation requirements depending on their construction and composition. Consult with Durashield applications engineers for specific gasket application needs and to review installation requirements for all Durashield Seals.

Assembly: SEALS Durashield Seals typically do not have assembly requirements beyond normal installation into a system or a system sub-assembly.

INSTALLATION The Products have various installation methods, including manual insertion, and use of hand tools and automated systems. Sharp-edged installation tools should be used with care, or avoided, to prevent Product damage. If clamping or crimping is used, avoid over clamping or over crimping. Consult with AGD to determine the issues to be addressed using whatever installation method is selected.

CURE/SET TIME Cure/Set Time: Seals and Isolation Devices Durashield seals and isolation devices are typically supplied in cured form. When using uncured seal material (or other curable products) follow the cure time instructions provided by AGD.

POST INSTALLATION INSPECTION AND TESTING Installed Products should be inspected for proper fit and any damage incurred during installation. In some cases, pressure, conductivity (electrical or thermal), or impedance testing, or other procedures can help identify any performance problems. Identified problems should be documented and brought to the attention of all associates involved. Consult with AGD engineers in developing appropriate inspection and test standards and procedures.

REMOVAL Removal: Seals Seal removal may require use of manual or automated tools. Safety procedures and training may also be necessary to ensure the safe use of removal tools, compounds, etc. Care must be taken to preserve surface finishes and other application part features. Inspect and clean/repair application parts as needed prior to installing new seals. Inspect removed seals for wear, damage and other features that may indicate conditions requiring attention. Consult with AGD regarding appropriate removal tools and procedures.

STORAGE Storage conditions can affect Product integrity and performance, and pose safety issues. These include temperature extremes, contamination and time. Storage procedures should address these issues. Typically, the Products should be kept at room temperature, and away from temperature extremes or high humidity. Product lots and part numbers should be identified and tracked to ensure attention to shelf life and that the correct Products are always installed. Products installed on stored equipment should also be protected from potential temperature and environmental effects. Their working life must also be tracked and distinguished from typical bulk/bag storage life. Discuss proper storage procedures with AGD engineers.

MAINTENANCE Users of these Products should establish maintenance procedures, and these are typically determined through customer component testing. Maintenance should normally include Product inspection, correct part replacement, and for those specific Products approved by AGD, conditioning of the Product for reuse. AGD engineers can be consulted when creating maintenance procedures.