LG Electronics Chooses Victrex® Peek Polymer for Key Element in Linear Compressor


Greenville, SC (April 10, 2006) When LG Electronics (Seoul, Korea),
one of the world¹s leading appliance manufacturers, wanted to reduce the
energy consumption of its refrigerators, it switched from steel to VICTREX®
PEEK polymer for the discharge valve in the linear compressors. Unlike
regular compressors that utilize rotary motions to convert electric energy
to mechanical energy, the linear compressor utilizes linear motion to drive
the pistons. By using VICTREX PEEK for the discharge valve, LG Electronics
has been able to maximize the advantages of the linear compressor, reducing
refrigerator energy consumption by more than 30%.

The discharge valve is a key element of the linear compressor. It
pushes the coolant compressed by the piston toward the heat exchanger and
closes the compressor. Prior to switching to VICTREX PEEK, the valve was
made of steel. "The problem with steel is that it is thin and quick to
transfer heat," said Andrew Ragan, Product Manager, Victrex USA, "The result
was heat loss in the valve between the low-temperature air input and the
high-temperature air outlet. An additional problem with the steel valve was
that it generated noise by clashing with the metal part. The switch to
VICTREX PEEK has resulted in minimal thermal loss because the valve traps
heat from escaping. It has also resulted in a significant noise reduction."
A high performance thermoplastic, VICTREX PEEK is used as a replacement for
machined metals in a wide variety of high performance end-use applications
due to its superior combination of heat, chemical and wear resistance
properties. "In this particular application, fatigue resistance was also an
important property," adds Ragan. "Because the VICTREX PEEK discharge valve
is fatigue-resistant, it is not easily broken down after thousands of
repeated cycles of discharging coolants and shutting down the compressor
door."

In addition to being one of the largest home appliance manufacturers in
the world, LG Electronics is also one of the world¹s major compressor
manufacturers, producing more than 20 million compressors annually. It is
the first company to begin mass-producing the linear compressor, which is
expected to be used in more than 5 million premium-grade refrigerators
worldwide.

VICTREX USA Inc., a division of Victrex plc., is the sole manufacturer
and supplier of PEEK polymer worldwide. For more information on the
properties and performance advantages of VICTREX PEEK, please call (800)
VICTREX or visit the Victrex website at www.victrex.com.

All Topics