Materials: High-Molecular-Weight POM

Japan’s Polyplastics Co., Ltd. (U.S. office in Farmington Hills, Mich.), has developed a new polyoxymethylene (POM) grade which combines high strength with good creep and sliding properties. New Duracon  POM WW-09, is being showcased at Chinaplas 2019 in Guangzou. The new POM has been shown to deliver better mechanical properties by using high-molecular-weight polymers and employing the company’s original molecular design and polymerization technologies to achieve high initial strength and creep properties. Duracon WW-09 is said to  fill the need for sliding grades that require durability in high-load and high-weight conditions which employ thin-walling to achieve lighter weight and better space efficiency, according to Polyplastics.

This POM is said to have highly-rated mechanical properties compared to existing sliding grades, and to maintain physical properties close to those of high-viscosity standard grade Duracon M25-44. Since the WW-09 grade uses high-viscosity type polymers, it exhibits better creep properties than other sliding grades. Along with the aforementioned short-term properties, the material also has long-term durability, so it can be used in product designs close to those of standard grades in applications where loads are continuously applied over the long term. Moreover, Duracon WW-09 reportedly offers the same good sliding properties as other sliding grades, but is also designed with the capability to provide noise reduction during sliding. The material is designed for balance with mechanical properties in mind, anticipating a maximum of 5 MPa of surface pressure which can typically occur in practical conditions, and with noise resistance at even higher surface pressures.