Selecting the right sleeve bearing for pump rotors, seals, and dry-running rotary equipment requires a careful balance between wear resistance, chemical compatibility, and long-term dimensional stability. The aromatic polyester PTFE sleeve bearing is formulated to handle these conditions, offering lower cold flow and better load support than unfilled PTFE. For engineers specifying a 20% Ekonol PTFE bushing for pump rotor, this material provides consistent performance in both flooded and boundary-lubricated service. It is equally suitable as a high wear Ekonol PTFE bushing in abrasive slurry, chemical dosing, and rotary union applications. As a dedicated 20% Ekonol PTFE bushing manufacturer, we control filler distribution and sintering parameters to keep friction and wear values repeatable batch to batch. For rotating and reciprocating sealing systems, the same material works as an Ekonol filled PTFE bushing for seal, helping to reduce stick-slip and extend maintenance intervals in gland followers and mechanical seal housings.
The aromatic polyester PTFE sleeve bearing combines PTFE with 20% aromatic polyester filler, commonly known as Ekonol. This composition increases hardness, improves creep resistance, and maintains a low coefficient of friction across a wide temperature range. The material is available as solid sleeves, split sleeves, flanged bushings, and custom-machined parts for shaft diameters from 5 mm to 200 mm. Key product characteristics include:
Detailed material and dimensional parameters are listed below.
| Parameter | Typical Value | Test Method / Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Material composition | PTFE + 20% aromatic polyester (Ekonol) | Internal QC |
| Density | 2.05–2.20 g/cm³ | ASTM D792 |
| Hardness | Shore D 64–68 | ASTM D2240 |
| Tensile strength | 14–20 MPa | ASTM D638 |
| Compressive strength | 38–50 MPa | ASTM D695 |
| Maximum continuous temperature | +260°C | ASTM D3418 |
| Minimum service temperature | -200°C | Cryogenic test |
| Coefficient of friction (dry) | 0.05–0.12 | ASTM G99 |
| Maximum PV (dry running) | 0.9 MPa·m/s | Bearing test rig |
| Water absorption | <0.03% | ASTM D570 |
| Standard ID range | 5–200 mm | Machining tolerance ±0.01 mm |
| Wall thickness | 1.5–25 mm | Custom available |
Typical applications include pump rotor bushings, mechanical seal faces, mixer shaft bearings, food-grade sliding guides, and valve stem bushings. The material can be bonded into metal housings or supplied as solid and split sleeves. Standard surface finish is Ra 0.8 µm, with lubrication grooves available on request. Current stock covers IDs from 10 mm to 80 mm in 5 mm increments; larger diameters are made to order with a 7–12 working day lead time.
