Hi guys - 1st day at this forum. I work in natural gas compressor station - most areas are haz locs.
Used to use CHICO and CHICO fiber. Cheapest of the methods I've tried.
Then tried the Crouse-Hinds IntraPaks. Very happy with the pre-measured water and compound sides of the pouch - just break the water capsule, knead the package, attach the supplied flexible spout and squeeze 'er in. ONLY problem was that they only had a 1 yr. shelf life. Little more expensive to purchase, but cheaper in labor costs.
Learned of the Chico SpeedSeal cartrigdes. Used them once. SEE the Crouse-Hinds video here
http://www.crouse-hinds.com/crousehinds/resources/VideoClip_Chico_Speedseal.cfm
Plusses:
(1) No fiber dam is needed for horizontal use. (2) Complete set time is 20 minutes. (3) Expands 4X original volume, so there's no need to separate individual conductors - the compound squeezes itself in between them. (4) Easier to use in below freezing temperatures, as the seal only needs to be kept warm (above 40 degF) for the 4-10 minutes of the expansion/gel time of the compound as opposed to the 8hr or 72-hr requirement of standard Chico (depending on group designation of the hazardous fluid). This was the only reason I used the SpeedSeal when I did.
Minuses: (1) VERY EXPENSIVE. (2) Due to expansion, the compound pushes outside the seal ends and into your conduit run if you overfill. Could pose problems later on during rewiring or repairs. (3) VERY EXPENSIVE
Now I'm back to Chico compound and Chico fiber for ocasional sealing, IntraPaks for heavy use periods like construction projects.
I just reviewed the Crouse-Hinds sealing catalog, and I see their TSC Epoxy compound. New to me. It allows the use of a "sealing hub" in a horizontal application by using the TSC epoxy for the seal compound (won't run and doesn't need a fiber dam).
I also see a NEW product called "Secondary Process Sealing Fittings" which are a patent pending design for preventing passage of process gases under pressure in conduit- standard rating is 40 psi, high-pressure rated ones are 500 psi. Interesting.
Kent