The frictional heat resulting from power consumption varies in its concentration across the radial curve of the sealing gap. The rate of frictional heat transfer to the media (surrounding the mechanical seals) also varies. The results are radial () and axial () temperature gradients in the seal face and stationary seat. These temperature fields (i.e. gradients) are conditional on ring geometry, on the thermal conductivity of the face materials, on the power consumption needing to be dissipated, on the surrounding media (temperature and coefficient of heat transfer), and on the operating status (stationary or non-stationary).

The greatest temperature gradients arise in the non-stationary mode (during start-up, shut-down and changes of load). The higher the thermal conductivity of the face materials, the lower the temperature gradients and hence the thermal stresses along with their effects, i. e. changes of sealing gap form. If the fringe conditions are known, it is possible to calculate the temperature fields by finite element analysis and to optimize the seal face and stationary seat.