DSM Engineering Plastics

With polymerization and compounding

facilities for a range of polyamides,
polyesters, polycarbonates, and Ultra
High Molecular Weight PE and extrudable adhesive resins, we serve our global customer base and assure a constant,
reliable supply of products.
All our compounding facilities in the
world (in the Netherlands, Belgium,
USA, Canada, China, and India) are
being expanded continuously to keep
up with the growing demand.
As a result of a constant product innovation and creation process, DSM
Engineering Plastics can offer a cohesive
portfolio of high performing engineering
plastics. Established trade names are:
Akulon (nylons)
Akulon Ultraflow (a high flow nylon 6)
Arnite (thermoplastic polyester)
Arnitel (copolyester elastomers)
Stamylan UH (UHMWPE)
Stanyl PA46 (PA46)
Stanyl PA46 High Flow (high flow PA46)
Stapron (PC-blends)
Xantar (polycarbonate)
Xantar C (PC/ABS-blends)
Yparex (extrudable adhesive resins)

Electrafil (conductive thermoplastics)

Fiberfil (reinforced & filled thermoplastics)
Nylatron (lubricated thermoplastics)
Plaslube (lubricated thermoplastics)
These materials all have their specific
properties, yet they share the same high
quality thanks to state-of-the-art production processes and quality systems like
Total Quality Management, ISO 9001,
and QS 9000.
Its an approach to quality that can be
found throughout the DSM organization:
- in relations with industry partners,
working closely together in true
cooperation, ready to meet any technical challenge
- in technical service and after sales,
providing support to help customers
optimize their processes
- in logistics and delivery, shipping
products anywhere in the world
quickly and reliably.
From product concept, through processing, to final application, DSM
Engineering Plastics brings the portfolio,
skills, and global presence to help its
industrial partners create world-class
products and solutions.

Contents
DSM: A Pioneer in Wear
and Friction Resistant
Thermoplastic Materials
for Over 50 Years

Tribology: A Science in Motion 3

Wear
3
Friction
4
Wear and Friction
Measurement Techniques
Test procedure
Test data and significance
Multiple point test data

5
5
6
8

Thermoplastic Polymers
Thermoplastics
Crystalline thermoplastics
Amorphous thermoplastics

11
11
11
12

Lubricants
Internal lubrication
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
Polymethyldisiloxanes
PTFE and Silicone
Binary lubricant packages
Molybdenum Disulfide (moly)

13
13
13
14
15
15
16

Reinforcements
Glass fiber
Carbon fiber

17
17
17

Plastic on Plastic Wear

18

Using Tribological Data

for Material Selection

19

DSM is active worldwide in life science

products, performance materials, and
industrial chemicals. The group has annual sales of close to $5.5 billion (Euro 6
billion) and employs about 20,000 people
at more than 200 sites worldwide. DSM
ranks among the global leaders in many
of its fields. The companys strategic aim
is to grow its sales (partly through acquisitions) to a level of approximately $9.2
billion (EUR 10 billion) in 2005. By that
time at least 80% of sales should be
generated by specialties, i.e. advanced
chemical and biotechnological products
for the life science industry and performance materials.

Key Tribological Application

Parameters
21
Typical PV Situations and
Material Selection

22

Key DSM Tribological

Grades

23

P L A S T I C S

DSM Engineering Plastics operates in all

major markets of the world including the
Americas, Asia, and Europe. Within
each region customers can count on our
innovative research, development, and
support facilities. Our in-house
resources are backed by a corporate
research and development center that is
utilized in creating new solutions for
customer needs. The advanced level of
account management, in combination
with our effective global communication
network, secures the support customers
need wherever it is required.

Complemented in some regions by

products such as:

E N G I N E E R I N G

Business Group in the performance

materials cluster of DSM, with sales in
2001 of $558 million (Euro 603 million)
and approximately 1,350 employees
worldwide. It is one of the worlds leading players in the field of engineering
thermoplastics offering a broad portfolio
of high performing products.

D S M

DSM Engineering Plastics is a

DSM: A Pioneer in Wear and Friction Resistant

Thermoplastic Materials for Over 50 Years
For more than 50 years, DSM technology and expertise have enabled plastics engineers to incorporate more
value and innovation into their designs.
The broad DSM product portfolio of
engineering thermoplastic resins and
compounds allows designers the
greatest flexibility in solving wear and
friction design challenges.
The use of engineering thermoplastics in self-lubricating dynamic parts
has revolutionized virtually every
industry and application since their
introduction. Designs not previously
possible in other materials have
become commonplace using these
unique engineering materials.
Internally lubricated thermoplastics
offer many benefits over standard
plastics. Those benefits include:
-

elimination of the need for

external lubrication
improved load bearing capabilities
reduced wear rates
lower and more consistent
frictional responses
elimination of "stick-slip"
elimination of "chatter" and other
motion-induced noise

reduced part weight and

inertial mass
cost savings due to parts
consolidation
elimination of secondary
finishing operations.

Plastics are a relatively new engineering material and our understanding of

their capabilities, especially compared
to metals, is still an evolving science.
As we approach the performance limitations of polymer resins in these
demanding applications, the need to
specifically modify them for increased
utility becomes necessary. As always,
knowing precisely what is expected of
a material for an application is required
to determine the most effective cost-toperformance balance demanded by
current designs.
This brochure is designed to assist
the plastics parts designer in understanding the fundamentals of polymer
wear and friction. The methods of
characterizing these tribological properties, as well as the effective interpretation of these results in relating
their use to dynamic applications, will
be explored. In addition to information about individual material capabili-

The first significant use of a thermoplastic inside of an automobile

engine block, the Valve Lifter Guide has revolutionized valve train
technology since its introduction by Mid-American Products, Jackson,
MI in 1991. Manufactured exclusively from Nylatron internally
lubricated thermoplastics and Stanyl PA46, this part significantly
reduces valve lifter radial shuck, an important cause of engine noise.
This single thermoplastic part replaced the previous eight metal ones
and allowed for simplified assembly techniques at a substantial cost
savings. Now found in many major domestic engines, these DSM
materials have the long term wear, temperature, and chemical
resistance to survive this very aggressive operating environment.

ties, we will examine the complex

inter-relationship of application conditions to the successful operation of
dynamic thermoplastic parts.

Tribology: A Science in Motion

Tribology is the science and practices

relating to the interactions of surfaces
in relative motion. Due to concerns
about durability, component reliability,
and design integrity, this new science
is gaining increasing importance in the
design of many mechanical products.

