GRAPHALLOY® Specified for Nuclear-Service Pump Components

A nuclear-products operation recently contacted Graphalloy about replacement case rings and a channel bushing for a pump used in heavy-water service. Legacy drawings specified nickel-grade GRAPHALLOY for all three components. After reviewing the fluid, operating temperature, mating material, and running clearances, a Graphalloy engineer confirmed the appropriate material family and quoted the replacement parts to the original drawings.

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GRAPHALLOY® Solves Bearing Failures in High-Temperature Vermiculite Oven Application

A major industrial distributor recently worked with Graphalloy on a conveyor oven application used in vermiculite processing. The operating environment involved slow speeds, 200 lb. loads, and temperatures above 450°F. The customer had been using roller bearings with an auto-lubrication system, but the bearings were failing repeatedly due to the heat.

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High-Temperature Pillow Blocks Provide Over 26 Years of Reliable Service

A recent paper mill application reminded us why bearing history matters.

High-temperature pillow blocks operating at 350°F and 30 RPM were found to have been in service since 1999. After reviewing the installation, Graphalloy engineers specified direct replacement assemblies that fit the existing pedestals, allowing eight new units to be installed without modifying surrounding equipment.

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Graphalloy Bearings for Refineries

 

Refineries operate under extreme heat, corrosive conditions, and continuous load. Graphalloy® bearings are engineered to perform where conventional bearings fail, with solid graphite lubrication, no oils or greases, and proven reliability in demanding refinery applications. When downtime isn’t an option, Graphalloy works where others won’t.

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GRAPHALLOY® Flange Blocks Improve Damper Reliability in Ammonia Facility SMR Operations

A major ammonia production facility upgraded the damper actuators on its steam methane reformers with GRAPHALLOY flange blocks and copper-grade bushings, replacing roller-element bearings that were failing in high-temperature, contaminated air. The plant had seen more than three years of reliable operation from GRAPHALLOY components in a similar installation and chose the same solution for this project. The new assemblies were installed in March 2025 and are performing as expected in temperatures up to 420°F.

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 When textile bearings face heat, caustics, and constant motion, Graphalloy is built to last. Engineered from a graphite-metal alloy, these bearings thrive where grease and polymers fail — from dyeing tanks and ovens to laminators running at 450 °F. The result: no lubrication, no measurable wear, and five-times longer life. For textile plants chasing reliability and uptime, Graphalloy means fewer shutdowns and more production.

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GRAPHALLOY Solves Bearing Seizures in Steel Mill

Bearing problems? One steel mill had them — and lots of them. Greased roller bearings in their guide rolls were seizing under high heat (170–180°C), causing maintenance headaches and production delays.

Their team turned to GRAPHALLOY® bushings, a graphite/metal alloy that doesn’t require grease and thrives in high temps. After six months with GRAPHALLOY in place, the plant manager gave a glowing review: “They’re performing very well.”

Now they’re upgrading all the guide rolls.

Learn more about GRAPHALLOY’s performance in high-temp applications:n:

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Proven reliability in high-temperature glass applications

Graphalloy® self-lubricating bearings perform where conventional bearings fail.

• 
  Operate up to 1000°F without grease
• Resist corrosion, dust, and contamination
• Extend service life and reduce downtime

In one glass application, Graphalloy cam followers lasted over 4× longer—saving more than $15,000 annually.

Discover how Graphalloy can improve your operation:

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 GRAPHALLOY® self-lubricating bearings have proven their value in some of the toughest food processing environments. In one potato chip fryer application, GRAPHALLOY pillow blocks on the paddle wheel drive shaft ran continuously for over six years at 375°F — without grease, without failure, and without downtime. By eliminating lubrication needs and resisting both heat and caustic washdowns, these bearings delivered reliability that standard greased bearings couldn’t match. Today, the snack producer considers GRAPHALLOY standard equipment across their facility.

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GRAPHALLOY Bearings Replace Ball Bearings in Damper Application

See how Graphalloy damper bearings helped a refinery in Italy reduce maintenance costs and eliminate high-temperature failures.

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GRAPHALLOY® Retrofit Delivers 15% More Flow and 80% Less Vibration in Overhung FCC Pumps

 An East-Coast refinery was living with chronic vibration and bi-weekly overhauls on its two-stage overhung feed pumps. Swapping the steel wear rings and bushings for GRAPHALLOY® self-lubricating parts turned the story around:

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GRAPHALLOY® Bearings From Frequent Failures to Four Years of Reliability in Snack Food Fryers

 In their continuous fryer systems, manufactured by Heat & Control®, this producer faced recurring failures with greased ball bearings. Bearings used on belts and paddles in the fryers experienced extreme conditions:

• Exposure to 400°F
• Continuous splashing with hot oil
• Full submersion in cooking oil for certain locations

Despite regular re-greasing, the bearings on the hold-down belt had to be replaced every 3 to 4 months. Maintenance was costly, and unplanned downtime was disruptive.

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Vertical or Side-Entry, GRAPHALLOY Mixes It Up!

Industrial mixer manufacturers have been using self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY bushings for decades, especially in high-temperature environments.

That’s why when it came to choosing a bearing for a newly designed side-entry tank mixer, a major manufacturer decided to put GRAPHALLOY bushings to the test. Since this mixer was for a brewery application (part of the beer making process), the bushings needed to be oil-free, capable of being submerged and FDA acceptable.

Side-entering mixers work efficiently when a tank is too large for convenient installation of a top-entering mixer or when headroom is severely limited.

