Envalior showcases proven PFAS-free solution for wear & friction applications at K 2025

Düsseldorf, October 15^th, 2025 – Envalior recognizes a growing need for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-free materials for high-performance Wear & Friction applications, that are sustainable, economical, and long-lasting. The challenge for tribology component manufacturers lies in the fact that no Wear and Friction additive alternatives perform as effectively as PTFE. If regulatory restrictions are enacted, many plastics that were sufficient in the past due to performance-enhancing PTFE may fall short of performance requirements when PTFE is removed or replaced with other additives.

High-performance PTFE-free solutions

Envalior’s Stanyl^® often satisfies performance requirements without requiring PTFE, making it ideal for timing systems, actuator gears, bearings seals and bushings among others. “Our Stanyl^® portfolio offers customers many options to fulfill high performance characteristics while meeting legal and application-specific requirements. Stanyl^® is able to offer to manufacturers ductility, robust tribological performance and design freedom via extruded parts”, explains Adnan Hasanovic, technical expert for tribological applications at Envalior.

Pushing application boundaries with PA46

As industries push the boundaries of performance, efficiency, and sustainability, the choice of materials used in Wear and Friction applications is becoming more complex and critical. A material class generally leading this change is the Stanyl^® polyamide 46 (PA46) Wear & Friction portfolio from Envalior. "Our high-temperature polyamides often pave the way for innovations in a wide range of industries. For example, they are increasingly replacing metals and less durable plastics in gears, bearings, seals, and bushings for the automotive industry, robotics and household appliances," says Hasanovic.

A new standard in strength and durability

Stanyl^® PA46 is the material of choice for achieving the highest mechanical performance at elevated temperatures. Due to its high crystallinity, it offers a unique combination of:

Superior fatigue and wear resistance
High impact and weld line strength
Excellent flow behavior for thin-walled designs
Outstanding stiffness and creep resistance at elevated temperatures

These properties make it ideal for demanding Wear & Friction applications, especially where high torque, speed, and temperature are involved. Compared to traditional materials like PA66, POM, PPS, PPA, Stanyl^® delivers higher performance and significantly lower cost compared to plastics like PEEK.

Lightweight, durable, and quiet gears

The trend towards electric vehicles (EVs), robotics, and new developments in household appliances have resulted in new specific requirements for gearbox and bearing components. In EVs, for example, systems such as electric power steering, brake boosters, and thermal management valves require compact, lightweight actuators that deliver high torque and are reliable over the long term, even at high temperatures.

In the field of robotics, collaborative robots (cobots) are transforming industries with their ability to work safely alongside humans. However, traditional metal components of cobot gears can pose occupational safety risks due to inertia and weight. This is why lightweight alternatives to metals are in demand.

Appliance manufacturers are increasingly replacing metal gears with plastic alternatives to improve production efficiency and product performance.

Stanyl^® meets all these demands by enabling:

Weight reduction: Up to 40% less material usage compared to PPS and PPA, resulting in lighter, more compact gears.
Noise reduction: Up to 10 decibel lower gear noise than metal alternatives, improving NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) characteristics and enhancing user experience.
High-temperature performance: Reliable operation at temperatures up to 180°C, critical for turbo actuator gears and other high-load applications.

Envalior’s advanced gear testing capabilities simulate real-life conditions, helping manufacturers select the optimal material grade and reduce costly re-testing and re-molding.

High-speed, high-performance solutions for bearings

Bearings in EVs face extreme conditions due to compact motor designs and high rotational speeds, which leads to high temperatures. Stanyl^® compounds enable thin-walled, lightweight designs that maintain mechanical integrity under high centrifugal loads and rotational speeds up to 30,000 rpm. Compared to PA66, the compounds reduce part deformation by about 20%, while also resisting chemical aging from automotive lubricants.

Stanyl^® is increasingly used in bearing cages to replace metals and other polymers, offering:

Low creep deformation: Reduces cage deformation that results from high speeds and high centrifugal forces.
High ductility: Reduces risk of cage fracture and cage scrap rate during bearing assembly process.
High weld line strength: Reduces failure risk in complex cage designs.
Fast production cycle times: High flow and crystallization speed enable efficient manufacturing.
Chemical resistance: Withstands exposure to oils and greases used in automotive environments.

Envalior supports bearing manufacturers with advanced simulation tools, including moldflow and finite element analysis, to ensure optimal design and performance under real-world conditions.

Detailed information on Envalior's materials can be found in Envalior's MaterialAdvisor, which provides digital tools and services that customers can use to find, select and evaluate materials.