Bearing Material Selection Guide: High PV, High Temperature, High Speed & Self-Lubricating Applications
Bearing Material Selection Guide: High PV, High Temperature, High Speed & Self-Lubricating Applications
High-Performance Self-Lubricating Bronze Bushing Solutions & Technologies. Minimize downtime, extend service life, and reduce costs for dynamic applications.
Bearing Material Selection Guide: High PV, High Temperature, High Speed & Self-Lubricating Applications
Choosing the right bearing material is critical for reliability, efficiency, and longevity. Different applications demand different properties – from high surface pressure to extreme temperatures or oil-free operation.
Based on viiplus standard material data (tin bronze, sintered bronze, polyacetal, hard brass with graphite, aluminum bronze with graphite, steel with graphite, grey cast iron with graphite, and plastic), this guide helps you select the best self-lubricating or externally lubricated material for your specific working conditions.
1. Quick Selection by Working Condition
| Condition | Recommended Material | Why |
|---|---|---|
| High PV value (≥200 N/mm²·m/min) | Tin bronze, Polyacetal, Hard brass with graphite, Alu-bronze with graphite | Maximum load–speed combination |
| High temperature (>250°C, oil-free) | Alu-bronze with graphite (+400°C), Sintered bronze (+300°C), Hard brass with graphite (+300°C), Steel with graphite (+300°C) | Graphite lubrication, no oil burnout |
| High sliding speed (>100 m/min) | Bronze with graphite (300 m/min), Tin bronze DIN 17662 (120 m/min) | Low friction at high speed |
| High surface pressure (>100 N/mm²) | Hard brass with graphite (130 N/mm²), Polyacetal (120 N/mm²), Alu-bronze with graphite (120 N/mm²) | High load capacity |
| Oil-free / self-lubricating | All graphite-containing materials + Plastic | Long-term friction coefficient as low as 0.01–0.07 |
| Low temperature (down to -200°C) | Grey cast iron with graphite (-200°C), Plastic (-50°C), Tin bronze (-50°C) | Maintains mechanical properties |
2. Best Materials for Self-Lubricating & Oil-Free Operation
| Performance Metric | Best Material | Typical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest long-term friction coefficient | Plastic | 0.01 (dry) |
| 2nd lowest friction coefficient | Graphite-containing (bronze, brass, alu-bronze) | 0.07 |
| Highest oil-free temperature | Alu-bronze with graphite | +400°C |
| Highest oil-free sliding speed | Bronze with graphite | 300 m/min |
| Highest oil-free surface pressure | Hard brass with graphite | 130 N/mm² |
| Highest oil-free PV value | Tin bronze, Polyacetal, Hard brass with graphite, Alu-bronze with graphite | 200 N/mm²·m/min |
Note: Tin bronze requires external oil; polyacetal has lower temperature limit (+80°C).
3. Performance Ranking (High to Low)
3.1 Maximum PV Value (N/mm²·m/min)
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Tin bronze / Polyacetal / Hard brass with graphite / Alu-bronze with graphite – 200
-
Sintered bronze – 150
-
Red brass with graphite / Steel with graphite (with oil 200) – 100
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Bronze with graphite – 96
-
Grey cast iron with graphite – 50
3.2 Maximum Sliding Speed (m/min)
-
Bronze with graphite – 300
-
Tin bronze DIN 17662 – 120
-
Alu-bronze with graphite – 50 (or 200 with oil for plastic)
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Hard brass with graphite – 15
-
Plastic – 50 (200 with external oil)
3.3 Long-term Friction Coefficient (lower is better, dry)
-
Plastic – 0.01
-
Graphite-containing (bronze, brass, alu-bronze) – 0.07
-
Red brass with graphite – 0.09
-
Tin bronze / Grey cast iron with graphite – 0.15
3.4 Maximum Surface Pressure (N/mm²)
-
Hard brass with graphite – 130
-
Polyacetal / Alu-bronze with graphite – 120
-
Tin bronze / Sintered bronze – 100
-
Red brass with graphite / Steel with graphite – 80
-
Plastic (dry) – 25 (35 with oil)
3.5 Maximum Operating Temperature (oil-free, °C)
-
Alu-bronze with graphite – +400
-
Sintered bronze / Hard brass with graphite / Steel with graphite – +300
-
Grey cast iron with graphite – +200
-
Tin bronze – +150
-
Plastic – +80
4. Typical Application Scenarios
| Material | Typical Applications |
|---|---|
| Plastic (self-lubricating) | Low speed, light load, <80°C, oil-free – office equipment, home appliances, food machinery |
| Hard brass / Alu-bronze with graphite | High temperature (300–400°C), oil-free, medium-high speed – furnace roller bearings, oven conveyor wheels, automotive exhaust bushings |
| Bronze with graphite | Ultra-high speed (300 m/min) oil-free – textile machinery, high-speed packaging machines |
| Tin bronze (no graphite) | High PV (200), heavy load, requires external oil – heavy-duty gears, worm wheels, compressor connecting rod bushings |
| Sintered bronze (CuSn8) | Porous oil-impregnated bearing – small motors, fans, power tools |
| Grey cast iron with graphite | Extremely low temperature (-200°C) or cost-sensitive – cryogenic valve guides, agricultural sliding surfaces |
| Steel with graphite | High pressure (80 N/mm²), medium speed, oil-free – hydraulic support rails, construction machinery pin bushings |
5. Key Material Parameters at a Glance
| Material | Self-lubricating | Max. Pressure (N/mm²) | Max. Speed (m/min) | PV (N/mm²·m/min) | Max. Temp (°C) | Long-term friction coefficient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tin bronze | No | 100 | 30 | 200 | +150 | 0.15 |
| Sintered bronze | No | 100 | 10 | 150 | +300 | 0.07 |
| Hard brass + graphite | Yes | 130 | 15 | 200 | +300 | 0.07 |
| Alu-bronze + graphite | Yes | 120 | 10–50 | 200 | +400 | 0.07 |
| Bronze + graphite | Yes | 50 | 300 | 96 | +150 | 0.07 |
| Red brass + graphite | Yes | 80 | 20 | 100 | +150 | 0.09 |
| Steel + graphite | Yes | 80 | 50 | 100 | +300 | 0.07 |
| Grey cast iron + graphite | Yes | 40 | 10 | 50 | +200 | 0.15 |
| Polyacetal | Yes (dry) | 120 | 10 | 200 | +80 | 0.01 |
| Plastic (general) | Yes | 25 | 50 | 100 | +80 | 0.01 |
Data based on viiplus standard materials. For exact specifications, visit viiplus.com
6. Conclusion
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For highest PV (200) → Tin bronze, polyacetal, hard brass with graphite, alu-bronze with graphite
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For highest temperature (+400°C) → Alu-bronze with graphite
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For highest oil-free speed (300 m/min) → Bronze with graphite
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For lowest friction (0.01) → Plastic (temperature limited)
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For extreme cold (-200°C) → Grey cast iron with graphite
Selecting the correct material requires balancing load, speed, temperature, lubrication availability, and cost. Use the tables above as a starting point, and always verify with manufacturer datasheets for critical applications.
Need help with material selection? Contact viiplus for custom-engineered bearing solutions.
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