Better sliding without PTFE

Even more tried and tested iglidur materials now without PTFE

Our tried and tested iglidur standard materials are now all available without PTFE. New additions are iglidur GPF, HPF and XPF, which extend our PTFE-free range by one material for universal use, one for high temperature and one for chemical contact.

Tech up

100% comparable or better wear properties compared to PTFE-based solutions

Cost down

Only 10% more expensive than PTFE-based solutions

Proof

Proven in over 15,000 wear tests in the industry's largest test laboratory

Sustainability

Sustainable due to the absence of PTFE or forever chemicals

igus supports the circular economy of plastics and invests in chemical recycling. Find out more.

From development

Interview with Magnus Orth on the progress of PTFE-free plain bearings

Magnus, as Head of Materials Development: How far along is igus with the topic of PFAS and PTFE?

We are continuing to develop PTFE-free alternatives to our most successful PTFE-containing materials at full speed. The main focus here is on expanding our top 5 plain bearing materials to include variants without the fluorine additive. The aim is to develop PTFE-free variants with the same or better specifications than the originals that contain PTFE. In 2024, we already presented the iglidur JPF and iglidur WPF materials. These are PTFE-free versions of the highly versatile and proven iglidur J, as well as the iglidur W300, which is optimised primarily for somewhat higher loads and wear requirements. We have also developed a recipe for a PTFE-free iglidur F. Now, just in time for Hannover Messe 2025, we can announce a major breakthrough. We have made PTFE-free versions of the most successful iglidur material – iglidur G - and we can now also offer the high-temperature standard iglidur X as PTFE-free. With iglidur HPF, we also offer a variant especially for use in liquid media.

It is not easy to find materials with similar specifications. Nevertheless, we succeeded.

Dr-Ing. Magnus Orth

Head of Materials Development and Technical Centre at igus

What was the biggest challenge during development?

Especially for the widely used iglidur materials, it is very difficult to ensure that the products offer the same performance in practice as the PTFE-containing variants. As these are used in an extremely wide range of applications with very different requirement profiles and the design of plain bearings – if it is to be truly accurate – is based on a great deal of experience and empiricism and is difficult to simulate theoretically due to the many influencing factors, the test effort is considerable. Our well-equipped wear laboratory and our experience help us with this. PTFE really comes into its own when it comes to chemical-resistant and temperature-resistant bearings. It is not easy to find materials with similar specifications. Nevertheless, we have succeeded.

Which applications or users benefit in particular from the new PTFE-free plain bearing materials?

The range is wide. Many manufacturers are currently looking for products that do without PTFE or even completely without PFAS. In addition to these aspects, resistance to corrosive cleaning agents or high temperatures are also a priority in food processing. In the automotive sector, meanwhile, price pressure is particularly high, while many other factors often play a role in consumer products such as electrical appliances and the like. With almost 30 plain bearing materials now available without PTFE and over 40 materials in which we can already exclude 96 PFAS that are considered critical, we offer a wide range of solutions here.

White paper: Focussing on PFAS

The white paper "Focussing on PFAS: planned restrictions, challenges and solutions for the industry" deals with the following topics, among others: