RTP Company Introduces All-Polymeric Wear Additive Compounds with Improved Properties

By eliminating traditional wear reducing additives, such as PTFE or silicone, we have been able to significantly increase mechanical performance in these compounds, said Tom Cordes, General Manger - Wear Products at RTP Company. Using our new olefin-based APWA technology we are able to better maintain crucial base resin properties -- such as strength, impact resistance, and specific gravity -- allowing molded parts to perform more consistently in end-use applications.

Not only are wear performance and all-around properties improved, added Cordes, our APWA compounds are both non-halogenated and RoHS-compliant, making them more environmentally responsible. Additionally, APWA materials will not produce plate-out. which is a common issue with PTFE materials. Plate-out is additive residue that builds up in mold cavities requiring processors to regularly stop production to perform cleaning, reducing production yields.

Other benefits of RTP Company's APWA compounds include: improved plastic-on-plastic wear resistance and reduced friction resulting in higher PV load capacity during standard ASTM D3702 thrust washer testing; better flow during molding permitting thin walls and intricate designs to fill easily; blemish-free surface appearance and complete colorability makes it ideal for visible components and consumer items; produce more parts or use less material with specific gravity reductions of up to 10% over similar PTFE-lubricated materials; and better lot-to-lot and part-to-part consistency, because unlike other olefin-based wear reducing additives, APWA compounds are not reactively extruded.