Polymer-metal composition retainer for self-lubricating bearing
The retainer of the present invention is made of a composite material having a body made from a polymer, a layer of solid lubricant formed over the body by chemically coating the body with a porous layer of solid lubricant and impregnating the solid lubricant with another lubricant using conventional methods such as vacuum impregnation. The retainer is placed between an outer raceway and an inner raceway to form a self-lubricating bearing. The bearing made in this manner has high lubrication tolerance (i.e. it performs well in the absence of external lubrication). Because of its high lubrication tolerance, the bearing is suitable for use in various applications such as dental/medical hand pieces that are periodically sterilized and other applications which occasionally experience periods of lubrication starvation.