HIGH TEMPERATURE PERFORMANCE THERMOPLASTICS ENGINEERING

Gd. Grahamika Jl. Pinangsia III No. 26A T : 021-68763986 (cp : hudi leksono)/ 021-6259958 F : 021-6259159
www.sugison.com e : hudi.leksono@sugison.com

PEEK (POLY_ETHER_ETHER_KETON) ACTION IN EXTREME ENVIRONTMENT

FOR BEARING & WEAR MATERIAL

Many industrial processes and a number of consumer products require high performance material in tribological
application. Traditionally this has been the realm of lubricated metals, but with increasing demand for
performance and light weight, advancements in material science have brought engineering plastics to the
forefront. These engineering plastics bring the benefit of light weight, long part life cycles, low failure rates, and
enable some applications heretofore not possible with metal. The material space in play require wear resistance,
high strength, high temperature resistance, and low creep in a non-lubricated environtment.

Tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the study and
application of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear. The word 'tribology' derives from the Greek root
τριβ- of the verb τρίβω - tribo "Ι rub", and the suffix -logy. The study of tribology is commonly applied in bearing
design but extends into almost all other aspects of modern technology.

Tribology plays an important role in manufacturing. In metal-forming operations, friction increases tool wear and
the power required to work a piece. This results in increased costs due to more frequent tool replacement, loss of
tolerance as tool dimensions shift, and greater forces are required to shape a piece. A layer of lubricant which
eliminates surface contact virtually eliminates tool wear and decreases needed power by one third.

The tribological interactions of a solid surface's exposed face with interfacing materials and environment may
result in loss of material from the surface. The process leading to loss of material is known as "wear". Major types
of wear include abrasion, adhesion (friction), erosion, and corrosion.

ASTM defines wear as damage to a solid surface, generally involving progressive loss of material, due to relative
motion between that surface and a contacting substance or substances. Wear resistance is a paramount
characteristic of a material’s suitability for tribological service. Technicians measure wear rate by standardized
methods and commonly report wear rate as a measure change in thickness or weight loss per unit of time or
distance. Since wear rate is a function of the subject material and the mating surface material, their hardness,
their surface finish, the ability for the material and the system to dissipate heat, surface velocity, load,
temperature, other environtment conditions, and exposure time. It is necessary to standardize test methodology
and conditions to enable comparison. The selection of the best bearing for an application can be a very
complicated problem because the combined influenced of the many factors affecting the operation is difficult to
predict.
Measuring Operating PV

Determining Surface Velocity

For sleeve bearing, the formula V = 0,262 x rpm x D is used to determine the surface velocity in fpm, from the
shaft diameter, “D” (in.) and the shaft revolutions per minute or rpm. For linier motion, the surface velocity is the
speed at which sliding surface is moving across the mating surface.

Determining Unit Pressure

The unit pressure “P” is quickly calculated for flat wear surfaces and sleeve bearings. For flat bearing surfaces, P is
simply the total load (lbs) divided by the total contact area expressed in square inches (in2). For sleeve bearings,
“P” is calculated by dividing the total load on the bearing by the projected area of the bearing surface. The
projected area of sleeve bearing is calculated by multiplying the bearing I.D. (inches) by the bearing length
(inches).

A thermoplastic material must have enough structural and thermal capability to sustain operation at the given
application PV. This capability is measured as a material’s Limiting PV (LPV). This term is commonly reported as a
single value although it may vary for extremes in velocity and load.

Choice of a bearing material requires a match between the conditions of the application and the attributes of
subject materials. And as empirical evidence it is not sufficient to look only at PV. It is important to consider wear
rate, operating temperature and strength requirements. And when looking at PV, both the velocity and pressure
components should be considered because some materials are better at high speed/ low load and vice versa.
Opening one’s mind to consider all the repercussions will result in the best material choice.

PEEK GRADES

Some of the most demanding uses for plastics include high performance bearing, bushing, gears, washers, slides
and seal rings. They have to withstand high temperature, wear, load and aggressive chemicals in both dry and
lubricated environtments.

