Mechanical seal with improved groove arrangement

A mechanical seal comprising:

• a rotating slide ring and a stationary slide ring defining a sealing gap therebetween,
• wherein one of the slide rings includes at least a first row of a plurality of first grooves each having a foot region on a first radius and a head region on a second radius, a first circumferential sliding region being provided between head regions of a radially outermost row of grooves of the slide ring and an external radial edge of the slide ring,
• the other of the slide rings having at least a second row of a plurality of second grooves each with a foot region on a third radius and a head region on a fourth radius, a second circumferential sliding region being present between head regions of a radially outermost row of grooves of the slide ring and an outer radial edge of the slide ring,
• wherein the first radius is smaller than the third radius,
• wherein the second radius is smaller than the fourth radius, and
• wherein the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves have a respective depth which changes from the foot regions thereof to the head regions thereof.