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Coating reduces leadscrew friction

Coatings are baked on coverings applied to a lead screw for corrosion protection and to change its frictional characteristics.

Origins

PTFE was discovered serendipitously by Roy Plunkett of DuPont in 1938, while attempting to make a new CFC refrigerant, when the perfluorethylene polymerized in its storage container. DuPont patented it in 1941 and registered the Teflon trademark in 1944. This name has since become a genericized trademark.

Characteristics

Teflon is a white solid at room temperature, with a density of about 2.2 g/cm3. According to DuPont its melting point is 327 °C (620.6 °F), but its properties degrade above 260 °C (500 °F). The coefficient of friction of plastics is usually measured against polished steel. Teflon's coefficient of friction is 0.1 or less, which is the lowest of any known solid material.

Applications

Due to its low friction, it is used for applications where sliding action of parts is needed: bearings, bushings, gears, slide plates, etc. In these applications it performs significantly better than nylon and acetal; it is comparable to ultra high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), although UHMWPE is more resistant to wear than Teflon. For these applications, versions of teflon with mineral oil or molybdenum disulfide embedded as additional lubricants in its matrix are being manufactured.

Teflon Coating Benefits

• Reduces friction.
• Reduces noise on coarse pitches at high speeds.
• Enhances performance of Turcite XT polymer nuts.
• Wear resistant even under extreme conditions.
• Weather resistant against sunlight, saltwater, and road chemicals.
• Allows wide operating temperature range from -250 to +285 C.