GRAPHALLOY® Bearings FDA Accepted for Food Processing Applications

Graphite Metallizing Corporation, the manufacturer of GRAPHALLOY^® bearings and bushings, announces that FDA accepted grades are available for food processing and commercial baking applications.

GRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy, is formed from molten metal, graphite and carbon. It is a uniform, solid, self-lubricating bushing and bearing material. GRAPHALLOY is widely used in bakery ovens, dryers, roasters, mixers, conveyors, freezers, sterilizers, grills, pumps, bottling plants and packaging equipment — anywhere grease/oil lubricated bearings or plastic bearings might fail.

Self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY bearings and bushings perform in temperature extremes of -450˚F to +750˚F and above (-240˚C to +400˚C and above) where conventional materials often fail. GRAPHALLOY bearings require minimal maintenance and can reduce downtime, resulting in uninterrupted production of food contact equipment. With a low coefficient of friction and high strength, GRAPHALLOY bearings deliver long life and are not subject to seizures, binding or sudden failure.

Equally important, GRAPHALLOY does not contain oil or grease and can be immersed in liquids without causing contamination of equipment or packaging. GRAPHALLOY bearings also withstand steam cleaning and pressure washing operations without any loss of lubrication or bearing performance.

GRAPHALLOY bushings are also used in municipal water systems, refineries, paper mills, waste-to-energy plants, glass plants, steel mills and power plants. Many grades are suitable for temperatures to 750˚F (400˚C) in air and special grades provide reliable service up to 1000˚F (538˚C) and higher in non-oxidizing atmospheres.

Submerged Pillow Blocks - 20 Years of Service in an Abrasive Environment

GRAPHALLOY^® Pillow Blocks - Reliable in Wastewater Treatment

After two decades of reliable service, the GRAPHALLOY bushings in a wastewater treatment plant were replaced with new GRAPHALLOY bushings.

A large condominium complex in the Northeast maintains this wastewater treatment facility on its premises. Wastewater treatment is a chemical and biological process that removes contaminants from household sewage. This process produces wastewater and solid waste suitable for discharge back into the environment.

The condominium complex used a Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC), a type of mechanical aeration treatment system, to treat the wastewater. The RBC is a secondary treatment process that allows the wastewater to come into contact with a biological medium. This process removes pollutants from the wastewater before releasing it into a nearby body of water.

An RBC unit consists of a large disc with radial and concentric passages slowly rotating in a concrete tank so that the surface of the wastewater passing through the tank almost reaches the shaft. As a result, nearly 40% of the total surface area of the disks is always submerged in the ambient wastewater. The rotation and exposure to oxygen allows organisms to multiply and cause the biological degradation of organic pollutants.

This facility had two RBC systems - one of which was running at all times. Each system had GRAPHALLOY pillow blocks at either end and each pillow block contained GRAPHALLOY bushings that had been installed in 1988.

Using the imprint code from the outside of the casting, Graphite Metallizing was able to identify the pillow blocks used in the unit. The maintenance manager at the condominium complex removed two of the pillow blocks and drove the insert assemblies to the Graphite Metallizing manufacturing facility in Yonkers. Once the units were disassembled, the original bushings proved to still be functional after 20+ years of operation in the abrasive conditions. The old bushings were removed and new GRAPHALLOY bushings were manufactured and installed in the housing.

GRAPHALLOY provided reliable, long-lasting service in this difficult wastewater treatment application. The original bushings provided service 20+ years after installation.

Chemical Plant Experiences Bushing Failure in Gear Pumps

The Competition Said "No" but GRAPHALLOY^® Said "Yes"

A chemical plant in Tennessee was experiencing rapid bushing failure in their gear pumps. These bushings were failing after only a few weeks of operation.

When plant representatives contacted this carbon bushing manufacturer about the problem, they were told that there was "no solution". The bushing manufacturer - our competitor - claimed that the viscosity of the polymer being pumped was simply too thick.

Unhappy with this response, the chemical plant engineers contacted Graphite Metallizing for assistance. After studying the problem, our engineers promptly responded by saying "yes, we can help" and that GRAPHALLOY bushings were the solution.

The pump that was failing was a positive displacement, herringbone-type gear pump with internal bushings lubricated by the pumped liquid. The pumpage is a polymer with heavy viscosity (150 -10,000 CPS) similar to a thick latex paint. The temperature can range from 80 degrees to 140 degrees F with a speed of 520 -1,750 RPMs and a load of 155 - 1,980 pounds. This pump has very high bushing loads because of the meshing gear forces. The calculated PV values were up to 500,000 - over four times the maximum recommended level for GRAPHALLOY in submerged services.

The GRAPHALLOY engineers provided a solution designed for applications involving the transfer of viscous liquids. Grade GM 119.3 bushings were recommended because of their load-bearing and corrosion-resistant capabilities. GRAPHALLOY engineers also recommended slight design changes to improve reliability.

The initial order was shipped to the customer and immediately installed.

The pumps fitted with GRAPHALLOY bushings have been operating for over one year without failure...six times the life of the competitor's bushings.

The success of these GRAPHALLOY bearings demonstrates the potential for GRAPHALLOY upgrades in chemical plants. If you have a pump that may benefit from GRAPHALLOY, please contact us with details about your application.

