Freudenberg rolls out PTFE-alternative polyurethane

PLYMOUTH, Mich.—The market for alternatives to PTFEs is growing, and Freudenberg Sealing Technologies wants to be out front when it peaks.

As such, the company's material scientists have developed "98 AU 30500," a material for customers in the construction industry that boasts excellent performance characteristics.

The high-performance polyurethane also is cost-effective.

"Thanks to its longer service life and lower need for maintenance, it helps users reduce their operating costs," said Martin Goerres, manager of engineering and innovation at Freudenberg Sealing, a division of Freudenberg NOK. "It also enables greater efficiency in hydraulic systems, which leads to improved performance."

According to Freudenberg, 98 AU 30500 is a hydrolysis-resistant, high-performance polyurethane for use in hydraulic sealing systems in a humid environment.

"It's true that PTFE materials offer high media resistance and a broad temperature range for hydraulic applications, while being low-friction and reliable ... but our 98 AU 30500 material can actually top that, as it is extremely wear-resistant and also highly media-resistant," said Jurgen Hieber, materials development manager at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. "Thanks to the optimized alignment of material and geometry, our seals made of 98 AU 30500 have low friction and very low gap extrusion, which translates into a long service life."

Hieber added that the new material offers friction and sealing performance, allowing seals comprising the materials to replace conventional PTFE seals for standard hydraulic operating conditions.

98 AU 30500 can be used from minus-25 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

"The material even offers a further important advantage, in that it makes previously unfeasible low-friction and hydrodynamically optimized sealing geometries possible in the future," Hieber said.

Particularly, 98 AU 30500 is used in Freudenberg's OMK-PU 30500 piston seal, a two-part component that combines the polyurethane with an O-ring element.

"Since the piston seal is made in an injection molding process, it is very cost-effective," Goerres said. "It is interchangeable with seals for standard PTFE ISO installation spaces and requires no recalibration after the installation to bring it to the correct dimension. Even as early as during assembly, it's also very resilient against damage."

Outside of construction, the new material is finding application as an alternative in the food and beverage space as well.

The material also is gaining recognition as it can serve as an alternative to PFAS substances, set for regulation in both the EU and the U.S.

98 AU 30500 "complies with the strict legal requirements," Goerres said.

"At the same time, the new material is an important step for ourselves in achieving our own sustainability goals," he said.