Mechanical wear leads to graphite loss

During the working process of graphite copper bushings, there is relative motion between the graphite and the parts (e.g. shafts) with which it is mated. Even under good lubrication conditions, friction will still cause the graphite surface of the tiny particles gradually shed. For example, when the equipment is frequently started and stopped or operated under high load and high speed, the friction force increases, and the graphite wear speed will be accelerated.

As graphite plays the role of solid lubricant in the copper bushing, it is distributed on the working surface or in the internal pores of the bushing. In the friction process, these graphite particles as lubricant will be gradually worn away with the relative motion of the friction pair, which leads to a decrease in the amount of graphite.

Graphite depletion caused by chemical action

If the graphite copper bushing is in some special chemical environment, such as the environment containing strong oxidizing substances, the graphite may undergo a chemical reaction. For example, in the case of high temperature and the presence of oxygen, graphite will oxidize with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and other gases and be consumed.

When acidic or alkaline substances are present in the operating environment of the equipment, these chemicals may react with graphite. Although graphite has a certain degree of chemical stability, its structure may also be damaged under prolonged chemical attack, leading to loss of graphite.

High temperatures lead to graphite burnout

Under some working conditions, such as in high-speed equipment, graphite may suffer burnout when the temperature is too high due to frictional heat generation or when the equipment itself is in a high-temperature environment. For example, in some high temperature equipments in metallurgical industry, graphite copper bushing without good heat dissipation measures, the temperature may exceed the tolerance limit of graphite, so that the graphite is gradually lost.