Ekonol

Polyester Resins


Ekonol Polyester Resin is a homopolymers based on p-oxybenzoyl repeat units, and is
linear thermoplastics. Ekonol is a highly crystalline polymer but has no observed melting
point even at up to 900 - 1000 F. Flow and creep are virtually non-existent below its
crystal-crystal transition temperature of 625 F. Fabrication is accomplished by
metallurgical techniques not normally used for polymers. The mechanical properties of
Ekonol were measured on samples, which were compression sintered at 800 F and
10,000 psi. The molded polymer has a flexural strength of 5,500 psi with a modulus of
1x10
6
psi and a density of 1.44 gm/cc. Ekonol possesses a compressive strength of
15,000 psi. This high strength results in an excellent load bearing capability. Ekonol
Polyesters have a thermal conductivity of 3.9 BTU/hr/ft2/ F/in. The coefficient of
thermal expansion of 3.3 x 10
-5
in/in/ F is approximately linear from room temperature
to 575 F. The absence of aliphatic hydrogen contributes to its excellent thermal stability
in air. Ekonol undergoes a maximum weight loss of 3.5% when heated in air from room
temperature to 750 F and held for 1 hour at temperature. The maximum recommended
continuous service temperature is 500 - 600 F. The maximum recommended intermittent
service temperature is 600 - 750 F. The dielectric constant at 10
6
Hz is 3.28 with a
dissipation factor of 0.0025. Ekonol has excellent solvent resistance with the exception of
concentrated sulfuric acid and strong alkalis. The water absorption rate is low at 0.4%
after 500 hours at 212 F. Ekonol Polyester is self-lubricating and provides excellent
friction and wear properties.




Ekonol Linear Aromatic Polyester

Flexural Strength 5500 psi
Flexural Modulus 1x10
6
psi
Thermal Conductivity 3.9 BTU / hr /ft
2
/ F / inch
Thermal Expansion 3.3 x 10
-5
inch / inch / F [RT to 575 F]
Transition Temperature > 600 F
Molded Density 1.44 gm/cc
Dielectric Constant @ 10
6
Hz 3.28
Dissipation Factor @ 10
6
Hz 0.0025
Friction and Wear Excellent
Solvent Resistance Excellent except for concentrated H
2
SO
4

and strong alkalis


There are two standard products, Ekonol T101 and M102, with particle size and apparent
density being the key difference. Customer runs for other average particle sizes can be
completed upon request.
n
O C
O

Ekonol

Polyester T-101
Typical Physical Properties
Appearance: Tan - Brown Powder
Form: Highly Crystalline
Particle Size: Screen Analysis:
+ 170 5% max
+ 230 20% max
+ 325 50-85%
Average Particle Size: 60 microns


Apparent Density: 10.5 grams/cubic inch



Ekonol

M-102 Polyester Resins

Typical Physical Properties
Appearance: Tan - White Powder
Form: Highly Crystalline
Particle Size: Screen Analysis:
+ 400 2% max
- 400 98-100%
Average Particle Size: 7 micron


Apparent Density: 3 grams/cubic inch



Fabricating Methods for Ekonol

The polymer is highly crystalline but no melting point has been observed even at 900
1,000 F where the polymer decomposes rapidly. Fabrication must be accomplished
below the melting point by metallurgical techniques. Ekonol powders can be converted
into simple shapes or forms with compression molding techniques. More sophisticated
forms and parts may require powder metallurgical techniques. In addition, surface
coatings can be readily produced by plasma spray techniques. The roll of Ekonol as a
filler in fabricated forms is extremely important and will be a significant part of the
remainder of the information provided.

Hot Compression Molding
The following has been described as the hot compression molding process used to
fabricate Ekonol polymer shapes. The exact conditions will be very dependent on the
molding equipment and the size of the part to be molded, use the following only as a
general guideline in the development of your own process.

The basic procedure involves molding at temperatures from 550 F to 700 F and
at pressures from 5,000 to 20,000 psi, and can be applied to both filled and
unfilled Ekonol polymer. The material, molding equipment and the size of the
part to be molded, determines exact times, temperatures and pressures.

