Composite bearings are the next class made from TEFLON® brand fibers. These bearings consist of a liner made fabric made of TEFLON® brand fibers and a fiberglass backing. The entire structure is held together with a thermoset resin. As a result this combination of materials produces a composite structure which is:

• Self-lubricating
• Light weight
• Electrically non-conductive
• Thermally non-conductive
• Capable of carrying load of 5,000 to 20,000 PSI on continuous basis depending upon design
• Allow Unique designs/cross-sections to solve unique problems
• Available in small and large quantities to support a broad range of manufacturing needs

Examples of Composite bearings are shown in the photograph below.
Composite Bearings made with TEFLON® Brand Fibers

Break-in of Composite Bearings

In certain bearings the resin used to bond the fabric to the backing may permeate the liner and completely saturate the fabric. In these cases the bearings may have a brief break-in period to relatively long break-in period depending primarily on the load the bearing carries during operation. This break-in period is outlined in the graph below. This phenomenon may be dealt with in a number of ways including initial lubrication at installation to a slight honing of the bearing to remove the surface resin and expose the lubricating fibers. It should be noted that removing excessive amounts of the liner will shorten the bearing life.

Coefficient of Friction and Load During Operation
Sleeve Bearings of TEFLON® Brand Fibers