Daicel POM Powder Enables Stick Lubricant Innovation
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- Daicel Corporation’s High Performance Polymers Strategic Business Unit (formerly Polyplastics Co Ltd) has announced its DURAST POM fine powder has been adopted in a new stick-form lubricant developed by Japan-based Maia Co Ltd, marking a novel application for the engineering plastic material in maintenance operations.
The solid lubricant is designed to address common issues associated with conventional liquid lubricants, including dripping, splattering and waste resulting from over-application.
By incorporating DURAST POM fine powder, the product aims to improve efficiency and cleanliness across a range of maintenance environments, according to Daicel in a statement.
The lubricant is manufactured using Maia’s proprietary Sol-Mid technology, which enables the product to be supplied in a stick-shaped format and moulded into customised forms according to customer requirements.
The formulation combines ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) with grease, and DURAST POM acts as an interlayer that helps maintain compatibility between the two components.
The stick format eliminates the risk of leakage typically associated with liquid lubricants while offering greater portability for maintenance personnel servicing office equipment and industrial machinery. The product can reduce the use of conventional maintenance oil by around 80 per cent in office equipment applications.
Daicel said it developed a proprietary manufacturing process for DURAST POM after conventional grinding methods proved unsuitable for producing uniform powders from general-purpose resins. The resulting material features a distinctive particle shape and a controlled, fine and sharp particle size distribution.
The company plans to commercialise the solution on a larger scale, targeting maintenance applications for major office equipment manufacturers as well as industrial sectors including machinery repair, bicycle maintenance and conveyor systems.
-- BERNAMA