The following procedure was developed utilizing a single action press consisting
of a seven-inch ram with a 40-ton capacity. A die set was fabricated from A-20R
H-13 steel hardened to 60 65 Rockwell C scale. Electrical heaters were built
into the punches. For 100% Ekonol polyester a temperature of 650 F is used.
The hot mold is charged with either powder or a preform that has been previously
dried to insure freedom from moisture. The mold is closed and low holding
pressure (500 1,000 psi) is exerted on the powder while heating up to 650 F
pressing temperature. The time required to reach the pressing temperature
depends upon the thickness of the part being fabricated. When the temperature is
reached, the pressure is released and the die set slightly opened to allow any
volatiles to vent. The molding pressure in the range 5,000 to 20,000 is then
immediately applied to the Ekonol. Depending on the size and thickness of the
part, forming times of a few minutes up to an hour may be required. The pressure
is then released and the part ejected from the mold. It is important to immediately
place the hot part in an insulating blanket and allow it to cool slowly to below
400 F; again the time will be dependent upon the size of the part. Below 400 F
the part can be cooled at any desired rate to room temperature.

Mold release compounds are not generally necessary, if needed a molybdenum
disulfide aerosol is a suitable release agent. Chromed dies assist in producing a
smooth surface on the part.

Lateral cracks can be caused by volatiles evolving during the pressing operation.
Radial cracks can be the result of thermal stresses being set up in the pressed part,
generally caused by insufficient preheat time before pressing. Extrusion of
material can occur when the molding temperature is too high. Lowering the
molding temperature readily corrects this problem. Dark coloration occurs when
the temperature exceeds the 700 F.

Plasma Spraying
Ekonol coatings can be produced by plasma spray. The Ekonol powder is fed into the
plasma and the combination of heat and pressure on impact is sufficient to produce a
coherent coating. Coatings can be provided on a variety of substrates.

Fillers in Fabricated Forms of Ekonol
Ekonol Polyester is a very thermally stable polymer, making it easy to blend/fabricate
with other high temperature materials. When combined with polytetrafluoroethylene (i.e.
PTFE); it produces a composite material that has excellent temperature and wear
resistance properties. The Ekonol Polyester/PTFE blend will not wear metal surfaces and
resists self-wear better than any other PTFE composition. Applications for Ekonol
Polyester/PTFE blends are varied and include packing sets, compressor ring sets, "0" ring
seals, spring-loaded seals, lip seals, self-lubricating bearings and rotors or vanes of
process pumps. Ekonol Polyester/PTFE works best under environmentally tough
conditions where wear resistance, dimensional stability and corrosion resistance are
critical.

Wear Testing Protocol

The PV, friction and wear data
that will be described were
obtained on two machines: the
Dow Corning LFW-1 and the
LWF-6 friction testers. The LFW-
1 is shown in Figure 2 and Figure
3 is a schematic of the operations.
Dead weights load a stationary
block against a moving ring
through a compound lever system.



When the test ring is moved against
the block, frictional force is
transmitted horizontally along a
tangent to the ring and may be read
directly on a pressure gauge. Tests
were performed using a conforming
block for area contact.


Figure 4 shows the Dow Corning LFW-6 thrust washer-testing machine. It permits
simulation of a wide variety of operating conditions and produces good reproducibility of
results. Data is generated based on one
surface rotating on another under
predetermined loads, speeds, and
environmental factors.

Figure 5 is a schematic of the LFW-6
specimen holder. It shows the rotary
sample holder, stationary sample, rotary
sample, torque arm and the liquid cup.
With the rotary specimen moving against
the stationary specimen under
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 5 Figure 4
predetermined conditions, the friction force can be measured with a torque gauge
attached to the torque arm of the free-to-rotate stationary specimen holder. Test duration
is monitored on an elapsed time meter.