Table 1 Friction and wear energy dissipation.

There are several recognized types of

wear, each with a unique modality and
resulting in varying amounts and
forms of material removed during the
process. Usually one form is prevalent. Typically, though, most relative
motion wear is a combination of the
following types of wear:
-

This wear type is also characterized

by the formation of transferred polymer film to the usually harder counterface surface. The generation and
successful maintenance of this film
usually results in a low equilibrium
rate of wear.

adhesive
abrasive
fatigue
corrosive.

Abrasive wear. When deformation

of the polymer surface exceeds the
elastic limits of the material abrasive
wear occurs. It is characterized by the
cutting, plowing, or tearing of the polymer by the harder asperities of the
mating counter-surface. This mechanism is determined by the actual contact stresses, as well as mating surface characteristics such as surface
hardness and finish.
In addition, the presence of hard "third
body" particles, such as sand or metal
debris that are trapped between moving surfaces, contribute to the abrasive
destruction of plastic materials.

E N G I N E E R I N G

Adhesive wear. The predominant

form of polymer wear is adhesive
wear which is characterized by the
formation of fine powder debris.
Initially, a momentary adhesive junction is formed between the polymer
and mating surface. This junction is
formed either through physical attractions, such as van der Waals forces,
or by thermal softening or melting at
the surface. Still other mechanisms
involve material transfer through laminar shear or cold drawing.

D S M

The progressive loss of material due to

the dynamic interactions of two surfaces in relative motion contact is
known as wear. Some common applications rely on the steady and progressive wear of one material against
another; pencil graphite (lead) against
paper, for example. For most mechanical applications, however, the wear
loss of material surfaces is a functional
liability. For example, the loss of only
several grams of material from the
operational parts of an automotive
engine is enough to cause a total functional cessation of a 4,000 pound vehicle.
A commonly expressed goal for many
designs is either the total elimination or
an absolute minimum of wear. In practice, cost constraints usually dictate
that the designed part exhibit an
acceptable amount of part wear over
the projected life of the part.

P L A S T I C S

Wear

Fatigue wear. When cyclical contact stresses on the polymer cause

the deterioration of surface integrity,
fatigue wear is encountered.
Eventually, the compromised plastic
surface will slough and pit, resulting
in material loss at the interface.

Nylatron internally
lubricated thermoplastic
gears provide improved
wear and frictional resistance to the conjugate
action of mating teeth.
These highly capable compounds also offer improved
resistance to repeated flexural bending, a prime cause
of gear tooth failure.

Corrosive wear. When materials

in motion react chemically with their
surrounding environment and progressively lose material, this is known
as corrosive wear. This form of wear
is usually associated with metals and
the oxidation of their surfaces. True
corrosive wear in polymers is not
usually evident, however, chemical
resistance issues with specific plastic
resins can contribute to the loss of
material in sliding motion.

Friction
Originally undertaken as a

The natural resistance to the sliding

motion of one surface against another
is known as friction. The successful
functioning of some applications are
based on the existence of a certain
minimum amount of friction. An
example of this would be the stopping of a vehicle through the friction
of the brake pads against the brake
disc or achieving forward motion via
frictional resistance of a shoe sole
against the ground.

cost reduction, a metal

bicycle hub and bearing
assembly were redesigned
using several DSM
thermoplastic resins and
compounds. Using
advanced tribological
information to help create
this novel design, the OEM
not only achieved their
target cost-down, but also
increased life expectancy of
the assembly over 600%

Most equipment design, however,

requires a relatively low and consistent amount of frictional resistance to
assure smooth functioning and actuation. Also, knowledge of the frictional
characteristics allows for a more
accurate understanding of the actuating forces necessary to determine
motor power.

compared to the original

metal parts.

An injection molded thermoplastic

thrust washer is loaded to a constant
pressure and then placed in rotational

temperature equilibrium. The washer

height is then measured at the same
quadrants and those values are averaged. The net average loss in height
of the thrust washer is then recorded
in inches.

The standard allows for a matrix

of 12 test PV (pressure x velocity)
products, ranging from 1,250 to
10,000 lbs/in2ft/min at velocities of
10, 50, and 250 ft/min. After a break-in
period of 40 hours, the thrust washer
is removed from the test apparatus
and cleaned of all debris. After conditioning at room temperature for a
period of at least one hour, the height
of the washer is measured to a precision of 0.0001 inches in four places,
each 90 degrees apart. Those values
are then averaged.

Frictional resistance is monitored during the test by means of a load cell

fixed to the stationary lower specimen
holder and those torque values are
recorded in lb-in units.

The washer is again placed in dynamic

contact with the same mating surface
and tested for an additional period of
time, sufficient to achieve an equilibrium loss of material. The typical test
duration during this phase is to be
between 50 and 2,000 hours. After
testing, the specimen is cleaned of
debris and allowed to come to room

DSMs tribological test facility in Evansville, Indiana utilizes

leading-edge analytical equipment, such as this dual head
Lewis Research LRI-1A Automated Tribometer which provides
unparalleled information about the wear and frictional responses
of polymers in sliding motion. This fully automated, PC controlled thrust washer wear tester is capable of duplicating
various sliding modes, velocities, pressures, and chemical
and thermal environments while monitoring real time property
changes and responses versus time. This sophisticated
analytical tool can detect material wear losses as small as
0.00001 inch, collect 250 frictional data points within 3.5 seconds, continually measure interfacial frictional temperatures,
and record frictionally generated noise at 35 frequencies within
the audible spectrum.

More sophisticated wear machine

versions incorporate the use of a
computer to control test functions, as
well as collecting real time data during each test. Test parameters such
as thrust washer loss in height, coefficient of friction, interfacial temperature and sound generation can be
monitored as a function of elapsed
time in order to more closely assess
tribological responses.

E N G I N E E R I N G

Test procedure

motion against a stationary counterface for a prescribed period of time.

The mating surface is manufactured
from an AISI C-1018 steel with a
hardness of Rc 20 5 and a surface
finish of 16 2 in. AA.

D S M

Wear rates and coefficients of friction

are often used as the initial basis for
the materials selection process in plastics part design for dynamic applications. There are numerous types of
tribological test methods, primarily
dictated by the nature of the materials
and by regional preferences. In North
America, the prevalent test standard
for the evaluation of rigid plastics is
ASTM D-3702: Wear Rate and
Coefficient of Friction of Materials in
Self-Lubricated Rubbing Contact Using
a Thrust Washer Testing Machine.
It is a constant contact, constant velocity test in which a plastic specimen is
rotated against a low carbon steel
counterface until an equilibrium amount
of wear has been experienced. As
with all standardized tests, D-3702
does not purport to be indicative of
any individual application, but rather
is to be used as an initial guide in the
material selection process.

