This quick study contains tips that will help you choose the best lubricant for your plastic part with special notes on gears.
Plastic on plastic lubricant.
Because silicone oil is super slippery and minimally reactive it can lubricate most anything.
Some plastic gears can be embedded with lubricating materials such as ptfe silicone or graphite.
Tips for lubricating plastic parts quick overview lubricants improve the performance and life of gears bearings slides and other plastic parts if they are formulated specifically for lubricating plastic components.
Table 1 gives general compatibility guidelines.
It works especially well on porous items such as plastic parts but is a good lubricant on locks hinges and guns.
Standard petroleum based lubricants cannot be used for plastic gears and some plastic gears are designed to be used without lubricants.
Similar to metal components proper lubrication can extend the operating life and efficiency beyond using no lubricant at all.
Incompatible plastic lubricant combinations often cause operating problems such as stress cracking or failure of the plastic component.
As with all things silicone has its dark side.
Machinery parts and components made from plastic can be an easier and more cost effective alternative to traditional metal parts for some applications.