Wear Properties

The PV, friction and wear properties can be affected by a number of parameters including
the percentage of Ekonol, the particle size or grade and the molding conditions. Ekonol
Polyester T101 was used for all samples tested in the following discussions.

Figure 6 below shows the relative wear of Ekonol Polyester / PTFE composites versus
the percent of Ekonol. The material used for these composites were DuPont Teflon and
Ekonol Polyester T101. Test pieces were preformed at 8,000 PSI and sintered at 680 F
for one hour per 1/8" effective thickness (preliminary data indicated a range of preform
pressures from 5,000 psi to 8,000 psi is sufficient to provide optimum properties).
Duration of the test was two hours at 110 psi, 90 fpm on an LFW-1. The graph shows that
the relative wear becomes asymptotic at about 25-30% Ekonol in PTFE. A blend in the
range of 20 to 30% appears to be optimum for wear resistance. The value for
compression molded Ekonol is approximately the same as the 50/50 blend with PTFE.
This could indicate that the function of the PTFE is mainly to provide a matrix for the
Ekonol particles.

Figure 6 Relative Wear vs % Ekonol in PTFE
2 hrs. Test at 110 psi, 90 fpm on LFW-1
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
% Ekonol (by Weight) in PTFE
R
e
l
a
t
i
v
e

W
e
a
r


Figure 7 shows the coefficient of friction data corresponding to the wear test in Figure 6.
This graph illustrates that there is relatively little difference in the coefficient of friction
between PTFE and the combination of Ekonol and PTFE. Pure Ekonol Polyester has a
coefficient of friction of 0.37 under these conditions.
Figure 7 Coefficient of Friction vs % Ekonol in
PTFE
Average over 2 hrs. test at 110 psi, 90 fpm on LFW-1
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
% Ekonol (by Weight) in PTFE
R
e
l
a
t
i
v
e

C
o
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
t

o
f

F
r
i
c
t
i
o
n


The effect of sintering conditions on wear rate indicates that
there is an optimum temperature for sintering as shown in
Figure 8. Temperatures of 660-720 F were tried for one hour
and ten hours using a 1/4" thick piece (1/8" effective
thickness). We found minimum wear for pieces produced at
680 F and wear rates increased when the temperature was
either raised or lowered by 20 F. At any given temperature,
no improvement in wear rate was found by increasing the
sintering time from one hour to ten hours. Likewise,
extending the times up to 100 hours produced no significant
change in wear rate. Testing was carried out on the LFW-1.


Effect of Temperature on Wear Properties

The effect of temperature on
wear rate for Ekonol
compositions is shown in
Figure 9. The data indicates
Ekonol is contributing
resistance to wear at higher
temperatures to the PTFE.
The data at 500, 550, and
600 F are equivalent and
generally represent the scatter
obtained with data from the
LFW-1. It should be noted
that at 600 F, an increase in
Figure 9 Effect of Temperature on Wear Rate for
Ekonol Compositions

25% Ekonol in
PTFE 100% Ekonol
Wear (inch)* at R.T. 0.0007 0.0009
300 F 0.0013 0.0014
500 F 0.0023 0.0031
550 F 0.0019 0.0029
600 F 0.0017 0.0034

* Wear for 2 hrs test at 110 psi, 90 fpm on an LFW-1
weight loss was experienced, indicating that this temperature is approaching the upper
limit of the composition.

Comparative Wear Properties

A comparison of wear rates of a 25% Ekonol in PTFE versus the three other PTFE
composites is shown in Figure 10. At room temperature, the Ekonol composition
provides the best wear resistance, being comparable to or slightly better than 60% bronze
filled PTFE and is 2-3 times better than carbon/graphite and glass filled PTFE. At
elevated temperatures, the 25% Ekonol composition is comparable with the bronze filled
and carbon/graphite filled materials, and much better than the glass filled.