P L A S T I C S

Wear and Friction Measurement Techniques

Test data and significance

Wear rate. The equilibrium loss of
material per unit time is known as the
wear rate. According to the ASTM standard, it is the loss in linear height of the
thrust washer divided by the elapsed
time of the wear test. The value is
expressed in in/hr x 10-6 .
WR = (Xa) _ (Xb)
T
where:
WR =
Xa =

Xb

wear rate (in/hr)

average thrust washer lip
thickness (inches) after the
break-in period
= average thrust washer lip
thickness (inches) after at
least 50 hours of additional
testing
= test duration (hours)

Wear rates for plastic materials range

from 1 to 10 in/hr x 10-6 for highly
wear resistant materials at lower PV
conditions to over 2,000 in/hr x 10-6
for unmodified amorphous thermoplastics, such as ABS. For many
applications, wear rates of less than
100-200 may be an indicator of
acceptable wear performance.

material exhibited a wear rate of 10 x

10-6 in/hr, the overall material loss in
500 hours would be 0.005 inch, a
much more reasonable value.
Most plastic materials wearing against
a harder surface, such as steel, exhibit
a higher initial wear rate, known as
break-in wear. This typically occurs
as the softer material (in this case the
plastic) transfers itself to the steel
counterface. Under most conditions,
at a discrete point, this high rate of
material transfer reduces to a much
slower rate, known as the equilibrium
wear rate. Figure 1 details the wear
loss of material as a function of
elapsed time. These real time data
are acquired through the use of an
instrumented wear tester and graphically show the two significantly different
rates of wear.
Wear (K) factor. Data available
from many plastic resin suppliers is in
the form of a wear (K) factor, which is
a proportionality constant equating
wear rate and the PV product.

WR = KPV
where:
WR
K
P
V

=
=
=
=

wear rate (in/hr)

proportionality constant
test pressure (lbs/in2)
test velocity (ft/min)

Solving for K:
K = WR/PV
The resulting value is expressed as a
whole number, x 10-10, with units of
in3-min/lb-ft-hr.
The use of the wear (K) factor assumes
that the wear rate of plastics is proportional to the operating PV. This relationship, for most plastic resins and compounds, is valid within a very small
range of PVs, if it exists at all. The
wear rate and frictional characteristics
of all plastics are highly dependent
upon the specific PV. The fact that a
plastic material will exhibit a proportional
wear rate at higher or lower PV points,
unless actually tested, cannot be
assumed. When evaluating materials
using wear data, the test PV must be
identical as well as compliant with the
same standardized procedures.

Figure 1 Thrust washer wear test loss in specimen height versus time:
Plaslube AC-80/TF/20 (acetal copolymer with 20% PTFE) at 120 lbs/in2 x 100 ft/min.

To put the wear rate numbers into

perspective, we need to relate the
equilibrium loss of material to an
application. For example, a material
with a wear rate of 500 x 10-6 in/hr
indicates the thrust washer is losing
0.0005 inch during each hour of operation. Assuming an operational life of
500 hours, the total linear loss of
material could be 0.25 inch. For
almost every application this magnitude of material loss probably would
not be acceptable. In contrast, if a

where:
= coefficient of friction
T = specimen torque (lb/in)
r = mean test specimen radius
(0.531 in)
W = normal force (lbs)

In many cases, the evolution of frictional characteristics begin with the

material transfer process. During this
initial phase ever increasing frictional
values may be experienced until a
peak value is reached.

Figure 2 shows the frictional

response versus time of an unmodified nylon 66 sliding against low carbon steel at a velocity of 100 ft/min,
under a load of 50 lbs/in2. While the
equilibrium dynamic coefficient of
friction averages 0.57, the break in
friction peaked at a value that was
almost twice as high - 1.11.

D S M

The coefficient of friction is the unitless ratio of the force necessary to

initiate or maintain motion to the nor-

Torque measurements are continually

monitored during the thrust washer
wear test through the use of a load
cell attached to the stationary lower
sample holder. At the successful
conclusion of an evaluation, these
data are expressed as a RMS value.

After this peak, the frictional resistance

will decline until a consistent coefficient
of friction level is achieved. Many
problems can occur during the break-in
period including stick-slip, chatter,
motor stall and noise generation.

P L A S T I C S

= T/rW

mal force pressing the surfaces

together. The force needed to initiate
motion from rest is the static value; the
force needed to maintain motion is the
dynamic value. Two surfaces exhibiting a dynamic coefficient of friction
value of 0.50, therefore, would require
twice the actuating force of a similar
pair with a frictional coefficient of 0.25.

E N G I N E E R I N G

Coefficients of friction (C).

Plastic wear in a given application is
typically a "go-no go" proposition:
either the material wears an acceptable amount over the operational life of
the part - or it doesnt. Friction, the
resistance to motion experienced by
mating surfaces, is a much more subtle design parameter. Dynamic coefficient of friction values are obtained
from torque measurements during
equilibrium and are calculated as:

Figure 2 Dynamic coefficient of friction versus time: nylon 66 against C-1018 steel at
100 ft/min and 50 lbs/in2.

Figure 3 Wear rate performance envelope: Stanyl TW341 (PA46).

Multiple point test data

Wear rates. This tribological value
provides a good relational number in
comparing several materials for initial
consideration. As an example, lets
relate the performance of an unmodified PA46 with acetal. Both materials
are known for their excellent tribological
characteristics. The equilibrium wear
rates of these two materials, at a test
pressure of 20 lbs/in2 and velocity of
100 ft/min are shown in Table 2.
At this test PV of 2,000, acetal exhibits
about 15% better resistance to wear
than does PA46. Other design considerations aside, acetal would be
the material of choice in a relative
motion application at an operational
PV similar to this test condition.
Without further information, an engineer would have to assume that acetal
is still the polymer of choice for an
application at another PV condition.

The wear resistance relationship of the

two materials reverses dramatically,
however, when tested at a higher
pressure of 50 lbs/in2, but at the same
velocity of 100 ft/min (see Table 3).
Under this increased load, the nylon
polymer exhibits approximately the
same rate of wear loss, while the wear
rate of the acetal increases by almost
an order of magnitude.

Table 2 Equilibrium wear rate comparing Stanyl TW341 (PA46) to acetal copolymer
at 20 lbs/in2 x 100 ft/min.

Test

Wear Rate

Standard

Units

Stanyl TW341

Acetal

ASTM D-3702

in/hr x 10-6

79

69

Table 3 Equilibrium wear rate comparing Stanyl TW341 (PA46) to acetal copolymer
at 50 lbs/in2 x 100 ft/min.

Test

Wear Rate

Standard

Units

Stanyl TW341

Acetal

ASTM D-3702

in/hr x 10-6

89

652

This dramatic change in the relative

wear rates underscores the dependency upon operational conditions
such as pressure and sliding velocity.
In order to determine the tribological
capabilities of a polymeric material over
its useful range of PV values, at least
nine separate tests are conducted. A
typical capability grid covers pressures from 8 to 300 lbs/in2 and sliding
velocities between 40 and 250 ft/min.
When viewed as a 3D graph, this tribological information yields a "performance envelope" which graphically
portrays where a material is capable
of supporting a dynamic load - and
where it is not.
In addition to individual information at
each PV point, general trends can be
more easily assessed. For example,
at some points within this performance
grid, PA46 exhibits essentially the
same resistance to wear at a given
velocity as the load is increased (see
Figure 3). This phenomena is a general attribute of most nylon resins and is
related to the effectiveness of material
film transfer mechanisms at specific
minimum dynamic loads.

In terms of low frictional performance,

acetal would be the clear choice. As
with the wear rate, however, there are
PV points at which the material is not
capable of supporting dynamic load hence, no frictional value is published.

P L A S T I C S

Figure 4 Wear rate performance comparing Stanyl TW341 (PA46) to acetal.

E N G I N E E R I N G

Using this expanded tribological

information the relative strengths and
weaknesses between two materials
becomes graphically evident. The
chart comparing the wear rates of
Stanyl TW341 (PA46) and acetal is
detailed in Figure 4. At several PV
points both materials exhibit similarly
good resistance to sliding wear. At
higher velocities and PV test points,
the acetal resin becomes incapable
of successfully supporting dynamic
loads and the nylon 46 becomes the
material of choice for applications
operating at these PV conditions.

In comparison, PA46, like all

polyamides, exhibits a broad range
of frictional values, dependent upon
PV test conditions. In some cases the
PA46 values approach those for
acetal, while at other points the coefficient is more than double.

D S M

In general, the PA46 wear rate

increases as load or velocities are
raised. As important, a point at
which this material is not capable of
supporting dynamic load has been
determined at 48 lbs/in2 and 250
ft/min. Shown on wear grids as
points using the legend Not
Capable, these failures to support
dynamic load are determined by criteria like excessive wearing, sample
deformation, gross destruction of the
polymer or mating surface, or the
inability to achieve an equilibrium interfacial temperature. The knowledge of
where the performance edges of a
material lie is important in the initial
selection process.

Figure 5 Dynamic coefficient of friction comparing Stanyl TW341 (PA46) to acetal.

As with wear rate, frictional data points

are also generated at various PV points
and the information is placed in a 3D
graph for evaluation. Figure 5 compares the frictional response of PA46 to
acetal. From these data, one can easily
see the tribological "strong suit" of
acetals: low coefficients of friction consistent across all capable PV points.

Noise generation. The presence

of frictionally induced noise in motion
parts has become significant in all
industries, especially the automotive,
business machine, and appliance
markets. The integrity of an entire
product is suspect by virtue of the
squeaking of a single internal part.
Noise generation may be present
continually, only during the break-in
period or transient in nature. Since
the actual sound produced is highly
dependent upon the configuration
and materials used in the entire
assembly, this again is not an inherent property of a plastic material.
The potential for noise generation,
however, may be identified early in
the design process using real time
friction and sound data.
In Figure 6 the sound pressure level
increase correlates to the frictional
peak in Figure 2. The doubling of
frictional response during the breakin period, in this case, has caused
the noise generated from rubbing
contact to reach 109 dB. The eventual
return to an equilibrium sound level
of 97 dB also correlates to the frictional equilibrium shown in Figure 2.

Figure 6 Frictionally generated sound pressure level versus time: nylon 66 against
C-1018 steel at 100 ft/min and 50 lbs/in2.

Figure 7 details the frictionally generated sound of a polymer versus itself,

broken down into the component of 1/3
octave frequencies which comprise the
human audible spectrum (20 Hz to
20K Hz). This chart graphically
shows the extreme sound increase

localized around the 12K Hz frequency,

which was found to be characteristic
of the noise generated by this specific
wear couple. This specific information
would be useful in confirming the origins of undesirable sound in an
operating system.

Figure 7 Frictionally generated sound pressure levels at 1/3 octave frequencies

versus time.

In addition to assessments of sound as

full sound pressure levels, the digital
acoustic sampling during the wear test
allows for analyzing any sound frequency
range. This capability is particularly
useful in determining the origin of
unwanted noise.

10

Thermoplastic Polymers

Thermoplastics

Figure 8 DMA modulus versus temperature comparing 30% glass fiber reinforced,
15% PTFE lubricated thermoplastics.

Compared to amorphous plastics,

crystalline resins display intrinsically
greater resistance to wear. Amorphous
resins, in fact, do not possess any significant level of dynamic load-bearing
capability. They rely heavily on modification through the use of additives to
serve in these types of applications.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis
(DMA). A common cause of tribological failure of thermoplastic parts is
the inability to support a given load
due to the loss in modulus at frictionally-induced elevated temperatures.
An analytical test, dynamic mechanical analysis, or DMA, provides an
insight into the modulus characteristics of plastics as a function of temperature. Figure 8 compares the
change in modulus of several glass
fiber reinforced, PTFE lubricated thermoplastics against increasing temperature. Semi-crystalline resins such as
PPS and PEEK display a high degree
of stiffness at points below their individual glass transition temperatures
(Tg), a major thermal transition common to all thermoplastics.

Once past these critical points, the

compounds rapidly lose a significant
percentage of their original stiffness.
In contrast, nylon polymers (PA66 and
PA46) display a much more gradual
loss of modulus after these points.
This is a primary factor in explaining
the superior dynamic load bearing
capabilities of polyamides.
Amorphous resins, such as polycarbonates, are extremely stiff up to their
Tg, after which they become essentially fluid. From a design point, amorphous plastics should be used at temperatures (either ambient or frictionally
induced) that are at least -1C (30F)
below these critical transitions.

Crystalline thermoplastics
Crystalline resins tend to have higher
strength and rigidity than amorphous
resins. Over a wider temperature
range they have an inherent resistance to chemical attack and exhibit a
broader processing window.

