GGB¡¯s Michael Kim, Derek Marsella and Benoit Sidot made a presentation on ¡°The Evolution of Polymer Bearing Processing for Scroll Compressor Performance and Life Enhancement¡± June 12 at the 2016 Purdue University Compressor Engineering Conference. The presentation included the history of metal-polymer bearings in compressors, experimental materials, polymer processing methods, test procedures and results, and conclusions.
GGB DU bearings were first used in scroll compressors in 1987 to improve a compromised lubrication state. Since then, a number of new polymer bearing materials have been developed. These include DP31 with a powder-based PTFE sliding layer and implemented in scroll compressors in 2009, slurry-based DP10 and film-based DTS10, both of which were first used in scroll compressors in 2010.
These bearings underwent testing by GGB for boundary lubricated wear and cavitation erosion, and by Daikin Industries, manufacturer of air condition systems, for lubricated wear and seizure resistance. In separate tribological evaluations, film-based DTS10 demonstrated the best wear performance, followed by powder-based DP31.
With the thickest polymer overlay, DTS10 offered increased wear life and the ability to be precision machined after installation. It also exhibited the greatest resistance to cavitation and seizure, while DP10 demonstrated the lowest resistance to these conditions.
The Compressor Engineering Conference was launched in 1972 by a group of Purdue University professors. A conference on refrigeration was added in 1986, and in 2002 research on air conditioning was added to the conference. The venue was further expanded in 2010 with the addition of a conference on high-performance buildings.