Figure 10 Effect of Temperature on Wear Rate for
Various Teflon Compositions


25%
Ekonol/PTFE
25 %
Carbon/Graphite
in PTFE
25% Glass
in PTFE
60% Bronze in
PTFE
Wear (inch)* at R.T. 0.0007 0.0017 0.0022 0.0011
300 F 0.0013 0.0014 0.0026 0.0014
500 F 0.0023 0.0020 0.0041 0.0022

* Total wear for 2 hrs test at 110 psi, 90 fpm on an LFW-1





The limiting PV curve for 25%
Ekonol in PTFE, as determined
on the LFW-6 is shown in Figure
11. The graph indicated a
limiting PV of 15,000 at 10 fpm
(cold flow occurred), up to
18,000 at 100 fpm and 12,000 at
1,000 fpm (thermal runaway
occurred). It can be noted the
material has a limiting PV curve
very similar to that of 25%
carbon/graphite in PTFE.

Figure 11 Limiting PV for 25% Ekonol/PTFE
1
10
100
1000
10000
10 100 1000
Velocity (fpm)
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

(
p
s
i
)


Figure 12 shows the wear rate
for 25% Ekonol in PTFE
compared to the wear rate for
polyimide-filled PTFE.
Duration of the test was two
hours at 110 psi, 90 fpm on an
LFW-1. This table shows the
superior wear resistance of the
Ekonol/PTFE composition at
all temperatures, but especially
at 500 F and above.


The more precise frictional
properties determined with
25% Ekonol in PTFE are given
in Figure 13 for a variety of
environments. The tests were run on an LFW-6 at 100 fpm with a 1040 carbon steel
washer. A K factor of 3x10
-10
in air makes 25% Ekonol/PTFE the lowest wearing PTFE
composition available. The dynamic and static coefficients of friction are comparable to
other materials. The most significant item in Figure 13 is that virtually no wear was
observed for the
mating steel
washer after
100 hours of
testing. The
same excellent
wear properties
were obtained
in dry nitrogen
and hydraulic
oil; K factors of
4.5x10
-10
and
2x10
-10

respectively.



The effect of using various metals for the mating surface can be seen in Figure 14.
Comparing this data to the K factor of 3x10
-10
obtained against carbon steel shows that
minimal wear could be expected using brass surface. The wear against anodized
aluminum is equivalent to that with the carbon steel, while cast iron and stainless steel
seem to double the wear rate. If the aluminum is not anodized, the wear rate is extremely
severe, both on the Ekonol/PTFE surface and on the metal surface. No scratching or
weight loss of the metal washers could be detected-unanodized aluminum is the only
exception.


Figure 13 Frictional Properties of 25%
Ekonol/PTFE in Various Environments

Air Nitrogen (Dry) Hydraulic Oil
K x 10
-10
3.0 4.5 2.0
C
d
0.09 0.09 0.05
C
s
0.04 0.05 0.05
Weight Loss (gm)
1

of Steel Washer 0.000 0.000 0.000

1
Approximately 100 hour test

Figure 12 Comparison of Wear Rate for 25%
Ekonol/PTFE and Polyimide-Filled PTFE


25% Ekonol
in PTFE
Polyimide-
Filled PTFE
Wear (inch)** at R.T. 0.0007 0.0015
300 F 0.0013 0.0026
400 F 0.0036
450 F 0.0053
500 F 0.0023 0.0053
550 F 0.0019 0.0063
600 F 0.0017 0.0085

** Changes in thickness after 2 hrs. at 110 psi, 90 fpm on an LFW-1

Figure 14 K Factors for 25% Ekonol/PTFE Running
against Various Metal Surfaces
1


Metals K factors
1040 carbon Steel 3 x 10
-10

Brass 1 x 10
-10

304 Stainless Steel 6 x 10
-10

410 Stainless Steel 7 x 10
-10

Cast Iron 6 x 10
-10

Anodized 6063 Aluminum 3 x 10
-10

6063 Aluminum 2500 x 10
-10


1
Surface finish of 12 16 RMS

Typical Electrical Properties

Typical electrical properties are shown in Figure 15. Ekonol polyester by itself is an
excellent insulating material, and this is reflected in the electrical properties of the blend
with PTFE. The dissipation factors are particularly good for this blend, being only
slightly higher than for unfilled PTFE. Traditionally, glass-filled PTFE has been used for
application where a combination of electrical and mechanical properties was required.
The Ekonol filled material offers a combination of very good insulating characteristics
with extremely low wear.