11

Polyamides. Polyamide (nylon)

resins, such as DSMs Akulon family of
nylon 6 and nylon 66 materials, exhibit
low wear rates, as well as chemical
resistance to oils and greases. They
also retain a high degree of these
properties at elevated temperatures.
A relatively new family of high temperature polyamides, Stanyl PA 46, exhibit
some of the highest load bearing capabilities of any thermoplastic resins.
Overall, nylons possess an excellent
engineering combination of toughness and high strength. Most nylons
are hygroscopic (water absorbing), a
process which decreases modulus,
improves toughness and may also
affect post-molding dimensions.

D S M

Examples of amorphous plastics are

polycarbonate, stryrenics, and several
high temperature resins. Semi-crystalline resins include such materials as
polyamides (nylons), polyesters, polypropylene, and acetal.

E N G I N E E R I N G

P L A S T I C S

The initial choice in selecting thermoplastic resins for tribological applications begins with the two major groups
of these melt-processible engineering
materials. Thermoplastics are classified as either amorphous or semi-crystalline, which is a primary determining
factor in tribological, as well as physical and mechanical properties.

Polyesters. Arnite polyester

resins, both PBT and PET, are highly
resistant to solvents and to moisture.
They are very rigid plastics and possess good electrical properties. While
displaying wear rates typically higher
than those of nylons, polyesters have
a very uniform rate of material loss
and frictional response.
Acetals (POM). Acetal resins
exhibit low coefficients of friction and
good wear resistance under certain
PV conditions. Coupled with excellent
resistance to dynamic fatigue and possessing a high unreinforced modulus,
this resin is a good choice for plastic
gear applications. Acetal is not a high
use temperatures resin and is not suitable for mechanical applications in
excess of 104C (220F).

Amorphous thermoplastics
The polymer chains of amorphous
thermoplastics are randomly ordered
as compared to structured semi-crystalline thermoplastics. They are less
resistant to absorption and diffusion of
contaminants, thus making amorphous
thermoplastics more susceptible to
chemical attack. Resins with amorphous character, however, show less
mold shrinkage and less post-mold
dimensional change. Amorphous
materials are more isotropic, shrinking
similarly in all directions, which leads to
less warpage in molded parts as compared to crystalline resins. These
materials are used in dimensionally
critical applications, such as business
machine parts.

Polycarbonates (PC).
Polycarbonates, such as DSMs
Xantar resins, display a good balance
of rigidity and stiffness at elevated
temperatures, excellent electrical
properties and good impact strength.
In order to be used in most dynamic
applications, such as bushings or
gears, polycarbonate must be either
reinforced or internally lubricated to
provide adequate wear resistance.
PC compounds are used extensively
in business machine applications that
require dimensional accuracy and
high strength.
Styrenics. Styrenics are lower
cost resins and are available in a
variety of forms: higher impact
strength ABS and higher heat SAN
as compared to low-end polystyrene
(PS). Again, in terms of wear applications, all styrenics must either be
reinforced or internally lubricated.

Gears
Injection molded gears are used in applications ranging from motion translation in
copiers and printers to transmitting torque in
the horsepower range. The ability to be used
unlubricated, the reduction or elimination of
running noise, and the high productivity/low
cost potentials of plastics gearing are some
of the reasons for the high growth seen in
this area. DSM produces a broad portfolio of
thermoplastic resins and compounds that
can provide the correct balance of these critical properties, meeting the most demanding
performance criteria in a cost-effective form.

12

Lubricants

In addition, the break-in peak becomes

insignificant and the stability of the
frictional response throughout the test
is remarkably stable. The optimal
amount of PTFE additive for a given
resin is dependent upon the requirements of an individual application, but
weight loadings between 15 and 20%
typically yield optimal results.
Increasing amounts of PTFE usually
produce lower friction and wear rate
values for the polymer.

Figure 9 Dynamic coefficient of friction comparing nylon 66 to Plaslube NY-1/TF/15

(nylon 66 with 15% PTFE) at 100 ft/min and 50 lbs/in2.

P L A S T I C S

The most effective method of reducing wear rates and frictional characteristics of thermoplastic resins is
through the process of internal lubrication. As a logical extension of
external lubrication, this involves the
incorporation of either solid or liquid
lubricants into the polymer matrix during the melt extrusion compounding
operation. As a finished part, these
thermoplastics offer a high degree of
surface lubricity that is present
throughout the life of the unit. In
many cases, internal lubricants eliminate the need for ongoing external
lubrications, dramatically reducing
maintenance and improving reliability.

The significant tribological value of

incorporating PTFE into a thermoplastic matrix can be seen in Figure 9.
Plaslube NY-1/TF/15 (nylon 66 +
15% PTFE) was evaluated for dynamic
coefficient of friction values compared to the unmodified nylon 66
tested in Figure 2. Under identical
test conditions the equilibrium frictional value is almost 1/3 of that for
the unmodified resin.

E N G I N E E R I N G

Internal lubrication

Polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE)

D S M

The most common thermoplastic internal

lubricant is another thermoplastic resin polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE. Best
known as the non-stick coating on
food cooking surfaces, this solid
exhibits the lowest known coefficients
of dry sliding friction. The discrete
particles of PTFE that are suspended
in the thermoplastic matrix easily
shear from the plastic interface and
transfer to the mating surface. When
a sufficient amount of lubricant has
formed a surface film on the mating
surface, friction, wear, and noise
become dramatically reduced.

13

Figure 10 shows the frictional

improvement due to the addition of
PTFE in Stanyl PA46. This comparative performance envelope shows that
Stanyl TW371 displays a consistently
lower frictional character across a
wide matrix of PV test points, when
compared to the unmodified material,
Stanyl TW341. The PTFE internal
lubricant also provides dynamic load
bearing ability to the nylon 46 resin at
PV points that were originally incapable of such performance.

Due to the effective reduction of interfacial friction and generated heat,

PTFE also substantially reduces wear
rate, as seen in Figure 11. At some
conditions, the rate of wear is reduced
tenfold. At other PVs, where Stanyl
was previously unable to support
dynamic load, the wear rate is similarly
low. The additive PTFE significantly
improves an already capable tribological material.

Figure 10 Dynamic coefficient of friction comparing Stanyl TW341 (PA46) to Stanyl

TW371 (PA46 with 15% PTFE).

