Sustainable mining practices: Integrating sealing technology for environmental compliance

As the impacts of climate change intensify, regulatory pressure around resource use and emissions increases. A more sustainable form of mining, balancing productivity with environmental responsibility, is becoming an industry necessity.  

While digital transformation grabs headlines, there is no single solution to achieving operational resilience that will support the drive to a more sustainable mining industry. However, the evolution of mechanical sealing and support systems aligned with digital monitoring is quietly driving significant sustainability gains. 

The role of sealing technology in sustainable mining 

There is no standard-issue mining operation, and the extent to which owners depend on mechanical seals to keep their rotating equipment, specifically slurry pumps, running can vary.  

However, because every mining operation starts at the mechanical seal, it’s a good starting place on the sustainability journey. For mining operations owners, upgrading the incumbent mechanical seal or sealing system is a practical and achievable step towards meeting ESG targets.  

Seals are fundamental to key mining functions such as extraction, material handling and transportation, ore processing, beneficiation and tailing. They also ensure mining operations meet regulatory requirements around emissions and support sustainability initiatives.  

Punishing working conditions are a frequent cause of pump failure. The change from freezing conditions to high temperatures accelerates wear in mechanical seals and packing sealing systems. Frequent, costly failures contributed to a $67 billion shortfall1 in mining firms’ revenues in only five years.  

How innovation is shaping the operational future of mining  

Consequently, mechanical seal design has evolved. Innovations such as spiral groove technology, diamond-coated faces and remote digital monitoring improve resilience and efficiency. They create a low-barrier, high-impact upgrade opportunity to reduce emissions and water usage.  

Upgrading to modern mechanical seals is a simple, energy-efficient step that enables mining operations to cut unit costs by up to 6% annually and increase production by up to 40% through operational excellence and equipment reliability2. 

John Crane’s track record of sealing innovations, across mechanical seals and sealing support systems, is enabling more sustainable mining operations through practical, low-barrier upgrades. Recent additions to the solutions suite include: 

Spiral groove technology: Improves uptime (lift) in key solutions supporting pumps and rotating equipment. Swapping from gland packing to spiral groove technology can also reduce water consumption by removing the need for a continuous flush.  

John Crane Diamond®: Only John Crane integrates ultrananocrystalline diamond, a thin film of genuine diamond, on the seal face to support best-in-class adhesion. 

John Crane Sense® Monitor: Digital monitoring solutions enabling remote asset health support.  

A successful mining operation manages challenging, intensive, always-on processes and the increased focus on sustainability has added an extra layer of complexity. There is no single solution to these new problems, and an overnight pivot away from well-established systems is not an option. 

Instead, incremental upgrades, such as switching from packing to mechanical seals and deploying supportive technology, can yield significant sustainability benefits and help meet ESG goals, such as water savings and Scope 2 emissions reductions.  

How advanced sealing supports water savings    

Mining operations, especially in slurry and tailings processing, are water intensive. Operators are mindful to incorporate technologies that mitigate consumption. Applicable solutions within the John Crane portfolio include: