Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

 

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is a common thermoplastic. It is a copolymer made by polymerizing styrene and scrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene.

 

The advantage of ABS is that it combines the strength and rigidity of the acrylonitrile and styrene polymers with the toughness of the polybutadiene rubber. The most important mechanical properties of ABS are impact resistance and toughness. A variety of modifications can be made to improve impact resistance, toughness, and heat resistance. Impact resistance does not fall off rapidly at lower temperatures. Stability under load is excellent with limited loads.

 

Thus, changing the proportions of its components ABS can be prepared in different grades.

ABS polymers are resistant to aqueous acids, alkalis, concentrated hydrochloric and phosphoric acids, alcohols and animal, vegetable and mineral oils, but they are swollen by glacial acetic acid, carbon tetrachloride and aromatic hydrocarbons and are attacked by concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids. They are soluble in esters, ketones, and ethylene dichloride.

 

While the cost of producing ABS is roughly twice the cost of producing polystyrene, ABS is considered superior for its hardness, gloss, toughness, and electrical insulation properties. It is degraded (dissolved) when exposed to acetone and flammable when it is exposed to high temperatures.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Automotive;

• Electric & Electronic;

• Housing;

• Appliances;

• Business Equipment;

• Appliance Components;

• Computer Components.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polycarbonate (PC)

 

Polycarbonate is a tough, versatile and very durable thermoplastic material used for a variety of applications, from compact disks, cell phones and laptops, to eyewear lenses and bulletproof windows. It has a high impact resistance, but low scratch resistance.

 

It is highly transparent to visible light and has better light transmission characteristics than many kinds of glass.

 

Although injection molding is more difficult compared to most of other thermoplastics, it can undergo large plastic deformations without cracking or breaking.

 

It also bends light to a far greater degree than other plastics or glass. But its main advantage is its high strength combined with light weight.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Electric & Electronic;

• Construction;

• Automotive;

• Aircraft components;

• Niche applications;

• Medical industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polymethyl Metacrylate (PMMA)

 

Polymethyl Metacrylate is a strong, lightweight and transparent thermoplastic material.

It has good impact strength, but is very shatter crack sensitive and swells and dissolves in many organic solvents.

 

Its environmental stability is superior to most other thermoplastics such as polystyrene and polyethylene, and is therefore often chosen for outdoor applications.

 

Polymethyl Metacrylate is often used as a light or shatter resistant alternative to glass, although is more prone to scratching compared to glass.

 

It is also an economical alternative to Polycarbonate (PC) in applications when extreme strength is not necessary. It is often preferred because of its moderate properties, easy handling and processing.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Electrical;

• Optical industry;

• Household articles;

• Construction;

• Bone cement;

• Dental medicine;

• Textile industry;

• Semiconductor industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polyamide 66 (PA66)

 

Polyamide 66 is one of the most versatile thermoplastics. Due to its excellent balance of strengths, heat resistance and ductility, it is an excellent candidate for metal replacement applications. It is also very easy to

 

process with a very wide process window and can easily be flame started.

 

Compared to the Polyamide 6, it has an increased rigidity and tensile strength, but has an uneven surface appearance and components can have anisotropic properties if not molded carefully.

Polyamide 66 combines a range of properties; from superior heat resistance, excellent chemical resistance and outstanding mechanical strength, to high toughness, brightness and high abrasion resistance, high surface quality and easy processing. Polyamide 66 is also one of the preferred thermoplastics for production of parts subject to mechanical and thermal stresses in electrical, mechanical, automotive and chemical engineering.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Automotive;

• Electric & Electronic;

• Household Goods;

• Machinery;

• Construction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)

 

Polybutylene terephthalate is a semi-crystalline polymer combining excellent mechanical and electrical properties with robust chemical resistance.

 

It is a semi-crystalline engineering-grade thermoplastic, which is part of the polyester family of resins. It provides innovative solutions that save weight and decrease costs and offers fast crystallization. PBT offers good electrical properties and good mechanical properties including high strength, rigidity, and toughness and chemical resistance to a wide range of chemicals, solvents, oils and greases. It can be treated with flame retardants to make it noncombustible.

 

PBT is used as an insulator in the electrical and electronics industries. PBT has also a low water absorption rate, low shrinkage rate, low warpage, ultrasound welding capability and has good electrical resistance.

