Just in time for Hannover Messe, igus is announcing a breakthrough: the material developers in Cologne (Germany) have succeeded in producing the established polymer plain bearings from the iglidur G, iglidur X and iglidur H series, which are used in machines, systems and vehicles worldwide, without PTFE. This is good news for a lot of companies that are already looking for future-proof alternatives due to the prospect of stricter PFAS regulations or even a ban.

At igus in Cologne, intensive research and testing has been carried out in recent years in the in-house material development department. The focus: plain bearings of the standard series with PTFE. Lars Butenschön, Head of the iglidur Plain Bearing Technology Business Unit at igus, said, “We have succeeded in developing a PTFE-free version for the material in the iglidur G series. We are particularly pleased because iglidur G is a popular all-rounder in the igus product range, which can be found across the globe in mechanical engineering, plant construction and the automotive industry due to its high wear resistance and low friction.” Maintaining this versatility without PTFE required a great deal of development effort. Thanks to the sophisticated design of the formulations, the familiar material specifications in terms of temperature stability, mechanical strength and shrinkage behaviour remained virtually unchanged, as confirmed by tests in the company’s own 4,000m2 test laboratory. This is where igus’s more than 60 years of experience with tribologically optimised plastics pays off.

But that is not all. The iglidur X series, which is characterised by high temperature resistance and used in the aerospace industry, among others, is now also PTFE-free. This also applies to iglidur H, a series that is suitable for the marine industry and chemical engineering due to its high moisture resistance. In 2024, igus had already managed to dispense with PTFE in the equally popular iglidur J and iglidur W series. “We have now found PTFE-free alternatives for the top five iglidur plain bearing materials, which cover 80% of all iglidur applications worldwide,” said Lars Butenschön. A large number of potential users therefore no longer need to worry about future PFAS regulations. They can switch to the new versions exactly as they are without having to invest in customisations. “The price is almost identical in most cases.”

The breakthrough by the igus developers is significant because the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is currently looking into a possible ban on the PFAS chemical group – for reasons of environmental and health protection. For companies, these changes mean a huge change. PFAS repel water, grease and dirt and can therefore be found in hundreds of thousands of products, e.g. rain jackets, non-stick pans and fast-food packaging. igus also uses PTFE, a family member of the PFAS group, for the self-lubricating effect of polymer plain bearings. “Many of our customers are currently working hard to find solutions in view of the prospect of stricter PFAS regulations or even a ban,” said Butenschön. “They are thus already looking for plain bearings that do not require PTFE to be on the safe side with their products in the future.” igus is therefore investing more in research and development to find alternatives to PFAS.