Polymethyldisiloxanes
Polymethyldisiloxanes, commonly
referred to as silicones, are high
molecular weight, viscous polymers
that are used in thermoplastics to
reduce break in frictional peaks.
Under some tribological conditions,
silicones maintain reasonable frictional
levels until the polymers transfer
mechanism to their mating surfaces is
accomplished. In this regard, internal
silicone lubricants impart an action
similar to externally applied greases
during assembly procedures.
Silicone modified thermoplastics are
manufactured by DSM using proprietary compounding techniques.
Silicones are true boundary lubricants,
having the ability to readily absorb
onto the mating surfaces.
Only a few molecular layers are
required to dramatically change interfacial behavior. Low loading levels of
silicone are, therefore, very effective.
During operation, the silicone boundary
layer is replenished by new silicone
from within the polymer matrix.

Figure 11 Wear rate performance comparing Stanyl TW341 (PA46) to Stanyl TW371
(PA46 with 15% PTFE).

14

This is possible because of the silicones slight incompatibility with the

thermoplastic, resulting in exclusion
and eventual migration to the matrix
surface through normal diffusion
processes. Silicones, however, can
also trap abrasive particles at the
wear interface, leading eventually to
catastrophic failures. While it is very
hard to predict these occurrences,
the presence or potential presence
of abrasive third body particles, such
as sand or glass fiber debris, might
contraindicate the use of internal
silicone fluids.

PTFE and Silicone

Figure 12 Wear rate performance comparing Stanyl TE373 (PA46 with binary
lubricant package) to Stanyl TW371 (PA46 with PTFE).

Using a combination of PTFE and

silicone as internal lubricants can
result in a synergistic improvement of
wear and friction properties. Formation
of a complete silicone boundary layer
is faster than the transfer and formation
of a PTFE solid boundary layer.

a binary lubricant package, allows the

PA46 resin to support dynamic loads
at several high PV points at which
PTFE was ineffective. The TW371
exhibits wear rates consistently lower
than those of TE373, however, it should
be noted that both compounds are
remarkably wear resistant.

E N G I N E E R I N G

The wear rate performance graph in

Figure 12 shows the relative advantages and disadvantages of binary
lubricant packages compared to PTFE
lubricants. Stanyl TW371, a 15%
PTFE lubricated nylon 46, displays the
uniformly low wear rates associated
with this type of tribological aid.
Stanyl TE373, which contains

D S M

Binary lubricant packages are combination of solid lubricants that perform

synergistically in enhancing tribological
properties. Compared to traditional
PTFE internal lubrication, these binary
packages also offer increased load
bearing capabilities, improved toughness, and fatigue endurance. While
slightly less effective in reducing wear
rates and frictional response, the binary
packages offer a reduced cost to
volume ratio - on the order of 10-20%.

P L A S T I C S

Binary lubricant packages

Bushings
Used as a boundary between moving parts, bushings have been made from materials ranging from
leather to metal alloys. Thermoplastics and their
compounds now provide the greatest range of unlubricated wear and friction reduction performance in
bushing applications at the most cost-effective, high
productivity rate available from modern materials.
Ranging from nylon 66 to sophisticated carbon fiber
reinforced, internally lubricated high temperature
compounds, industrial bushings are used in all markets from appliances and sporting goods to aeronautics and sophisticated medical diagnostic equipment.

15

Molybdenum Disulfide (moly)

DSM pioneered the use of molybdenum disulfide as the first internal lubricant used in a thermoplastic. Nylatron
lubricated thermoplastics remain the
best known and most widely used in
this class. A geologically mined
material, MoS2, is incorporated into
nylon resins in amounts less than 2%
by weight. This very finely divided
powder acts as a nucleating agent in
nylon resins, resulting is a highly crystalline surface "skin". This morphological

attribute causes a Nylatron part to

exhibit improved surface hardness and,
as a result, better tribological behavior.
The improvements to both wear rates
and load bearing capacity of nylon 66
by the use of moly can be seen in
Figure 13. Nylatron GS-HS wear rates
at lower and middle PV ranges are
remarkably reduced, while other higher
PV points become capable of supporting
dynamic loads.

Figure 13 Wear rate performance comparing Nylatron GS-HS (nylon 66 with

molybdenum disulfide) to nylon 66.

16

Moly is not as effective as PTFE in

reducing wear and friction, however,
the use of moly does not reduce the
toughness of nylons in the manner of
PTFE. It also provides for more cost
effective materials than PTFE lubricated
compounds. Flexural fatigue
endurance characteristics are significantly improved over PTFE lubricants,
making gear applications a natural for
these materials.

Reinforcements

Figure 14 C-1018 steel mating surface abrasion comparing Plaslube J-1/30/TF/15

(nylon 66 with glass fiber and PTFE) to Plaslube NY-1/TF/15 (nylon 66 with PTFE).

One of the most significant detrimental

effects of glass fiber reinforcement in
thermoplastic wear is the abrasiveness to mating counterfaces. These
reinforced thermoplastics can cause
significant damage to all but the
hardest metals.
Figure 14 compares the metal mating
surface abrasion of two nylon 66 compounds: Plaslube J-1/30/TF/15 (30%
glass fiber reinforced / 15% PTFE lubricated) and Plaslube NY-1/TF/15 (unreinforced /15% PTFE). At all PV levels
tested, the addition of glass fiber
extensively abraded the soft steel
counterface and this effect increased
with added load. Since relative motion
requires two surfaces to be in moving
contact, the wear of both sides must
be taken into account when assessing
overall tribological capability.

Carbon fiber
Engineering thermoplastics reinforced
with carbon fibers are high performance materials. Such compounds
exhibit the highest combination of
strength, modulus, short-term heat
resistance, and creep resistance for any
fiber reinforcement. They are also both
electrically and thermally conductive.
In addition to causing plastic parts to
become electrostatically dissipative,
the carbon fiber aids in the thermal
conductivity of frictionally generated
heat from the wear interface.
The abrasive effect carbon fiber has on
mating surfaces is significantly less
than that of glass fiber. While slightly
more abrasive than unreinforced resins,
the relatively low abrasion of carbon
fibers is one of the primary reasons for
the use of these composites in tribological applications. Carbon fiber reinforced compounds, internally lubricated with PTFE, are among the most
capable thermoplastic compounds
when considering the combination of
mechanical and tribological properties.

17

E N G I N E E R I N G

Glass fibers at the surface may increase

the wear of the counter-surface and,
perhaps, increase the coefficients of
friction, depending on the materials.
PTFE, or a combination of PTFE/silicone, may be added as a lubricant in
order to minimize these effects.
Additionally, molding with the melt
flow parallel to the wear surface
results in fewer exposed glass fiber
ends and hence, less wear of the
polymer counterface.