The company had been using GRAPHALLOY bushings in their various industrial mixers for many years and were pleased with the long life and low maintenance. Prior to using GRAPHALLOY, they had used a glass-filled Teflon material but their customers complained about the short life of these bushings.

Their new mixer is a high-efficiency, robust side-entry mixer designed for applications from 10,000 to 1,000,000 gallons, speed is 154 RPM, and temperature is 200°F.

Working with Graphite Metallizing engineers, they purchased thirteen pieces of GRAPHALLOY FDA acceptable bushings and installed them in the mixers in their brewery customer’s tanks.

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GRAPHALLOY® at Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia 2018

Graphite Metallizing Corporation will be exhibiting at the 2018 Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia. This conference is being held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX from September 18-20.

Please visit us in Booth 1216.

To learn more about this conference, click here.

GRAPHALLOY® Upgrade Eliminates Failures in Waste Water Sump Pumps

A major refinery was experiencing frequent bearing failures in their vertical oily wastewater sump pumps. The bronze packing box and line shaft bearings were wearing out within two months of service, damaging the shaft and causing leakage through the packing at the stuffing box. Upgrading to GRAPHALLOY bushings solved the problem.

The bearing failure was also causing an environmental issue when the hydrocarbon/water slime leaked into the ground.

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GRAPHALLOY® at ACHEMA 2018

Graphite Metallizing Corporation will be exhibiting at ACHEMA 2018, World Forum and Leading Show for the Process Industries.

This conference is being held from June 11-15, 2018 in Frankfurt, Germany. Please stop by and visit us in Hall 8.0, Stand H84. To learn more about this exhibition, click here.  

GRAPHALLOY® at AISTech Show 2018

Graphite Metallizing Corporation will be exhibiting at AISTech 2018, The Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition. This conference is being held from May 7-10, 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Please stop by and visit us at Booth #1958.

To learn more about this exhibition, click here.

John Warhoover Joins Sales Team at Graphite Metallizing Corporation

Graphite Metallizing Corporation, the manufacturer of self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY® bushing materials for pumps and process equipment, has appointed John Warhoover as Territory Sales Manager for Missouri, Southern Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Western Iowa, and Arkansas.

Warhoover holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering Technology from Southeastern Missouri State University. With nearly thirty years of experience in sales and engineering, he previously served as Regional Director of Sales and Technical Support at Rotating Equipment Repair and Senior Sales Engineer at Weir Minerals. He will be based out of his Missouri office.

“John brings extensive rotating equipment and, particularly, pump experience to our sales team,” said Eben Walker, General Manager of Graphite Metallizing. "He can help our customers use GRAPHALLOY to achieve greater equipment reliability.”

Graphite Metallizing Corporation of Yonkers, NY has been solving tough bearing problems for over 100 years. The company began in 1913 when two engineers developed a method for putting molten metal into carbon to create a new material called GRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy.

Used in the manufacture of bushings, bearings and other components for machinery and process equipment, GRAPHALLOY can be the solution to the toughest bearing, bushing, thrust washer, cam follower, or pillow block bearing design problem. It is available in over 100 grades with specific properties that meet a wide range of engineering solutions and specifications. FDA accepted grades of GRAPHALLOY are available for use in food service equipment. NSF® International has certified two grades of GRAPHALLOY material for use in municipal well pumps and water treatment plant applications. 
  
GRAPHALLOY bearings have operated for twenty years and longer in some applications. Standard designs are available but most GRAPHALLOY products are custom designed to the unique requirements of the specific application. Graphite Metallizing Corporation is ISO certified. For more information about Graphite Metallizing and its products, please visit us online at http://www.graphalloy.com or call 914-968-8400.

Cryogenic Pump Survival

A manufacturer of cryogenic 2-stage overhung pumps needed a non-galling bearing material that could survive shaft contact, be oxygen compatible and perform in cryogenic temperatures.

The manufacturer’s 2-stage, cryogenic pumps are used in the liquid gas industry. These units operate at up to 8000 rpm and can pump liquid oxygen at a temperature of minus 320°F (-195°C). The 2-stage design is required to meet the design point of 70 gpm of flow and 1,020 ft. of total differential head.

Due to the shaft length required for the 2-stage pump, shaft deflection leads to a number of issues including contact, rubbing and excessive wear. A tighter fitting bushing can add support to the shaft and can be mounted between the two impellers in the diffuser.

This solution required a material with the properties to withstand the loading and contact with minimal wear. In addition, the material had to be oxygen compatible and reliably perform within cryogenic temperature ranges. The pump manufacturer contacted Graphite Metallizing Corporation...

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Coal-Fired Power Plant Slashes Maintenance Time with GRAPHALLOY Bushings

The conditions inside of a coal-fired power plant can place heavy stress on components. The dampers and burners have to deal with high temperatures and the presence of particulate. Bearings functioning in this environment have to be durable and must be able to operate without frequent maintenance.

This was not the case at one North American coal plant. The plant manager and his staff spent too much time maintaining the bearings inside the wind boxes that control the air supply to the combustion process. The bearings still failed regularly despite hours of work each week. Bearing failure meant that the combustion mix had fluctuated, leading to damaged boiler tubes, higher emissions and increased fuel costs.

By switching from lubrication-hungry roller-element bearings to GRAPHALLOY self-lubricating bushings, the plant greatly reduced maintenance demands while achieving a more predictable combustion mix. Click here to read more...