Perfluoropolyether (PFPE) synthetic oil has a successful 40-year history as a topical lubricant. Now, RTP Company has perfected a method to disperse this modifier into thermoplastics to produce innovative, cost-effective solutions for wear-resistant applications.
When used as a modifier in specialty compounds, PFPE significantly improves the wear resistance of crystalline resins with little to no effect on specific gravity. With common loading levels of just 0.1% to 1.0%, these compounds perform similarly to those with 15 to 20% loadings of PTFE.
RTP Company’s new PFPE compounds are generally more cost-effective than compounds containing PTFE. In addition to material cost savings, they reduce processing costs by eliminating die cleaning and its associated downtime.
Typical benefits include
- Eliminating plate-out associated with PTFE
- Improving wear resistance and reduce coefficient of friction at low modifier levels (less than 1.0%)
- Improving processing by enhancing melt flow, increasing throughput, and acting as a mold release
- Improving fatigue resistance, particularly important for gear applications
- Minimizing marring and scratching of polymer surfaces and reduce or eliminate squeaks
Choose RTP Company’s PFPE compounds for medical devices such as catheters; increased extrusion throughput (e.g. tubing or corrugated pipes); gears, pulleys, bushings, bearings, and seals; “No Silicone Permitted” applications; and existing PTFE applications where price or plateout are concerns.
