igus® develops new lubrication-free plain bearing materials without PTFE

September 26, 2024

New endurance material iglidur JPF supplements the wide range of wear-resistant PFAS- and PTFE-free polymer bearings

igus is currently developing new lubrication-free plain-bearing materials without PFAS. iglidur JPF offers comparable specifications to the endurance material iglidur J, but does not require PTFE. (Source: igus GmbH)

YWhat do dental floss, skis, a frying pan and plain bearings have in common? They are all based on organic fluorine compounds, also known as PFAS. What makes them special: PFAS are insensitive to water, heat and dirt. They help plain bearings achieve wear-resistant and lubrication-free dry operation. However, as the chemicals can only degrade very slowly, they have a negative reputation. If they get into the environment, this can harm both people and nature. igus is therefore developing plain-bearing materials such as the new iglidur JPF, which dispense entirely with PFAS such as PTFE.

In February 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published the proposal for a ban on at least 10,000 PFAS. The EU Commission is expected to make a decision in 2025. The PFAS regulation would then come into force in the EU member states in 2026 at the earliest. This ban would have far-reaching consequences for the industry, but also for the consumer sector. Many industrial companies – including igus – are already preparing for stricter PFAS regulations. Due to PFAS, in particular the fluoropolymer PTFE (a subgroup of PFAS), the motion plastics from igus are characterised by a low-friction dry operation that makes the use of lubricants superfluous.

igus® focusses on developing PFAS-free materials

“We invested in the research and development of alternative materials right at the start of the Europe-wide discussion about a possible ban on the PFAS substance group. With our own material development and compounding, we can react quickly to changes and develop new solutions,” explains Dr Magnus Orth, Head of the igus Material Centre. The result is, among other things, iglidur JPF. The new material iglidur JPF was developed on the basis of the tried and tested endurance material iglidur J, completely without PTFE. The plain bearing is lubrication-free, wear-resistant and shows similar friction and wear values to iglidur J in the in-house 4,000m2 test laboratory. “Users relying on iglidur J in their machines and systems now have a PTFE-free alternative, of equal quality” says Lars Butenschön, Head of the iglidur Plain Bearing Technology Business Unit. “We intend to offer our standard materials entirely without PTFE. Currently, we are in the process of developing PTFE-free formulations for iglidur X and iglidur W300. The initial tests are very promising.”

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