P L A S T I C S

Glass fiber may be added to resins in

order to improve short-term mechanical
properties and thermal performance
properties - strength, stiffness, hardness, and heat deflection. These
cost- effective reinforcing agents also
improve the long term property of creep
resistance. In general, reinforcement of
the bulk leads to slower wear rates and
higher PV limits.

D S M

Glass fiber

Plastic on Plastic Wear

The vast majority of thermoplastic

wear and frictional data generated
have been against the low carbon
steel counterface dictated in ASTM
D-3702. Specifying a common mating
surface in these tests provides for consistent and reproducible tribological
data that is well suited for initial comparisons. Since C-1018 steel is not a
commonly used dynamic plastic
mate, questions about the tribological
capability against other materials are

very valid. The use of very hard metals or even softer ones will almost
certainly affect wear and frictional
data results of plastic materials.
Plastics in motion against other plastics is a very common design situation.
The possible matrix of thermoplastics
and their compounds against other
thermoplastics is prohibitively large to
allow for comprehensive testing.
Using similar materials together in an

Figure 15 Plastic-on-plastic wear rate comparison of various thermoplastics and

compounds at a sliding velocity of 40 ft/min.

Figure 16 Plastic-on-plastic dynamic coefficient of friction comparison of various

thermoplastics and compounds at a sliding velocity of 40 ft/min.

18

unlubricated dynamic motion application is well recognized as an

avoidable wear couple. Contrary to
belief, identical polymeric materials
are successfully used as mating surfaces in many applications. As with
all wear applications, knowing the
operational limitations of the materials
under consideration is a key success
factor. Figure 15 summarizes a
series of plastic on plastic wear
rates. Stanyl PA46 and acetal were
tested as unmodified and also as
PTFE lubricated materials against
themselves and each other. All tests
were conducted at a velocity of
40 ft/min and the wear rates developed at various loads are plotted
together on a semi-logarithmic scale.
A wear rate of 200 x 10-6 in/hr was
chosen as an arbitrary acceptable
limit to determine maximum dynamic
load on the wear couple at this velocity.
Acetal against itself supported only
11 lbs/in2, while the nylon 46 couple
was capable of up to 68 lbs/in2, an
increase that is six-fold. Adding
PTFE dramatically improved wear
performance of both materials. The
mating of nylon 46 against an acetal
counterface yielded a load bearing
ability that was 30% better than the
acetals with PTFE and only slightly
less than the nylon 46 compounds with
PTFE. By utilizing these dissimilar,
unmodified resins as mates, wear
resistance approximates the level of
the more expensive PTFE modified
couples. Figure 16 summarizes the
dynamic frictional responses of these
tests. Again, the use of unmodified
PA46 against the unmodified acetal
yielded frictional values that were
significantly lower than those for the
PTFE modified resins.

Using Tribological Data for Material Selection

dynamic frictional values, surely a

primary reason for the improved relative wear resistance.

P L A S T I C S

Figure 17 Wear rate performance comparison of Stanyl TW271F6 (PA46 with glass
and PTFE) to PPS with glass and PTFE.

E N G I N E E R I N G

Figure 18 shows the frictional

responses for these two compounds.
While reasonably similar, the PA46
material consistently yields lower

Stanyl TW271F6 (PA46 +

30% glass fiber + PTFE)
PPS + 30% glass fiber +
15% PTFE.

Both materials exhibit high temperature

resistance, excellent wear resistance
and a high degree of mechanical
strength. Viewing the information in
Figure 17, the wear resistance of both
compounds is excellent and comparable at all velocities within the 2,000 PV
level. Based on this characteristic,
either would be a good material
choice. Performance similarities
digress as the test load is increased.
At the moderate velocity of 40 ft/min
and a dynamic load of 300 lbs/in2, the
PPS-based compound is clearly unacceptable in terms of wear resistance,
while the PA46-based analog continues to exhibit a very capable level of
performance. It is at these points that
the relative differences in materials
become apparent.

Figure 18 Dynamic coefficient of friction comparison of Stanyl TW271F6 (PA46 with

glass and PTFE) to PPS with glass and PTFE.

19

D S M

It cannot be overemphasized that

standardized wear and frictional test
values may not be used as actual
design parameters. They are intended
to provide the designer with an initial
point of reference in evaluating potential candidates for relative motion
applications. Rather than relying on
tribological data developed at a single PV point for the initial selection
process, the use of multiple point test
data, arranged in comparative 3D
graphs, yields an unprecedented
level of engineering sophistication.
In this example we will consider the
relative capabilities of two thermoplastic bearing materials:

While all glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics are abrasive to many mating
counterfaces, Figure 19 details these
differences. As with the comparative
wear rates of the plastics, the PPS
compound uniformly exhibits a higher
degree of abrasiveness to the mild
steel counterface. This is no doubt
due to the more rigid and brittle
nature of PPS compared to nylon 46
and the stiffness in which the glass
fibers are held in the polymer matrix.
A major reason for the superior wear
and frictional attributes of nylon 46
as a tribological polymer and compound compared to PPS can be
readily seen in Figure 20. A comparison of modulus versus temperature characteristics shows the PPS
compound to exhibit approximately
20% higher modulus than the nylon
46 from far sub-ambient, up to just
beyond the PPS glass transition temperature, about 90C (194F). At
about 116C (241F), the declining
modulus of the PPS crosses the
PA46 value. From this point until
both approach their respective crystalline melt points [288C (550F) for
PPS, 295C (563F) for nylon 46], the
Stanyl compound exhibits about
60% greater modulus. This dramatic
improvement in being able to support
higher loads at these temperatures
explains the superior tribological
character of Stanyl PA46 resins and
compounds.

Figure 19 Mating surface abrasion comparison of Stanyl TW271F6 (PA46 with glass
and PTFE) to PPS with glass and PTFE.

Figure 20 DMA comparison of modulus versus temperature of Stanyl TW271F6 (PA46

with 30% glass and PTFE) to PPS with 30% glass and 15% PTFE.

20

Key Tribological Application Parameters

shown in Table 4. If a majority of

these application parameters can be
determined, and optimized to some
extent, the chances of success of a
given thermoplastic or compound in a
tribological design may be increased.

Table 4 Application conditions that affect wear and friction of plastic parts.

