Polymer gears are commonplace in many industries and applications. The advantages of a polymer gear include noise reduction, self lubricating features, dramatic weight reduction and cost savings. From paper mill gears to drive gears in copiers, polymer gears have been successfully used for years.
October 25, 2011
I recently received a call on Trilon AR, one of our newer materials. Trilon AR is a modified UHMW compound available in rod or sheet form. It is a good option for chain guides, gears, sprockets and bearings. Trilon excels in mining, pulp and paper, and timber handling applications.
June 16, 2010
Torlon® is a high-strength plastic, and is among the most expensive on the market. Torlon can be injection molded, compression molded, and extruded, and is ideally suited for severe service environments. Applications include pump components, valve seats, bearings, rollers, high temperature insulators, electronic equipment, compressor components, and bearing cages.
February 2, 2010
Previous blog addressed importance of crystallinity control on PTFE as it relates to porosity, changes in physical strength and dielectric values. More Tri Star testing has shown better detail on the effects of processing and crystallinity. Specific gravity is the primary gage of crystalline or amorphous stages of polymers. In the case of PTFE the range is generally between 2.1 and 2.3 for unfilled resin. Testing showed that at 2.1 SpG the crystallinity of the molded product was approximately 38%. At 2.13 it was 47%, 2.15- 53%, 2.17 - 60%, 2.2 - 70%. Remember, the higher the crystallinity the lower the flex life, higher compressive stress, lower recovery, more permeability and lower wear life.
December 8, 2009
Tivar HOT is a unique UHMW grade that has a dramatically higher continuous operating temperature (275F) than standard UHMW. Tivar HOT still has excellent wear and abrasion resistance, doesn't absorb moisture, has excellent chemical resistance and meets FDA, USDA and 3A guidelines. We have found this product to be excellent for higher temperature zones in food processing and packaging equipment but it has also proven to be a great material in down-hole oil drilling applications!
December 7, 2009
PCTFE has long been the go to material for valve seats, seals and gaskets used in cryogenic applications. But one thing that makes PCTFE unique is that it can be processed to meet a broad molecular state, i.e. crystalline or amorphous. PCTFE is a melt fluoropolymer and when molded in either sheet, rod or tube form it can be set at a specific crystalline state through a unique quenching process. This process is not as easily manipulated with extruded PCTFE rod so if you are looking for controlled molecular values you need to consider molded product.
September 29, 2009
Molecular weight and crystallinity are two factors in PTFE that determine many of it's performance qualities. Both of these properties are highly dependant on the sintering operation of the PTFE production. If the material is cooked (sintered) too long or at too high a temperature it can degrade the polymer. Molecular weight is a measure of the polymer chain length and it affects flex life, tensile strength and elongation. As molecular weight increases so do these properties and paying attention to gel temperatures and dwell times during sintering is extra critical.
