New Friction and Wear Grade Joins TORLON(R) Polyamide-imide Lineup
TORLON 4435 PAI Is Designed For Performance In Non-Lubricated, High PV Applications
24-May-2002
ALPHARETTA, Ga., May 23 - Solvay Advanced polymers, L.L.C., has introduced a new grade of TORLON polyamide-imide (PAI) material.
The new material, designated TORLON 4435, is specifically designed to provide exceptional wear performance in non-lubricated, high-PV applications. Not only is new TORLON 4435 particularly suited to applications where lubrication is impossible or undesirable, it provides an additional margin for the continued operation of lubricated systems in the event that lubrication is lost.
A high-PV environment is one in which the pressure on a moving part multiplied by the part's velocity results in a composite measurement (PV) in the range from 50,000 to 100,000 psi-ft/min. Typical applications that operate in this regime are rotating or sliding components of automotive and industrial machinery, such as bearings, bushings, seal rings, wear pads, and piston rings.
Initial testing has demonstrated that parts made of TORLON 4435 exhibit excellent wear resistance across the complete envelope of non-lubricated high PVs -- from low pressure-high velocity conditions (125 psi and 800 ft/min) to those of high pressure and low velocity (2,000 psi and 50 ft/min). Polymers that can operate in this extreme environment can save both cost and weight as replacements for the metal parts traditionally used in such applications.
Surviving at high PV
The key to the durability of TORLON 4435 at non-lubricated high PVs is its ability to maintain its good mechanical properties at high temperature. The glass transition temperature of this new polyamide-imide material allows parts to operate continuously at temperatures up to 260-degrees Celsius.
By comparison, two other materials often specified for stress-and-motion applications have individual shortcomings that hinder their success in the extremes of temperature or pressure. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) materials tend not to survive in conditions above 75,000 PV without additional lubrication, because their mechanical properties are seriously compromised at heats above a glass-transition temperature of 145-degrees Celsius. Conventional polyimide (PI) materials, while they have excellent wear performance, can lack sufficient mechanical strength to maintain integrity under non-lubricated, high-pressure conditions.
Increasing performance, reducing cost
TORLON 4435 is formulated with a proprietary lubricant package that extends the range of PV performance available from the product family. Other grades of TORLON PAI are suitable for moderate pressure-velocity environments -- those ranging from 25,000 to 50,000 PV. In addition, the new 4435 grade is a thermoplastic material that can be formed into a net shape by injection molding. Some polyimide materials require sintering into stock shapes and machining to finish, which can result in higher production costs without delivering corresponding performance advantage.
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