PTFE Special Compound
Special compounds compliment the series of standard “G” compounds.
IPC special compounds are gaining more and more market share due to the increasing demand for solution to high tech industrial applications.
IPC special compounds are gaining more and more market share due to the increasing demand for solution to high tech industrial applications.
The associated table illustrates the properties of some special “G” compounds by IPC. They represent only a small number of the compounds available among the range of solutions IPC is able to suggest.
Some of IPC compounds include fillers like PEEK, PPS, polyimide, LCP, molybdenum disulphide, etc.
Some of IPC compounds include fillers like PEEK, PPS, polyimide, LCP, molybdenum disulphide, etc.
SPECIAL COMPOUNDS AVAILABLE
In addition to virgin PTFE G400 products, IPC offers a wide range of compounded products as well. Among these compounds, processed directly in IPC compounding unit starting from selected polymers and special high-purity fillers, end users are enabled to find the right answer to their technical requirements.
To make their selection easier, the following tables resume:
- the correlation among single fillers, properties and common uses
- properties of standard and special compounds among those most commonly marketed
The following table shows the way each filler affects physical and mechanical properties.
Combinations of two or more fillers (not considered in the table) allow a large number of compounds. Thus the resulting combined properties offer a variety of applications.
| Filler | Property | Most common applications |
| Glass | Enhanced wear resistance. Enhanced chemical resistance (except for alkali and hydrofluoric acid). | Valve seats, seals, bearings, requested to resist sliding and chemicals. Suitable for bearings working at low PV values. |
| Graphite | Extremely low coefficient of friction. Fairly good compressive strength. Good wear resistance. | Bearings for high speed on fairly hard surface. |
| Carbon | Good thermal conductivity. Good resistance to deformation. | Valve seats. Bearings for high speed and when fast dissipation of electric charges is needed. Elastic bands for unlubricated compressors. |
| Molibdenum disulphide | Enhanced non-stick properties. Low static coefficient of friction. Fairly good resistance to deformation. | Guide bands. Details needing good resistivity. |
| Bronze | Enhanced compressive strength. Good wear resistance and high thermal conductivity. | Anti-extrusion rings. Unlubricated bearings for high speed on not hard surface. |
IPC can offer an extremely wide range of skived tapes, sheets, extruded and moulded rods and tubes, in compounded PTFE from G series. Dimensions and relevant tolerances are included in the Dimensional Brochure. Tapes, sheets and finished products can be supplied etched.
| Filler | Property | Most common applications |
| Glass | Enhanced wear resistance. Enhanced chemical resistance (except for alkali and hydrofluoric acid). | Valve seats, seals, bearings, requested to resist sliding and chemicals. Suitable for bearings working at low PV values. |
| Graphite Carbon | Extremely low coefficient of friction. Fairly good compressive strength. Good wear resistance. Good thermal conductivity.Good resistance to deformation. | Bearings for high speed on fairly hard surface. Valve seats. Bearings for high speed and when fast dissipation of electric charges is needed. Elastic bands for unlubricated compressors. |
| Molibdenum disulphide | Enhanced non-stick properties. Low static coefficient of friction. Fairly good resistance to deformation. | Guide bands. Details needing good resistivity. |
| Bronze | Enhanced compressive strength. Good wear resistance and high thermal conductivity. | Anti-extrusion rings. Unlubricated bearings for high speed on not hard surface. |
IPC can offer an extremely wide range of skived tapes, sheets, extruded and moulded rods and tubes, in virgin PTFE as well as compounded from G series.
Dimensions and relevant tolerances are included in the Dimensional Brochure. Tapes, sheets and finished products can be supplied etched.
MAIN PROPERTIES | MOULDED
| Property | Test method | Unit | G Special Compounds | ||||||
| G416 40% BRONZE 2% CARBON | G418 15% GLASS FIBER 5% MOS2 | G420 50% STEEL | G427 40% BRONZE 5% MOS2 | G436 3% MOS2 | G455 35% CARBOGRAPHITE | G456 25% HARD CARBON | |||
| MOULDED | |||||||||
| Specific gravity | ASTM D792 | g/cm3 | 2.98 - 3.16 | 2.20 - 2.30 | 3.25 - 3.35 | 3.15 - 3.25 | 2.18 - 2.24 | 1.90 - 2.00 | 2.05 - 2.11 |
| Coefficient of linear thermal expansion 25-100 °C | ASTM D696 | 10-5 (mm/mm)/°C | 8 - 11 | 9 - 12 | 10 - 12 | 9 - 12 | 11 - 12 | 6.5 - 10 | 8 - 11 |
| Hardness Shore D | ASTM D2240 | Punti | ≥ 58 | ≥ 55 | ≥ 65 | ≥ 60 | ≥ 50 | ≥ 65 | ≥ 62 |
| Tensile strength | ISO 527 v=50mm/min | N/mm2 | ≥ 20 | ≥ 18 | ≥ 17 | ≥ 20 | ≥ 23 | ≥ 8 | ≥ 12 |
| Elongation at break | ISO 527 v=50mm/min | % | ≥ 220 | ≥ 230 | ≥ 180 | ≥ 200 | ≥ 230 | ≥ 40 | ≥ 70 |
| Compressive strength at 1% deformation | ASTM D695 | N/mm2 | 8-10 | 8-9 | 10 - 10.5 | 6.5 - 8 | 5.5 - 6.5 | 12 - 13.5 | 7 - 11 |
| Deformation under load (24 h 13.7 N/mm2 23°C | ASTM D621 | % | ≤ 8 | ≤ 8 | ≤ 6.5 | ≤ 7.5 | ≤ 14 | ≤ 6 | ≤ 5.5 |
| Permanent deformation (as above after 24 hdi relaxation) | ASTM D621 | % | ≤ 5 | ≤ 4 | ≤ 3 | ≤ 3.5 | ≤ 6 | ≤ 1.5 | ≤ 1.9 |
| Kinetic coefficient of friction | ASTM D1894 | / | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| Wear factor at PV 100 | ASTM D3702 |  |
9 - 13 | 10 - 20 | 20 - 30 | 10 - 15 | 3.000 | 20 - 30 | 12 - 18 |
PROPERTIES OF IMPORTANCE FOR DESIGNING
Fillers mixed with PTFE allow to improve some basic physical properties of virgin polymer.
The advantages are the following:
- enhanced compressive strength
- enhanced thermal conductivity
- reduced thermal expansion
- reduced wear factor
When talking about the material mechanical properties, tensile strength and elongation at break are usually the topics before others. However, these two properties, though the most common ones, do not always carefully reflect the behavior of the material itself in some applications, while compressive properties are actually the most important ones. We’d highlight compressive strength at a set deformation, deformation under constant load and permanent deformation at a set temperature.
