New Composite Materials for Transmission Components Reduce Friction and Wear

One example is the new material Quantix 55-14, which was developed on the basis of the high performance polymer PEEK. This material is also known as “Low Hardness PEEK” and reduces wear when it comes in contact with steel components. The engineers at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Findlay, Ohio, used the material to manufacture sealing rings that function as hydraulic rotary feedthroughs that contain the oil between the clutch and the interior of the transmission shaft in automatic transmissions. The lower incidence of system wear produced by Quantix 55-14 reduces hardness requirements for shafts and lowers customers’ production costs.

Freudenberg’s Levitorq™ thrust washers also use Quantix 55-14. The flat, disc-shaped components are used in torque converters and automatic transmissions where they absorb axial forces from rotating components. Friction needs to be as low as possible in these applications. When the shaft starts to rotate, Freudenberg’s patented groove technology allows fluid to pass under the washer. This creates a hydrodynamic lubricating film that lowers friction and reduces wear in the application. If conditions prevent operation in the hydrodynamic range, the importance of the material’s very low, dry friction will increase durability.

Materials expertise combined with application knowledge

Material experts at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies have conducted comparative wear and friction testing on thrust washers made from Quantix 55-14 and those made from readily available, standard HPP materials designed for applications that require low friction and wear. Thrust washers made from Quantix 55-14 demonstrate a 95 percent reduction in wear, a 55 percent reduction in friction and a decrease in temperature at the interface of 35 °C.

“As these examples show, grabbing a product off the shelf isn’t always the best approach,” says Dr. Christoph Klingshirn, who is responsible for global plastics development at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. “If materials expertise is combined with application knowledge, this can lead to ever higher performance plastics.”