7 High Temp Applications for High-Performance Materials - Metcar

New materials these days can perform under an incredible amount of stress, and many of them perform vital roles in the daily grind of our communities and businesses. The quality of materials has had to improve to keep up with the increasingly complex environments that materials are put through. One of the most taxing elements that would tear down traditional materials is heat. These days, modern mechanical parts perform incredible feats everywhere from rocket ships to ovens. Here are some applications where new high-performance parts have replaced traditional materials, so that when they find themselves in hot water, they’re actually quite at home:

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1. Fire safe ball valve seats

Refineries and power plants house hundreds of valves that control the flow of oil, water, steam and other liquids. There are certain critical valves that must be counted on to operate in the case of a catastrophic failure, including a fire in the system. High temperature resistant valve seats made of specialized carbon graphite can operate and maintain their seal for hours at temperatures over F where Teflon and other valve seat materials will melt and fail. Continuous evaluation of materials used in industries that deal with volatile substances in high-temperature and high-stress environments are necessary in reducing catastrophic material and system failures.

2. air bleed valves and bearings

Many systems on airplanes are driven by high pressure air that is bled off the main engines. This high-pressure air is very hot, often over 900F. The air flow is controlled by high temperature valves which should use low friction, non-galling bearing surfaces to minimize the torque required to open and close the valve and specialized materials for the stem bearings and radial seals.

3. board dryer bearings

All plywood, gypsum board, ceiling tile, veneer boards and other similar products must go through a drying process after they are formed. This process is performed in long, continuous, multilevel ovens at temperatures up to 1,100F. The boards are loaded onto decks that have rollers positioned every 12” to support them during the drying process. These rollers are supported on either side by customized carbon graphite bearings that provide sufficient lubrication and long life in high temperature steam environments. The bearings are installed into quick change hardware that can be easily replaced during routine maintenance.

4. Combustion exhaust seal for liquid oxygen propulsion systems in space crafts

Spacecraft propulsion engines require the movement and sealing of extremely high temperature gasses during take-off. The primary sealing materials in these engines operate at over F. Customized graphite parts have the ability to provide a seal for the entirety of the take-off burn to deliver astronauts safely to complete their mission.

5. rotary baking ovens

In the food industry, materials must be FDA-approved as GRAS and able to be used in continuously rotating baking ovens for bread, pizza, chips and other foods. These ovens typically operate over 400F and more importantly cannot have oil or grease drip onto the food, so self-lubricating materials, such as special impregnated carbon graphite alloys, that can withstand both high temperatures and continuous movement over long periods of time are key here.

6. hot air dampers for power plants

Dampers are used to control the flow of hot air into utility boilers. This air can be as hot as 900F, which can cause bearings lubricated with oil and grease to seize, resulting in lower efficiencies and unplanned shutdowns. Self-lubricating bearings that perform in high temperatures allow the dampers to efficiently modulate the hot air flow into power plant boilers. Regulation of power plant equipment and ensuring and that they are using the most modern and safe materials is certainly an important consideration when choosing materials for parts.

7. ash drag out conveyor bearings

Drag conveyors are required at the base of power boilers, electrostatic precipitators and other power generation equipment. These conveyors move hot fly ash, coal dust, boiler ash, lime and other difficult materials that continuously fall from the bottoms of the equipment. The high temperature and polluted environment would cause traditional grease lubricated bearings to fail, so custom materials are needed for the bearing material for screws, chains and other moving parts.

Although they can span over several industries, these mechanical parts can be composed of similar materials. Specialized carbon graphite is an adaptable material which can be customized to resist oxidation at elevated temperatures and that is dimensionally stable, so that it does not melt like plastic would, and does not have the problems that conventional oil- and grease- lubricated parts would have, particularly in the demands of high-heat environments. These applications are examples of hot industries that benefit from innovating the materials they use to suit their environments, resulting in machines that are safer, and more efficient.

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High temperature thermoplastics are melt-processable plastics with extreme heat resistance. They are also referred to as high performance or engineering polymers due to their high heat resistance of over 200°C. Other key characteristics of these materials include outstanding strength, long-term durability, and biocompatibility.

High temperature thermoplastics are more adaptable than standard plastics due to their better mechanical properties, higher heat resistance, and higher chemical stability. They can also endure multiple cycles and doses of all radiation types and have an outstanding ability to be molded into parts with tight tolerance. High-temperature thermoplastics currently enjoy a rapidly growing segment of the plastics market, including in various medical applications.

Characteristics and Properties of High Temperature Thermoplastics

High temperature thermoplastics boast continuous operating temperatures of over 200°C. Their high-temperature resistance provides many valuable characteristics over other materials such as metal. These include:

• Adaptability to property modifications for specific applications
• Adaptability to high volume production processes
• Increased design flexibility
• Excellent chemical and corrosion resistance
• Adjustability conductivity or high electrical and thermal insulation
• Excellent noise and vibration damping
• A low density that eases installation and portability

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Production Methods

High temperature thermoplastics are made from raw materials such as colorants, polymer resins, and additives, based on the formulation needed. The raw materials are blended to the required standard that guarantees uniformity and consistency throughout the batches. The resulting product is then heated and pressed through an extrusion die and drawn into a sheet before being passed through additional roller sets to achieve the desired thickness and surface texture.

As the sheet travels down the line, it is cooled and cut to size. During the manufacturing process, rigid aromatic rings are introduced in aliphatic groups, giving the thermoplastic its high-temperature resistance characteristics. The aromatic rings restrict the movement of the backbone chain when the material is subjected to high heat.

Common Uses in Medical Devices and Life Sciences

High temperature thermoplastics enjoy excellent prospects in the medical devices market. Plastic continues to replace standard materials for medical devices due to its greater design flexibility and cost-effective characteristics. Some of the popular high-temperature thermoplastics employed in the medical field applications include:

• Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is commonly used as a replacement for glass, stainless steel, and other metals in several medical applications such as dialyzers, dental instruments, handles on syringes, endoscopes, and sterile boxes that hold root canal files.
• Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) is used to replace metal in medical device applications for microsystem technology and minimally invasive surgery.
• Polysulfones (PSU) and polyethersulfones (PES) are commonly used to manufacture parts and membranes of dialyzers, surgical theater luminaries, sterilizing boxes, secretion bottles, reusable syringes, and infusion equipment.
• Polyetherimide (PEI) is used for a myriad of disposable and reusable medical devices.
• Polyphenylsulfone (PPS) is often used in the development of sterilizable containers.

The Best Method of Sterilization

The preferred sterilization methods for high-temperature thermoplastics include irradiation gamma (gamma/e-beam), ethylene oxide (ETO), and steam autoclaving.

However, the methods' effectiveness and suitability are dependent on each high-temperature thermoplastic's specific properties. Most high temperature thermoplastics can withstand ETO exposure without displaying any significant changes to their color or properties. It should be noted that the devices undergoing ETO sterilization must have gas permeable packaging to allow the gas to go through it so that the device is effectively sterilized.

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