PBT is closely related to other thermoplastic polyesters. Compared to PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PBT has slightly lower strength and rigidity, slightly better impact  resistance, and a slightly lower glass transition temperature.

 

It is sensitive to hot water above 60°C, needs UV protection if used outdoors, and most of its grades are flammable, although additives can be used to improve both UV and flammability properties.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Automotive;

• Electric & Electronic;

• Insulation;

• Household Goods;

• Industrial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

 

Polyethylene terephthalate is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family that is most often used to make fibers, parts made by injection molding, and containers for food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and make-up.

 

PET is a hard, stiff, strong, dimensionally stable material that absorbs very little water. It has good gas barrier properties and good chemical resistance, except to alkalis. Its crystallinity varies from amorphous to fairly high crystalline.

 

It can be highly transparent and colorless but thicker sections are usually opaque and off-white.

There are several advantages in using PET, especially when it’s being used for packaging. PET does not break easily and edibles stored in PET taste good because it is pure.

 

The substance also provides a long shelf life because it acts as a good barrier to elements outside of the container. Containers made from PET are also very lightweight and clear. Products look clean and pure because of the crystal clear appearance. PET continues to be favored by many companies because it offers significant design flexibility and it is recyclable.

 

Although PET is very popular for container use, the majority of PET production in the world is for synthetic fibers.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Food Industry;

• Music Industry;

• Textile;

• Industrial;

• Electrical;

• Medical Industry;

• Cosmetics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

 

Polyvinyl Chloride is a polymer made by the catalytic polymerization of vinyl chloride. PVC also includes copolymers that contain at least 50% vinyl chloride.

 

The neat homopolymer is hard, brittle and difficult to process, but it becomes flexible when plasticized. PVC is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene.

 

PVC molding compounds can be extruded, injection molded, compression molded, calendered, and blow molded to form a huge variety of products, either rigid or flexible depending on the amount and type of plasticizers used.

 

There are more compounding recipes for PVC than for any other polymer. Rigid PVC is strong, difficult to burn, has excellent resistance to strong acids and bases, to most other chemicals, and to many organic solvents. Additionally, PVC is one of the least expensive plastics.

 

PVC main features include good flexibility, good thermal stability, good processabiliby, low lead content, high impact resistance, and flame retardant.

 

On the other side, PVC is sensitive to UV and oxidative degradation, it has a limited thermal capability and has a higher density than many plastics.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Construction;

• Clothing;

• Medical Industry;

• Piping;

• Signs;

• Flooring;

• Automotive;

• Electric & Electronic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glass Fiber (GF)

 

Glass Fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.  Although glass fibers’ high ratio of surface area to weight, the increased surface area makes them much more susceptible to chemical attack.

 

Thinnest fibers are the strongest because of their higher ductility. Moisture is easily adsorbed and can worsen microscopic cracks and surface defects, as well as lessen tenacity. By trapping air within them, blocks of glass fiber represent a good thermal insulation.

 

Compared to carbon fiber, glass can undergo more elongation before breaking. For a good manufacturing success, the viscosity should be relatively low during drawing; if too high, the fiber will break during drawing.

 

Main application industries:

 

• Automotive;

• Marine;

• Construction;

• Medical Industry;

• Alternate energy;

• Aerospace;

• Sports and leisure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Titanium dioxide (TIO2)

 

Titanium dioxide is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium. It occurs as odorless, colorless to white crystalline powder in two forms, anatase and rutile.

 

It is the most widely used white pigment because of its brightness and very high refractive index, in which it is surpassed only by a few other materials.

 

When deposited as a thin film, its refractive index and color make it an excellent reflective optical coating for dielectric mirrors.

 

It is also an effective opacifier in powder form, where its opacity is improved by optimal sizing of the titanium dioxide particles. TIO2 has a high refractive index, strong UV light absorbing capabilities and resistance to discoloration under UV light.

 

TIO2 is not flammable, explosive and gives no reason to fire risks.

 

Main application industries

 

• Paint Industry;

• Food Industry;

• Cosmetics and Skin Care;

• Paper Industry;

• Plastics;

• Medical Industry;

• Ceramics;

• Electronics.