igus has announced a breakthrough for greener bearings: polymer plain bearings of the iglidur G, X and H ranges, which are used in machines, systems and vehicles worldwide, are now available PTFE free. This is good news for many companies that are anticipating stricter PFAS/PTFE regulations or even a ban and are looking for reliable alternatives. Intensive research and testing have been carried out at igus in recent years to develop plain bearings without PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, better known by the brand name Teflon.
Rob Dumayne, drytech director at igus Northampton, said: “We have succeeded in developing a PTFE-free variant of the material we use for the iglidur G range” – great news because iglidur G is the igus general purpose material, used worldwide in mechanical engineering, factories and the automotive industry due to its high wear resistance and low friction.
Maintaining this versatility without PTFE required a lot of material development work. Due to cleverly designed formulations and an understanding of material properties for temperature stability, the mechanical stress and shrinkage behaviour remain almost unchanged. With more than 60 years’ experience with tribologically optimised plastics, igus was ideally placed to succeed.
PTFE-free alternativesIn addition to the iglidur G breakthrough, the iglidur X bearing material, a highly temperature resistant polymer frequently used in the aerospace industry, is now also available PTFE-free. The same applies to iglidur H, which is suitable for the marine industry and chemical technology due to its high moisture resistance. In 2024, igus succeeded in eliminating PTFE in the equally popular iglidur J and iglidur W300 series.”
Mr Dumayne added: “This means that we have now found PTFE-free alternatives for the top 5 iglidur plain bearing materials, which cover 80% of all applications worldwide.” Now many customers and potential users have less to worry about with future PFAS regulations on the horizon and can switch one-to-one to the new materials without having to invest heavily in alternative solutions. “In most cases, the price is almost identical.”
The breakthrough from igus is significant because the European Chemicals Agency is currently working on a possible ban on the PFAS chemical group, for environmental and health protection. These changes bring further disruption for many companies as PFAS can be found in hundreds of thousands of products such as rain jackets, saucepans and fast-food packaging. igus also uses PTFE for the self-lubricating property in many polymer plain bearings.
Mr Dumayne concluded: “Many of our customers are looking for solutions and are under growing pressure due to the prospect of stricter PFAS regulations or even a ban. They are looking for plain bearings that do not contain PTFE to future-proof their products.” igus is therefore investing more in R&D to find alternatives.”