Sealability of Stationary Metal-to-Metal Seals

The effectiveness of stationary metal-to-metal seals is investigated with respect to contact pressure and length, load history, and the use of sealing compounds. Laboratory cup and cone tests were carried out, and experimental results were used to develop a sealability criterion. A sealability parameter is proposed and a critical value for it was obtained from experiments. The criterion was validated through full-scale tests of tubular connections and FEA. This criterion can be used for the comparison, qualification and future performance improvements of different metal-to-metal seals, in particular those used in the petroleum industry.