PEEK has greater strength and rigidity than many of the other engineering thermoplastics, making it tough over a
wide range of temperatures. It has good mechanical properties, including impact resistance, low wear rate, and a
low coefficient of friction, but more importantly, these properties are also retained over a wide temperature
range.
PEEK is available in a variety of grades for specific application, and the main grades available are the following :

Standard unfilled : This is general purpose grade, which has the highest elongation at break and also the lowest
general mechanical properties (tensile strength, flexural strength and flexural modulus) at a given temperature.
Unfilled PEEK also has the best impact properties of the PEEK range. Unfilled PEEK is compliant with FDA for use
in food contact applications.

30% glass filled : The addition of glass fiber reinforcement greatly increases the general mechanical properties at
a given temperature (tensile strength, flexural strength and flexural modulus), and reduce the elongation at break
and impact strength at low temperatures. Glass fiber filled grades of PEEK also show reduced thermal expansion
rates and are ideal for high temperature structural applications.

30% carbon filled: The addition of 30% carbon fiber reinforcement further increases the general mechanical
properties at a given temperature (tensile strength, flexural strength and flexural modulus), and further reduces
the elongation at break and impact strength at low temperatures. Carbon fiber filled grades of PEEK also have
much reduced thermal expansion rates and greatly improved thermal conductivity.

Bearing grade : The addition of 30% carbon/PTFE/graphite improves the tribological properties (friction and
wear) of PEEK. The additives also improve the machinability and make this grade ideal for machined bearing
parts.

Nonmetallic materials are widely used for bearing because they offer diversified characteristics that can be
applied in a wide range of applications. Generally, they have lower heat conductivity, in comparation to metals;
therefore, they are implemented in applications that have low PV (low-speed product) value. Nonmetallic
bearings are selected where self-lubrication and low cost are required (plastic materials) and where high
temperature stability must be maintained as well as chemical resistance (e.g., carbon graphite).

Engineering thermoplastics are commonly used as bearings on newly designed and existing machinery replacing :
rolling element bearings, metallic plane bearings, slide pads, soft metals such as bronze and lead alloys. With
plastics inherently low friction properties, designers often eliminate the need for external lubrication while
reducing potential damage to mating surfaces. Selection of an appropriate plastic bearing material requires
consideration of an application’s unit pressure, calculated linear velocity, ambient temperature and operation
cycle time. Other special application requirements such as chemical resistance, dimensional stability and impact
resistance must also be considered before final material selection.

PEEK Comparison to Metals

Steel
PEEK has cheaper manufacturing
cost
PEEK has fewer leachables
PEEK has better dry wear properties
PEEK has better chemical resistance
PEEK has 83% lower density
PEEK has less “memory”/ chemical
absorption & release
Bronze
PEEK has better mechanical
properties
PEEK is harder
PEEK has better wear & friction
PEEK has better chemical
resistance
PEEK has 85 % lower density
PEEK has low outgassing
Allumunium
PEEK has cheaper manufacturing
cost
PEEK is harder
PEEK has better wear & friction
PEEK has better chemical
resistance
PEEK has 50% lower density
PEEK has 50 % lower density
sources : www.zeusinc.com
TYPICAL PROPERTIES VALUE PEEK MODIFIED BEARING GRADE

PEEK MODIFIED
/BEARING GRADE

CASE STUDIES APPLICATION :

Daido Metal Co., Ltd.: Large bearings designed for hydro-generation applications
The Challenge : Striving to improve load capacity and operating temperature, major bearings manufacturer, Daido Metal
Co. Ltd. was interested in developing a large bearing designed for hydro-generation applications that is highly durable and
has high slidability qualities. Traditionally, the material used for high load and high-speed revolution bearings utilized in
hydro-generator and similar applications was white metal (an alloy of tin, copper and antimony). However, white metal has
been considered difficult to use in miniaturization due to issues related to heat resistance and mechanical strength.
The Solution : Daido adopted VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer — renowned for its high strength, high heat resistance and low
friction factor to the surface of its bearings. In doing so, Daido was able to improve the load capacity by 50% and reduce the
friction factor by approximately 30 to 40%. This resulted in the ability to reduce the surface of the bearing by approximately
60% and also increase the operating temperature to 250°C (compared to 125°C for white metal products). In addition,
Daido's internal performance testing indicates that bearing life will potentially increase to twice of that of white metal based
bearings. These large bearings have been very well received by heavy electric manufacturers in Japan and throughout the
world. Daido plans to aggressively expand to gas and steam generator manufacturers throughout Europe and the USA as
well as into the large industrial machine sector with large pumps, compressors, and more.
Industria Proeza, Mexico : Maintenance Cycles for Softener Chemical Manufacturing Reactors Extended with
Durable Bushings Made of PEEK

