Round Rod in PPS GF40 3000 mm beige

A round rod in PPS GF40 is polyphenylene sulfide reinforced with 40 percent glass fiber, supplied in rod form for turning, threading and drilling into finished components. The glass fiber raises stiffness and dimensional stability sharply compared with unreinforced PPS, while the material stays electrically insulating, which is the difference against the carbon fiber grade.

PPS as a base is one of the toughest engineering plastic materials. The material handles 220 °C continuously, short peaks considerably higher, and carries a V0 fire rating to UL 94 without halogenated flame retardants. Water absorption is negligible, so dimensions and properties are not affected by humidity. The chemical resistance covers acids, bases and most organic solvents; the weakness is hot oxidizing acids such as concentrated sulfuric acid.

The glass fiber gives a marked rise in tensile strength and flexural modulus, and lowers the coefficient of thermal expansion. A turned part in PPS GF40 holds its fit across a wide temperature range and creeps less under long-term load than the same part in unreinforced PPS. The glass fiber is also electrically insulating, which is the difference against carbon fiber reinforced PPS, where the stiffness is on a par but the material conducts current.

The round rod is the format to start from for rotationally symmetric parts. Typical uses are valve parts, conical and cylindrical sealing parts, insulated feedthroughs, shaft sleeves in pumps and fans for aggressive media, plus insulators and support elements in electrically heated fixtures. In the semiconductor industry the rod is used for turned rings and sleeves in wafer handling, and in the pharmaceutical industry for components that have to take repeated cleaning with strong agents.

Turning is done with sharp carbide inserts or polycrystalline diamond for the best tool life. The glass fiber is abrasive, so expect a shorter life than when machining unreinforced PPS. Moderate depths of cut, an even feed and a short tool overhang give an even surface. Drilling should be done with pecking so the chips get out, and threading is possible but calls for sharp taps, since the glass fiber otherwise dulls the edge quickly. On dimensionally critical parts, a mild stress relieving step around 180 °C before finishing can be worth the time.

Diameters are normally available from about 8 mm up to over 100 mm. Since PPS GF40 is one of the more expensive materials, it pays to choose a rod diameter close to the finished dimension instead of turning away large volumes. On longer runs an intermediate dimension can also give better economy overall.

Do you need help working out material removal, or choosing between GF40 and CF50? Get in touch, and we will go through it together.

Three meters of beige round rod, 3000 mm, in glass fiber filled PPS for longer turned components. Natural beige, the same grade as the black rods.