Durable Sealants

A leading company in the plastic pipes and fittings industry is looking for durable sealants that are resistant to organic solvents, to be used in plastic production machinery, to reduce waste in the raw materials resulting from leaks given the sealant wear out and thus save unnecessary costs..

An invitation to chemical and material engineers to provide a durable sealant material for chance to win a reward of 15,000 EGP provided by USAID’s SEED Project in collaboration with the solution seeker, to implement the solution. Please read on for more details!

The Problem:

Machines used for plastic pipes and fittings production, which are made of stainless steel, have many sealed parts through which leakages can occur over time. Leaks mainly result from the wearing of sealants over time given the organic solvents used in the treatment and production of plastic pipes and fittings (PVC).

The leaked plastic can get to the heating belts and cover the whole length of the barrel or cylinder and can cause considerable damages on the production line. Moreover, the organic solvents added to the plastic treatment are toxic, thus resulting in health hazards to workers in contact with the machinery.

Leaks can also be a significant source of waste, both in the raw material used in the pipes and fittings production, as well as, the sealant material which has to be replaced. The used raw materials are very expensive and at the same time quite costly to dispose, in addition to, the to the time and effort wasted in the process.

The currently used seals such as rubber (EPDM) and teflon (PTFE) last for around two months before wearing out and starting to leak which leads to stopping the production line to replace the seals and clean the leakage. This process is very expensive as it consumes valuable amounts of time and workforce as it could take a few hours or a few days according to the leak.

The Challenge:

To find new sealants that are resistant to organic solvents effects, such as wear and corrosion, to eliminate the leakage from the machinery and reduce associated costs.

The suggested sealant material should fulfill the following criteria:

• The sealant lifespan should not be less than one year (preferably more)

• Resist the following organic materials

  • Tetrahydrofuran

  • Methyl Ethyl Ketone

  • Cyclohexane

  • Acetone

• Easily applied and shaped into the required form;

• Heavy-Duty  and non-corrosive

• Safe to use and dispose

• Eco-friendly (preferably)

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Reward & Conditions:

The winner will receive a reward of 15,000 EGP provided by USAID’s Strengthening Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) Project, to implement the solution in cooperation with the Solution Seeker. In addition, the Solution Seeker will provide access to their labs and tools for solution development and testing.

The reward will be given according to the following conditions:

1. The solution should meet the aforementioned criteria;

2. The solution should include a clear plan of action including implementation stages, timeline, required tools/materials, estimated budget, and technical support required (if applicable);

3. The reward will be given in installments, in accordance to milestones set by the innovator(s) according to their plan of action;

4. As per our platform Terms and Conditions, in case the intellectual property rights are not registered, the innovator should include the minimum details required to judge the technical validity and feasibility of the solution without full technical specifications.

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