Application of Special Engineering Plastics in Bearing
Bearings are vital components of mechanical equipment. They are widely used in the transmission of rotary and linear motions of equipment, and can be roughly divided into rolling bearings and plain bearings. In increasingly complex and harsh environments, there is an urgent need for materials that can meet diverse and market-based requirements. Compared with traditional steel bearings, plastic bearings have become more and more popular because of their non-magnetic, non-corrosive and other excellent characteristics.
At present, the material of bearing is basically PEEK, UHMWPE, PA66 plus wear-resistant composite, etc., of which PEEK is the mainstream material for bearing, and PA66 and composite material are also used for bearing production, but the amount is relatively small. In the selection of engineering plastics for bearings, PEEK, UHMWPE and PA66 have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of mechanical properties and other performance.
PEEK was originally developed as a substitute for metal bearings, and it has become the most widely used and best material for bearing production. PEEK is a special engineering plastic that is more wear-resistant and has better fatigue performance than polyamide 6, polyacetal, polyphenylene sulfide and polycarbonate.
PEEKs strength and wear resistance make it the main material of bearing. Especially, the wear resistance of PEEK is 5-6 times that of polyamide 6, which makes it better than other general engineering plastics. Most of the bearings made of PEEK have a density of 1.3-1.4 g/cm3. The wear-resistant grade of PEEK is divided into grade and grade, among which grade is 1000 times higher than grade in wear resistance. In addition, PEEK also has advantages such as non-magnetic, non-corrosive and light weight.
UHMWPE is a kind of special engineering plastic. Its molecular weight is particularly high, which is several times of PEEK and ten times of PA66, so it has very good lubrication and wear resistance. Its wear resistance is higher than PEEK, and its strength and stiffness are lower than PEEK. UHMWPE can be used as bearing material in extreme low temperature environment.
PA66 is a semi-crystalline engineering plastic, and its wear resistance is higher than PPO but lower than PEEK. The most film-forming grade of PA66 has a better self-lubricating property and can be used for high speed bearing.
Compared with metal bearings, special engineering plastics for bearing production have many unique advantages, such as low friction coefficient, self-lubrication and good wear resistance, so they are becoming more and more popular in the field of bearing.
In conclusion, in the selection of special engineering plastics for bearing production, PEEK, UHMWPE and PA66 are the three typical materials, which have their own specific advantages in terms of mechanical properties and other performance. PEEK is a metal bearing substitution material with excellent wear resistance, while PA66 and UHMWPE also have their own scope of application. With its superior mechanical properties and environmental performance, special engineering plastics are widely used in bearing production.
