Applications – Marine
The battleship pictured in the harbor is strongly symbolic. It certainly represents vast military strength and dedication of servicemen and servicewomen. It is also symbolic of scientific and technological advancement. The engineered technology of a battleship is filled with countless mechanisms, each performing a unique functions which ultimately drive primary functions. A list of the main components of a naval battleship include: vertical gun mounts, ammunition storage, weapons deck, engine room, machine shop, cargo and storage areas, wardroom, engineering rooms, ship control center, bridge, and living quarters.
Within these main categories are various types of supportive equipment that drive a specific task. For example, the engine room of a battleship contains valves, pumps, and other components that require fluid sealing materials (gaskets, packing). Other areas of the engine room are hazardous due to exposure to high temperatures, making heat protective textiles (ceramic fiber, fiberglass) necessary. Flexible graphite, ceramic fiber, and fiberglass materials are the least noticeable components of a naval battleship, yet they provide the necessary smaller piece of the technology that drives the larger whole.
Applications of packing material are not limited to naval battleships and submarines. Every motor on a propeller driven boat has a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft spins at high speed and must be fluid sealed at the point where the shaft leaves the boat (packing gland or stuffing box) and enters the water. Packing material is used in the marine stuffing box of a propeller shaft for fluid sealing purposes.