Product category:
Moulding materials
News Release from: Victrex | Subject: Victrex PEEK polymer
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 12 April 2006
Polymers replace steels to cut product
energy
To reduce energy consumption of its refrigerators, it switched from steel to a? polymer for the discharge valve in linear compressors, reducing refrigerator energy consumption by more than 30%.
To reduce energy consumption of its refrigerators, it switched from steel to a? polymer for the discharge valve in linear compressors, reducing refrigerator energy consumption by more than 30% When LG Electronics (Seoul, Korea), one of the world's leading appliance manufacturers, wanted to reduce the energy consumption of its refrigerators, it switched from steel to Victrex PEEK polymer for the discharge valve in the linear compressors
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Nov 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Unlike regular compressors that utilize rotary motions to convert electric energy to mechanical energy, the linear compressor utilises linear motion to drive the pistons.
By using Victrex PEEK for the discharge valve, LG Electronics has been able to maximise the advantages of the linear compressor, reducing refrigerator energy consumption by more than 30%.
The discharge valve is a key element of the linear compressor.
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It pushes the coolant compressed by the piston toward the heat exchanger and closes the compressor.
Prior to switching to Victrex PEEK, the valve was made of steel.
"The problem with steel is that it is thin and quick to transfer heat," said Andrew Ragan, product manager, Victrex USA, "The result was heat loss in the valve between the low-temperature air input and the high-temperature air outlet.
An additional problem with the steel valve was that it generated noise by clashing with the metal part.
The switch to Victrex PEEK has resulted in minimal thermal loss because the valve traps heat from escaping.
It has also resulted in a significant noise reduction." A high performance thermoplastics, Victrex PEEK is used as a replacement for machined metals in a wide variety of high performance end-use applications due to its superior combination of heat, chemical and wear resistance properties.
"In this particular application, fatigue resistance was also an important property," added Ragan.
"Because the Victrex PEEK discharge valve is fatigue-resistant, it is not easily broken down after thousands of repeated cycles of discharging coolants and shutting down the compressor door." In addition to being one of the largest home appliance manufacturers in the world, LG Electronics is also one of the world's major compressor manufacturers, producing more than 20 million compressors annually.
It is the first company to begin mass-producing the linear compressor, which is expected to be used in more than 5 million premium-grade refrigerators worldwide.
Victrex USA, a division of Victrex plc, is the sole manufacturer and supplier of PEEK? polymer worldwide.
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