Engineered polymer
Submersible pumps, which are predominantly used for agricultural irrigation purposes, are typically placed at several meters below the earth’s surface for water extraction. Thrust bearings are highly critical to the life and performance of these pumps. Since these bearings undergo continuous rotation, they will rub against sand, mud and the metal stationary surface of the bearing housing. This causes a rise in temperature during operations. Furthermore, due to the very high underground pressure (1 bar per meter), these parts are also subjected to high temperature and pressure conditions while in operation.
Although sintered-carbon thrust bearings are one of the best available non-metal products for submersible pumps, this material is brittle, which means that parts containing it are often fragile. The processing of these materials is also not easy.
DOMO Chemicals GmbH (Leuna, Germany; www.domochemicals.com) has developed a new enhanced polymer material for the replacement of sintered carbon in submersible-pump thrust-bearings applications. Thermec S is designed to replace sintered carbons in submersible pumps that are exposed to continuous application temperatures of up to 200°C. Combining polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), glass, mineral fillers and lubricating additives, results in a synergistic effect that brings excellent abrasion resistance. This delivers a final product with better mechanical properties than sintered carbon samples. Due to its excellent processability, Thermec S is suitable for both injection molding and extrusion applications.