Figure 15 Electrical Properties
Property
ASTM Test
Method
Control Material
Teflon *
25% Ekonol
in PTFE
25% Fiber
Glass Filled *
PTFE
Dielectric Constant D150-54T
60 cps 2.1 2.19 2.63
10
6
cps 2.1 2.22 2.85
Dissipation Factor D150-54T
60 H
z
0.0003 0.0007 0.0718
10
6
H
z
0.0003 0.0005 0.0028
Volume Resistivity D257-57T
ohm-cm 1 x 10
17
> 1 x 10
15
1 x 10
13

Surface Resistivity D257-57T
ohm-cm 1 x 10
15
> 1 x 10
16
1 x 10
16

Arc Resistance D495
Seconds-Tungsten 181
Rod Method
Dielectric Strength** D149 350 310 300
v/mil
* Typical published values ** 0.25 inch thick sample


Typical Physical Properties

The general physical properties for 25% Ekonol in PTFE, 20% glass in PTFE, and 100%
PTFE are shown in Figure 16. The physical properties are generally comparable to those
properties found in other filled PTFE compositions.


Figure 16 Typical Physical Properties

Property
25% Ekonol in
PTFE
20% Fiber
Glass Filled
PTFE 100% PTFE
Density 1.86 2.24 2.17
Tensile Strength (psi) 1800 3800 5700
Strain (%) 180 325 450
Shrinkage 3 2.9 3.3
Hardness - Shore D 63 60 57
Compression Strength (psi)
0.2% Offset 1525 1375 1175
At 1% Strain 1275 1200 775
At 25% Strain 4700 4325 4325
Compression Modulus (psi) 13.9 x 10
4
13.6 x 10
4
8.1 x 10
4

Creep (24 C, 2000 psi, 24 hr.) 2.6% 8.5% 9.5%
Creep (100 C, 1000 psi, 24 hr.) 1.2% 3.6% 4.8%
Total Creep (24 C, 2000 psi, 24 hr.) 6.5% 12.4% 15.2%
Total Creep (100 C, 1000 psi, 24 hr.) 5.4% 8.6% 14.4%
Permanent Creep (24 C, 2000 psi,
24 hr.) 3.0% 6.7% 7.0%
Permanent Creep (100 C, 1000 psi,
24 hr.) 1.6% 3.5% 4.6%
Coefficient of
Thermal Expansion (1/ C)

7.5 x 10
-5
7.2 x 10
-5
11.0 x 10
-5

(25 C - 100 C) I I 8.4 x 10
-5
10.5 x 10
-5
11.9 x 10
-5

Thermal Conductivity (Kcal/m/hr/ C) 0.54 0.30 0.20



Typical Chemical Resistance Properties

Typical chemical resistance data is shown in Figure 17.

Figure 17 Chemical Resistance of 25% Ekonol / PTFE

Reagent
Temperature (F)
(30 day Exposure)
Weight
Change (%)
Volume
Change (%)
H
2
SO
4
(95%) 175 - 195 -24.8 0.09
HNO
3
(60%) 175 - 195 -3.6 -0.17
HCl (10%) 75 -0.01 0.04
HF (55%) 75 0.06 -0.27
AcOH (5%) 75 0.02 -0.49
NH
4
OH (28%) 175 - 195 -26.9 -1.01
NaOH (50%) 175 - 195 -8.8 3.63
HClO (4%) 175 - 195 -8.1 -0.87
Methanol 75 0.01 0.25
Acetone 75 0.04 0.03
CCl
4
175 - 195 0.11 0.42





The information contained in this document is believed to be accurate and reliable but is
presented without guarantee or warranty on the part of Saint-Gobain Grains & Powders.
Further, nothing presented herein should be interpreted as an authorization or inducement
to practice any patented invention without an appropriate license.