Considerations

Velocity

Surface speed, Acceleration

Load

Amount, Constant, Intermittent, Shock, Sinusoidal

Duty Cycle

How Long "On", How Long "Off"

Motion

Unidirectional, Reciprocal, Oscillatory, Sliding, Rolling, Radial, Axial

Mating Surface

Type, Hardness, Surface Finish, Stationary or Dynamic

Ambient Temperature

Constant, Min-Max, Unusual Peaks

External Lubrication

None, Initial, Continual, Filtered/Non-Filtered

Environment

Dusty, Aqueous, Chemical

Fabrication

Degraded, Crystallinity, Fiber Orientation

D S M

Parameter

P L A S T I C S

It is still of primary importance to recognize the effect these critical

parameters may have on the tribological capabilities of plastics, especially
in the initial phases of the design process. Some of the most important
application conditions that affect
wear and friction of plastic parts are

E N G I N E E R I N G

In addition to resins, internal lubricants and reinforcements, the multitude of operating conditions to which
a plastic part is subjected helps to
determine tribological capability.
Some of these conditions can be
altered in a given design to enhance
performance; some cannot.

Business Machines
DSM supplies a vast array of thermoplastics
used in the many relative motion parts found in
todays printers and copiers. These applications
demand rigidity, dimensional stability, strength,
impact resistance and electrostatic dissipation
while also providing low and consistent friction
and wear. The elimination of frictional noise,
improved durability and simplified assembly
have been the primary drivers for these
advanced information technology applications.

21

Typical PV Situations and Material Selection

Wear involves a number of processes,

all of which may be influenced by operating conditions: temperature, load,
velocity, contact area, duration, environment, bulk material properties, surface
finishes, and vibration. Wear effects can

be minimized by modification of the thermoplastic with additives, fillers, or reinforcements. Table 5 below describes
different effects of varying pressure and
velocity combinations experienced in
bearing or gear related applications.

It should be used as a general guide to

assist in the selection of the resin/reinforcement/lubrication combination for
your component. The PV ranges used
are not absolute and represent relative
PV ranges typically experienced.

Table 5 Typical PV situations and material selection.

Pressure
Low

High

High P, HIgh V

High

Low P, High V
Tribological
Result

Interfacial effects predominate, creep

and modulus are typically not factors.

General Material
Recommendations

Unreinforced semi-crystalline or
amorphous resins, internally lubricated.

DSM Product
Recommendations

Stanyl TW371
Plaslube NY-1/TF/15, PC-50/TF/15,
AC-80/TF/20

Sliding Velocity

Applications

Thrust collars and washers

High velocity seals, bushings, bearings

Tribological
Result

Load-induced increase in real contact

area, severe frictional responses, rapid
and unmitigated interfacial temperature
increases.

General Material
Recommendations

High temperature resistant resins, use of

reinforcements to increase modulus, high
conductivity fiber reinforcements (carbon
fiber), optimal PTFE internal lubrication.

DSM Product
Recommendations

Stanyl TW271F6
Electrafil J-1/CF/30/TF/15, J-50/CF/30/TF/15

Applications

High PV bushings, bearings, thrust

washers, cams and high torque, high
pitch line velocity gears

High P, Low V

Low

Low P, Low V
Tribological
Result

Bulk stresses are low, heat generated at

interface is easily dissipated.

General Material
Recommendations

Unmodified semi-crystalline thermoplastics, MoS 2 lubricated nylons.

DSM Product
Recommendations

Stanyl TW341
Nylatron GS-HS
Akulon F223D

Applications

Tribological
Result

Bulk material properties predominate,

need for higher modulus and/or internal
lubrication.

General Material
Recommendations

Fiber reinforcement is recommended to

increase modulus and hardness. Need
for internal lubrication (with and without
reinforcement) may be needed.

DSM Product
Recommendations

Applications

High pressure bearings, bushings,

cams and slides, higher torque gears

Low torque, low velocity gears

Low PV bushings, bearings and slides

22

Stanyl TW200F6, TW271F6, TE373

Akulon J-1/30, J-3/30
Fiberfil J-50/30
Nylatron GS-51
Plaslube J-1/30/TF/15, J-50/30/TF/15

Key DSM Tribological Grades

Tribological data library. The

materials in Table 6 are the key DSM
grades for tribological applications.
DSM has completed full tribological

performance grid evaluations of our

primary thermoplastic resins and
compounds used for relative motion
applications.

For more information please contact

your local DSM sales representative.

Description

Akulon

F-223D

Nylon 6, Medium Viscosity

Akulon

J-1/30

Nylon 66, 33% Glass Fiber Reinforced

Akulon

J-3/30

Nylon 6, 33% Glass Fiber Reinforced

Akulon

S-223D

Nylon 66, Medium Viscosity

Arnite

TO6 202

PBT, Medium Viscosity

Arnite

TV4 261

PBT, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced

Electrafil

J-1/CF/30/TF/15

Nylon 66, 30% Carbon Fiber, 15% PTFE

Electrafil

J-1/CF/30/TF/13/SI/2

Nylon 66, 30% Carbon Fiber, 13% PTFE, 2% Silicone

Electrafil

J-50/CF/30/TF/15

Polycarbonate, 30% Carbon Fiber, 15% PTFE

Fiberfil

J-50/30

Polycarbonate, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced

Nylatron

GS-HS

Nylon 66, Molybdenum Disulfide, Heat Stabilized

Nylatron

GS-51

Nylon 66, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced, Molybdenum Disulfide

Plaslube

AC-80/TF/20

Acetal, 20% PTFE

Plaslube

J-1850/30/TF/15

PBT, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced, 15% PTFE

Plaslube

J-1/30/TF/15

Nylon 66, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced, 15% PTFE

Plaslube

J-1/30/TF/13/SI/2

Nylon 66, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced, 13% PTFE, 2% Silicone

Plaslube

J-50/30/TF/15

Polycarbonate, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced, 15% PTFE

Plaslube

J-50/30/TF/13/SI/2

Polycarbonate, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced, 13% PTFE, 2% Silicone

Plaslube

NY-1/TF/15

Nylon 66, 15% PTFE

Plaslube

PC-50/TF/15

Polycarbonate, 15% PTFE

Stanyl

TW341

PA46, Medium Viscosity

Stanyl

TW200F6

PA46, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced

Stanyl

TE373

PA46, Binary Lubricant

Stanyl

TW371

PA46, 15% PTFE

Stanyl

TW271F6

PA46, 30% Glass Fiber Reinforced, 15% PTFE

23

E N G I N E E R I N G

Material

D S M

Product

P L A S T I C S

Table 6 DSM materials for tribological applications.