High Heat May Cause Problems for Traditional Bearings

Steel and metals production creates problems for tradtional bearings because of the high heat and heavy loads. GRAPHALLOY® bearings provide a solution to these problems. Here is a really tough application:

The annealing furnace at a Pennsylvania metal manufacturer had an interior temperature in the range of 1200°F (650°C). Bearings supporting the pinch rolls were located outside the furnace walls and reached temperatures up to 750°F (400°C) due to heat transmitted through the furnace wall by the shaft.

The heat transmitted by the shaft through the oven wall to the bearing was causing lubrication failure. In addition, the movement (linear expansion) of the shaft caused problems well beyond the capability of any standard ball or roller bearing arrangement.

GRAPHALLOY high temperature bearings were installed in a metal adapter designed to fit the original bearing housings and solved the problem without a major redesign. With minimal investment, bearings failures and associated maintenance costs were reduced.

Even if your application isn't this tough, GRAPHALLOY bearings can solve your high temperature bearing problems.

New GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Flange Block Suitable for Wet or Submersible Applications

A new series of GRAPHALLOY® self-lubricating bushings mounted in stainless steel flange blocks is now available from Graphite Metallizing Corporation. The new series combines the corrosion resistant and self-lubricating properties of GRAPHALLOY with the application and installation versatility of a flange block.
GRAPHALLOY Stainless Steel Flange Blocks are available in 2-bolt and 4-bolt configurations,come in a wide range of base dimensions, and can accommodate shaft diameters from .5" (12.7 mm) to 3.75" (95.2 mm).

GRAPHALLOY is suitable for temperatures of 750°F/399°C and above in non-oxidizing environments or with oxidation -resistant grades.

GRAPHALLOY Stainless Steel Flange Blocks provide increased reliability and years of trouble-free operation. These flange blocks deliver lifetime cost and operating advantages in high temperature ovens, low speed and stationary applications such as dampers, and other hard to lubricate environments - all places where other bushings will not operate.

Go Green with Graphalloy®

GRAPHALLOY^®: Finds Its Place In Renewable Energy


GRAPHALLOY bearings are helping to solve the world's energy needs. The advantages of alternate power sources are well-documented. However, because of the extreme nature of the environments required to generate power, it often becomes impossible to use traditional bearings. For years, Graphite Metallizing has been supplying products to companies involved in the production of clean, renewable energy. GRAPHALLOY has proven to be tough enough for these applications. Here are a few examples:


Tidal Power
Tidal power provides an inexhaustible source of renewable energy. A company in New England was seeking low maintenance bearings for a turbine shaft suspended forty feet below the ocean surface. As the tides move in and out, the turbines spin and generate power. GRAPHALLOY bearings proved ideal for this application because they operate successfully in submerged conditions and tolerate abrasive environments like salt water.


Geothermal Power
Geothermal power offers an unlimited source of non-polluting power. GRAPHALLOY provided a solution to the largest geothermal power field in the world by developing a special grade bearing for this severe service. After 25 years, GRAPHALLOY bearings continue to be a critical component of geothermal power generation.


Solar Power
Solar power has proven to be the "ultimate" in renewable energy. GRAPHALLOY bearings are being used in this high temperature application allowing panels to slowly follow the sun while generating high temperature steam.

Graphalloy finds a role in virtually every industry. When you have a tough bearing problem - Graphalloy has probably already found a solution. Call/ email their engineers. http://www.graphalloy.com/

Pumps for Ethylene service

GRAPHALLOY® Fitted Pumps
for Survival in Tough Services

Pumps are a major GRAPHALLOY application. The unique properties of GRAPHALLOY enable pumps to run-dry and to survive upsets and flashing that shut-down ordinary pumps.

One Gulf Coast refinery has saved between $150,000 and $300,000 in annual repairs by converting four pumps in ethylene service to GRAPHALLOY. These 19-stage vertical pumps operate at 3560 rpm.

Ethylene is a very light hydrocarbon that creates problems in pump operation. Because of its low viscosity, ethylene provides minimal lubrication to the rotating parts of the pump. As a result, these pumps are prone to failure. The pumps in this Texas refinery were failing two to four times a year at an average cost of $75,000 per pump.

The OEM pump repair shop recommended GRAPHALLOY wear parts based on their success retro-fitting other ethylene pumps. GRAPHALLOY allows the rotating parts to contact without the danger of galling and seizing.

Although it was slightly more expensive than the original metal wear parts, GRAPHALLOY provided a significant cost-savings over composite plastics. The refinery engineer recognized the benefits that GRAPHALLOY could provide and approved the conversion.All four pumps were retro-fitted with GRAPHALLOY. In the three years since their installation, none of the converted pumps have failed. In addition, measurement of discharge pressure showed that the clearances had not opened up in that time.This GRAPHALLOY success in ethylene service demonstrates why so many pump users choose GRAPHALLOY for their toughest services. Ordinary fitted pumps do not allow for run-dry conditions and will not survive upsets and flashing. The unique features of GRAPHALLOY permit dry starts, survive frequent loss of suction, and extend life for continuous service