Industria Proeza, Mexico, a major manufacturer of intermediates used by textile manufacturers, has significantly improved
its manufacturing efficiency by replacing PTFE bushings on its 3,500-liter chemical reactors with bushings made of PEEK.
Compared to PTFE bushings, which were wearing out in less than two months of operation, bushings made of PEEK
(polyetheretherketone) are lasting over four times longer.

IP's steel-jacketed, glass-lined reactors have three-impellers. The impeller shaft

bush-ing is at the bottom of the reactor and the shaft rotates at 90 rpm. The PEEK
shaft bushing, which has an OD of 4 in., an ID of 2 in. and is 3-in. thick, is a press
fit into a steel shaft collar (shown at right). Chemicals used in the IP reactors,
which produce fabric softeners, include caustic soda, acetic acid, methyl alcohol,
oleic acid, stearic acid, and MEK solvent. PEEK is a high-performance engineering
plastic, produced by Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products.

Bushings made of PEEK are non-galling and non-seizing in contact with metal, and can withstand the 180 C operating
temperature of the IP reactors. Because PEEK expands less than stainless steel at high temperatures, the bushings can be
machined to close clearances. PEEK is a low-friction and wear-resistant material, permitting closer running tolerances and
eliminating corrosion, galling and wear problems. Its self-lubricating properties, combined with excellent chemical
resistance, make it ideal for replacing PTFE-wear components in chemical processing equipment.

PEEK is a tough material - much harder than PTFE -- it can extend the wear life of components. A shaft running on a bushing
causes high pressure, which can actually wear away the bushing. The load bearing capability of PEEK allows the bushing to
have far greater wear resistance. This is especially important in the textile chemical industry, where reducing maintenance
downtime is critical.

Bearing in high pressure cleaning equipment

A typical high pressure cleaner uses a water jet beam to clean surfaces. The customer, a high pressure cleaner manufacturer,
developed a cleaner with a moving water jet beam, in order to increase the surface covered by the water jet beam. The
water jet beam moves up and down by means of an injection moulded PEEK-gear, which provides an oscillating, rotating
movement to the head of cleaner. This head is supported by PEEK bearing grade (see drawing). This bearing part is
assembled in a brass support.

Due to the high pressure (up to 180 bar) and the high oscillating frequency, a material is needed with
a low coefficient of friction and a high maximum allowable bearing temperature. Since this bearing
part also comes into contact with the water jet, a good abrasion resistance is also required. PEEK
modified with fiber,teflon,graphite was chosen because its property offered the best possibilities for
this application : -excellent wear and abrasion resistance and very low coefficient of friction.

EGC plastics, Houston : PEEK polymer bushing and thrust washers resist corrosion in subsea environment

Single buoy moorings of Monaco, supplier of floating production, storage and of loading system, discovered that the bronze
bearings and thrust washers in the mooring systems, driving chain systems and swivels were experiencing corrosion.
Corrosion resistance to the marine environtment is the major reason to recommend using PEEK polymer components in
offshore oil and gas exploration system, another reason because polymer is its excellent dry running capabilities, the
problem with bronze bearing and thrust washers is they can’t run dry, the result is premature wear and reduced service life.
Because PEEK modified with ptfe polymer requires no external lubrication, wear properties are excellent and service life is
approximately 10 years. Switching to PEEK polymer also reduces the weight of the components, because of these bearings
and thrust washer are large up to 18-20 inch in diameter when they are made with bronze they can be extremely heavy.