DuPont™ Vespel®

DuPont™ Vespel® is popular as a replacement for metal parts. It is lightweight compared to metals and it is self-lubricating, eliminating the maintenance and downtime that use of metal parts requires. DuPont™ Vespel® machines easily to tight tolerances using the same equipment used to create many metal parts.  DuPont™ Vespel® is also an excellent choice for seals and gaskets. It is often a replacement for metal to metal seals. Unlike other plastics, DuPont™ Vespel® can withstand high temperature compression and it has excellent creep resistance for long lasting seals in high pressure environments.

There have been reported instances of unauthorized resellers machining DuPont™ Vespel® shapes into smaller diameter counterfeit rods from larger rod.  The unauthorized resellers attempt to sell the product as Authentic DuPont™ Vespel® shapes to unsuspecting machine shops.  They even go so far as to alter the original Certificate of Conformance (CoC) to reference the smaller diameter.  These altered CoCs do not contain the correct lot number information intended to match product size and composition for traceability purposes. Unlike Authentic DuPont™ Vespel these counterfeit altered rods do not meet ASTM D 6456-99, MIL-R-46198 and OEM Specifications.  In fact, the characteristics of these counterfeit rods differ from rods made to the original size in the proprietary DuPont™ isostatic molding process. The best way to protect your company from liability is to only purchase Authentic Vespel® Shapes from an authorized distributor.

DuPont utilizes a Proprietary Isostatic Molding Process to make most of the DuPont™ Vespel® shapes we offer.  DuPont starts in-house manufacturing the polyimide resin they use.  They do not buy resin for these materials on the open market. This allows DuPont to provide the strictest controls throughout every step of the manufacturing process.  Through this process, DuPont can minimize batch to batch variance and ensure a direct source for the quality polyimide resin.  The experience inside the manufacturing plant in Newark, DE is unmatched in the industry, they know what they are doing, and yes, DuPont ™ Vespel® is manufactured in the United States. The Technical Quality Control team enhances the ability to generate and meet the demanding Certification Requirement of the Aerospace customers, oil and gas and many other industries.

Authentic DuPont™ Vespel® is made through a proprietary isostatic molding process which gives each type of DuPont™ Vespel® a unique combination of properties resulting in advanced material solutions that help engineers and designers solve complex issues. DuPont™ Vespel® can perform in temperatures from Cryogenic cold to extremely high temperatures.  DuPont™ Vespel® is the outright leader when it comes to overall performance in the most extreme environments.  The benefits of any engineered plastic will vary by application.  In the case of bearing and wear applications, high temperature performance (above 400º F) may be absolutely necessary to the success of an application.  DuPont™ Vespel® can deliver the highest PV values of any commercially available engineered plastic.  As temperatures increases, parts made from DuPont™ Vespel®  to perform and meet expectations.  In fact, the toughness pared with DuPont's commitment to producing consistently high quality material is a major reason why aerospace engine manufacturers have specified DuPont™ Vespel® for many of their high wear applications for over 30 years.  

Most thermoplastics start to soften and, when they meet their glass transition temperature, they will fail and even melt, causing part failure.  Standard plastic materials soften near the boiling point of water, 210°F.  Other enhanced materials like PEEK and Torlon can do the job above that level, but then soften before they get to 500°F.  The unique composition of the proprietary polyimide resin invented by DuPont and processed into DuPont™ Vespel® shapes allows increased performance without material breakdown or melting to over 750°F.  It is also low friction, which is another benefit in highwear applications.

Determining exactly which engineered plastic will best fit your application usually requires "real world” testing and, with the thousands of available materials, that can be daunting. The team at thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics can make that process easier. At thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics, we sell all major brands of engineered plastics and we have trained staff with real world plastics experience to assist you in material selection. Our experience with these materials helps shorten the development cycle and provide options. We will help you find not just any plastic, but that just-right engineered plastic that fits all your application needs. We will help you to look at cost of material vs. cost of part to find the best value and performance.

• Self-Lubricating

• Low friction

• Insulating - Low thermal conductivity

• Excellent heat resistance

• Machines to tight tolerances

• Withstands wide temperature ranges from Cryogenic to 300º +/-

• Excellent wear resistance

• Reduces vibration and friction

• Filled versions of the SP line provide added benefits for specific application needs

Common industrial applications for DuPont™ Vespel® include:

• High wear bearings

• High wear bushings

• Heat shields

• Insulators and air or hydraulic seals

• Wear plates and wear pads

• Mold inserts

• Gaskets

• Fasteners

• Coil bobbins

• Rotor bumpers

• Spline Couplings

• Fuel connector