What is Vespel?

Just what is Vespel®? Vespel® is the industry standard for high-performance polymers in industrial applications. This sophisticated polyimide is suitable for a wide variety of applications, from bearings to crucial aviation parts, and can survive the most severe environmental conditions on Earth. Vespel® is the best material to use if you need dependable performance in demanding environments.

Just what is Vespel®?

Vespe® is a high-performance polyimide resin distinguished by its nitrogen-containing ring-shaped molecular structure. It blends the advantages of ceramics, metals, and plastics into a single material with its distinct characteristics, resulting in significant performance and cost advantages. In high-heat situations, where thermoplastic materials lose their mechanical qualities, it is commonly utilized as a lightweight alternative to metal. Among the many remarkable features of Vespel® are:

• Vespel® can withstand temperatures up to 550 °F continuously and 900 °F in short bursts, therefore it can be used in environments where other materials would melt.
• Can withstand temperatures as low as -400 degrees Fahrenheit without becoming brittle.
• able to function at very high PVs When compared to other designed plastics, it has the highest unlubricated pressure-velocity (PV) limit performance (0.29-3.5 MPa-m/s).
• Vespel® has such low outgassing that NASA and the US Air Force have certified it for use in flight.
• Able to withstand chemical assaults at a high level unaffected by gasoline, paint thinner, industrial hydraulic fluids, and many other substances
• Extremely low levels of impurities, including trace metals, and almost no particles being released into the plasma.
• Superior electrical insulation thanks to its high dielectric strength – possessing low heat and electrical resistance
• Resistance to cleaning cycles, mechanical abuse, repetitive handling, etc., requires a material with high mechanical strength and stiffness.
• Superior wear performance and low coefficient of friction, especially in high-temperature, sliding-contact or lubricated environments

In addition to its superior performance under stress and heat, Vespel® is:

• Simple machining with high tolerances
• Flame-retardant and resistant to melting
• Inert to hydrolysis
• Durable against radiation
• Tolerant of creeping

Where Does Vespel® Fit In?

You can find Vespel® components in a wide variety of vehicles, engines, semiconductors, weapons systems, and off-road construction machinery. Everything from outer space to nuclear reactor control rooms is no match for the durability of Vespel® components. Vespel® is also widely used in the aerospace industry and can be found in practically all jet engines produced in the West.

• Bearings
• Bushings
• Gaskets
• Insulators
• Cylinder rings
• Interlocking rings as a seal
• Lock washers
• Disks used in valves
• Washers