Seal and method of forming

Abstract

A seal can include a body including a thermoplastic material and a filler material including a fluoropolymer. The fluoropolymer can include a modified fluoropolymer. The body can include an elongation-at-break of at least 3%. In an embodiment, the seal can include a seal ring, wherein the body of the seal ring can include a weld.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A seal, comprising a body including a weld and an elongation-at-break of at least 3%, wherein the body comprises a matrix material including a thermoplastic material and a filler material including a modified fluoropolymer, wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polyarylketone, polyimide, aliphatic and aromatic polyamide, polyester, polyetherimide, polyamideimide, liquid crystal polymer, polybenzimidazole, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polysulfones, polytetrafluoroethylene perfluoroether, polychloro-trifluoroethylene, polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene, polyvinlyledene fluoride, polyvinylfluoride, polyvinyledene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyetheretherketoneketone, polyetherketoneetherketoneketone, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         2 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the modified fluoropolymer comprises a modified polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a modified tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene (FEP), a modified perfluoroalkoxyethylene (PFA), a modified polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises at least 4 wt% and at most 40 wt% of the modified fluoropolymer for a total weight of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the modified fluoropolymer is chemically modified. 
     
     
         5 . The seal of  claim 4 , wherein the modified fluoropolymer is functionalized. 
     
     
         6 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises particles including the modified fluoropolymer dispersed in the thermoplastic material, wherein the particles comprise an average major dimension of at most 5 µm. 
     
     
         7 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the filler material further comprises a non-fluoropolymer material. 
     
     
         8 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a ring shape. 
     
     
         9 . The seal of  claim 8 , wherein the body comprises a diameter of at least 0.2 meters. 
     
     
         10 . The seal of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a coefficient of friction of less than 0.41. 
     
     
         11 . A seal, comprising a ring-shaped body including a weld, wherein the body comprises a matrix material comprising a thermoplastic material and a filler material including a chemically modified fluoropolymer. 
     
     
         12 . The seal of  claim 11 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polyarylketone, polyimide, aliphatic and aromatic polyamide, polyester, polyetherimide, polyamideimide, liquid crystal polymer, polybenzimidazole, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polysulfones, polytetrafluoroethylene perfluoroether, polychloro-trifluoroethylene, polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene, polyvinlyledene fluoride, polyvinylfluoride, polyvinyledene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyetheretherketoneketone, polyetherketoneetherketoneketone, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The seal of  claim 12 , wherein the body comprises particles including the chemically modified fluoropolymer dispersed in the matrix material, wherein the particles comprise an average major dimension of at most 10 µm. 
     
     
         14 . The seal of  claim 13 , wherein the average major dimension is at most 5 µm. 
     
     
         15 . The seal of  claim 11 , wherein the body comprises particles including the chemically modified fluoropolymer dispersed in the matrix material, wherein the particles comprise an average major dimension of at most 3 µm. 
     
     
         16 . The seal of  claim 11 , wherein the modified fluoropolymer comprises a modified polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a modified tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene (FEP), a modified perfluoroalkoxyethylene (PFA), a modified polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The seal of  claim 11 , wherein the body comprises the chemically modified fluoropolymer in a content of at most 18 wt% and at least 4 wt% for a total weight of the body. 
     
     
         18 . A seal, comprising a ring-shaped body comprising a matrix material comprising a thermoplastic material and a filler material comprising particles including a modified fluoropolymer, wherein the particles are dispersed in the matrix material and comprise an average major dimension of at most 10 µm. 
     
     
         19 . The seal of  claim 18 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polyarylketone, polyimide, aliphatic and aromatic polyamide, polyester, polyetherimide, polyamideimide, liquid crystal polymer, polybenzimidazole, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polysulfones, polytetrafluoroethylene perfluoroether, polychloro-trifluoroethylene, polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene, polyvinlyledene fluoride, polyvinylfluoride, polyvinyledene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyetherketoneketone, polyetheretherketoneketone, polyetherketoneetherketoneketone, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The seal of  claim 18 , wherein the body comprises a weld, a diameter of at least 0.2 meters, or a combination thereof.