“This new product supports our strategy to put science to work in ways that help reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dave Ritchey, DuPont Vespel global transportation marketing director. “Vespel SP-2515 – which can improve efficiency by reducing friction, weight and cost – is one of several new product and design innovations from Vespel, which accesses the vast DuPont network of global R&D and application development centers to meet specific market needs.”
Parts made from DuPont Vespel SP-2515 demonstrate a low coefficient of thermal expansion to better match metal, improved wear properties against aluminum and a low coefficient of friction all of which can help improve dimensional control, reduce weight and increase component efficiency for lower total system cost.
“The metal friendly nature of Vespel SP-2515 enables the use of lightweight aluminum as a mating surface for rotating or moving parts,” said Ritchey. “The good wear of Vespel SP-2515 can eliminate heavy, expensive steel inserts, used to protect the aluminum parts from aggressive materials, such as cast iron or filled thermoplastics.”
Additionally, parts made of Vespel SP-2515 offer high thermal conductivity to help remove heat from critical bearing surfaces, which can lead to cooler running parts and higher PV (pressure x velocity) limits.
DuPont Vespel SP-2515 is initially targeted for the global automotive and commercial vehicle industry where tight tolerances, durability and improvements in energy efficiency are demanded.
Recently commercialized in seal rings, which demand low friction, extreme tolerance control over a broad temperature range, and long life, Vespel SP-2515 has demonstrated more consistent leakage control than cast iron and other polymeric alternatives. The ability to ‘fine tune’ leakage rates over a broader temperature range helps deliver an efficient and smooth operating transmission and can also lead to a smaller oil pump – which helps reduce parasitic energy losses.
“While extensive testing has shown Vespel SP-2515 improves the performance of transmission seal rings, we also see attributes which are beneficial more broadly, such as in hydraulic valves, thrust washers and bushings in powertrain applications,” said Ritchey.
Additionally, Vespel SP-2515 performs very well in environments where contamination particles like carbon, dirt or metal debris can cause rapid failure of components – an extremely important feature in engine components like EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) bushings and turbo linkages where dirt is a constant problem.
