PTFE rod seals are specified where conventional elastomer-only seals reach their limits — high pressure, extreme temperature, aggressive media, or demanding duty cycles.

The following five characteristics define the performance envelope of Lycotek's rod-seal range, from low-friction operation to chemical inertness and standard-groove interchangeability.

 

1. Ultra-Low Friction & Stick-Slip-Free Operation

The PTFE sliding ring's inherently low coefficient of friction minimizes starting torque and eliminates stick-slip, allowing PTFE rod seals to run smoothly across the full speed range — from low-velocity reciprocating strokes up to 15 m/s. The optimized seal-lip profile maintains controlled contact pressure, which translates into lower energy consumption, less heat buildup, and quieter cylinder operation across the duty cycle. 

 

2. High Wear & Abrasion Resistance for Long Service Life

The PTFE jacket's molecular structure resists adhesive and abrasive wear under high cycle counts, lubrication starvation, and contaminated media. Combined with a dimensionally stable PTFE or polyurethane back face, hydraulic rod seals deliver extended maintenance intervals even in harsh-duty equipment such as excavators, presses, and injection-molding machines — reducing downtime and total cost of ownership.

 

3. Extrusion Resistance & Larger Hardware Clearance

The rigid PTFE (or polyurethane) back face bridges the radial extrusion gap under high pressure, allowing up to ~50 % larger hardware clearance than O-ring-only seals — in the Lycotek CET series — without sacrificing sealing integrity. This protects the elastomeric energizer from extrusion damage, tolerates wider cylinder bore tolerances, and extends seal life under pressure spikes up to 60 MPa.

 

4. Wide Temperature Range (-45 °C to +200 °C) & Broad Chemical Compatibility

PTFE is virtually chemically inert and thermally stable across a -45 °C to +200 °C(−70 to +300 °C in the SV series) range, making these seals compatible with mineral oils, synthetic esters, bio-oils, flame-retardant fluids (HFa, HFC), phosphate esters, water, steam, and most industrial gases. In the Lycotek SV series, the PTFE ring is energized by a corrosion-resistant metal spring instead of an elastomer — extending compatibility to pharmaceutical, food-grade, vacuum, and low-temperature applications where O-rings age, swell, or fail.

 

Product Range

The Lycotek PTFE rod seal range brings together eight specialized series — CAS, CAR, CVC, SV, CL, CET, RG, and CEC — each built around a PTFE sliding ring energized by an elastomer O-ring or, in the SV series, a corrosion-resistant metal spring. Together they cover rod diameters from 2 mm to 3,300 mm, service temperatures from -70 °C to +300 °C, and pressures up to 60 MPa (up to 207 MPa with back-up rings), addressing reciprocating, oscillating, and rotary sealing applications across virtually every industry.

The table below presents each series side by side — cross-section, operating conditions, advantages, and typical applications — transcribed directly from catalogue data to help you identify the right seal for your operating parameters at a glance.

Type	Product Overview	Technical Data				Typical Applications
		Temp	Speed	Pressure	Size Ø
CAS	CAS Single-Acting Rod Seal PTFE sliding ring + O-ring energizer; compact universal	-45 to +200 °C (depending on O-ring material)	up to 15 m/s with  reciprocating movements, frequency up to 5 Hz	up to 60 MPa	3 – 2,600 mm	· Mobile hydraulics · Construction equipment  · Machine tools · Injection molding machines · Servo hydraulics
CAR	CAR Single-Acting Rod Seal Rubber-energized PTFE lip seal; heavy-duty mobile	-45 °C to +110 °C (depending on O-ring material)	5 m/s with short strokes <1 m in tandem system	in tandem system: up to 60 MPa as an individual element: 25 MPa	8 – 2,200 mm	· Mobile hydraulics · Standard cylinders · Machine tools · Injection molding machines · Presses
CVC	CVC Multi-Vee Packing 3 V-ring stack + support + energizer; high-pressure heavy-duty	-30 to +200 °C	up to 0.5 m/s	up to 40 MPa	5 – 750 mm	· Ship hydraulics · Excavators · Steel mills · Presses · Heavy-duty hydraulic cylinders
SV	SV Spring-Energized Plastic U-Cup PTFE + V-shaped corrosion-resistant metal spring (no elastomer); extreme temp/media	-70 to +300 °C	reciprocating up to 15 m/s rotating up to 1.27 m/s	Maximum dynamic load: 20 MPa Maximum static load: 40 MPa (207 MPa with back-up ring)	2 – 3,300 mm	· Hydraulic cylinders and pumps · Chemical processing equipment · Pharmaceutical and food processing · Spindle seals for machine tools · Pneumatic cylinders and valves
CL	CL Single-Acting Rod Seal PTFE seal + contoured O-ring groove; O-ring replacement	-45 °C to +200 °C (depending on O-ring material)	up to 15 m/s with linear movements, frequency up to 5 Hz	up to 60 MPa	6 – 2,600 mm	· Machine tools · Automation · Servo hydraulics · Valve stems · Down-hole tools
CET	CET Double-Acting Piston/Rod Seal Trapezoidal PTFE profile + O-ring; heavy-duty + double-acting	-45°C to +200°C (depending on O-ring material)	up to 15 m/s frequency up to 5 Hz	up to 60 MPa	Up to 2,600 mm	· Injection molding machines · Machine tools · Presses · Handling machinery · Servo equipment
RG	RG Rotary / Oscillating Seal PTFE sealing ring + O-ring energizer; slow-speed rotating	-45°C to +200°C (depending on O-ring material)	Up to 2 m/s	30 MPa	up to 2,700 mm diameter (to 2,600 mm for rod seals)	· Rotary distributors · High-pressure valve stems · Manipulators · Pivoting motors in mobile hydraulics · Hydraulic motors
CEC	CEC Double-Acting Rod Seal Symmetrical twin-lobe PTFE profile + O-ring; compact universal + double-acting	-45°C to +200°C (depending on O-ring material)	up to 15 m/s	up to 35 MPa	2 – 999.9 mm	· Machine tools · Handling devices · Valves · Chemical processing equipment · Light-duty hydraulic cylinders

Notes:

The data above represent maximum values and are not to be used simultaneously. For example, the maximum pressure depends on the material type, temperature, and clearance, while the temperature range is also dependent on the medium type.