The Science of GRAPHALLOY®
What it's made of, what it can do for you
What is GRAPHALLOY®
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BEARING MATERIAL:
A journal bearing alternative for bearings in extreme environments. Its successful uses are divided about 50/50 between:
- 1) replacements for ball bearings in hot or cold or wet environments, and
- 2) replacements for metal/plastic bushings in pumps that experience upset conditions.
- GRAPHITE + METAL: Graphalloy is a family of proprietary graphite-metal alloys developed by the Graphite Metallizing Corporation. It has been in use in industry for over 100 years and in pumps for over 70.
- SELF-LUBRICATING: Graphalloy is a uniform, solid, self-lubricating material commonly used for wear rings, bushings and bearings due to its unique properties.
- EXTREME: The material is made by combining molten metal and solid graphite at extreme temperature and pressure. The resulting product handles extreme environments, both cold and hot (-450°F to over 1000°F / -269°C to over 538°C).
How Does GRAPHALLOY® Work?
Each of the components of GRAPHALLOY play an important role:
GRAPHITE
- Hexagonally arranged carbon atoms form flat sheets, which slide off each other (like a deck of cards).
- These sheets give graphite its self-lubricating properties and classify it as one of very few “dry lubricants”.
METAL
- Adds mechanical strength where graphite is soft.
- Acts as a heat sink, helping to remove friction heat from the surface of the shaft.
- Different metals are used to achieve different properties.
How Is GRAPHALLOY® Made?
- Manufacture proprietary graphite.
- Machine to near-net size.
- Heat.
- Combine with molten metal under pressure.
- Remove and cool.
- Machine to finished size.
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