Saint-Gobain Solar, a supplier of materials and components to engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors and structure suppliers, has developed the SOLGLIDE T and SOLGLIDE M families of bearings.
Free of perfluorooctanoic acid and heavy metals such as lead, both product lines contain non-corrosive, durable materials to provide sustainability-enhancing solutions for reducing the costs of the initial investment, operations and maintenance in concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, the company says.
Designed with a unique fluoropolymer, both families of bearings are chemically resistant and self-lubricating. They also perform under a wide temperature range (between -200 degrees C and 260 degrees C) and exhibit no corrosion or loss of integrity under ultraviolet light.
SOLGLIDE T bearings are available with either steel or aluminium backings with proprietary polytetrafluoroethylene-based compounds. When equipped with 1.5 mm thick steel backings, the SOLGLIDE T offers superior entrance-area performance, while the 3 mm thick aluminium SOLGLIDE T bearings provide an easy drop in solution, the company says. The SOLGLIDE M bearings come standard at 1.57 mm thick with all stainless-steel backings and provides corrosion resistance for applications requiring long-time durability and load requirements in challenging environments.
