Acetal
Acetal resins is produced by the polymerization of purified formaldehyde into both homopolymer and copolymer types. Acetals are extremely rigid without being brittle and have a high melting point, high strength, and good frictional properties and resistance to fatigue.
Typical Applications:
Gears, bearings, bushings, cams, housings, conveyors, plumbing fixtures, gas tank caps, automotive door handles, seat belt components, and zippers.
Acrylics
A family of thermoplastic resins of acrylic esters or methacrylic esters. This resin has exceptional resistance to long-term exposure to sunlight and weathering and is known to also have outstanding clarity and good light transmission.
Typical Applications:
Swimming pools, skylights, sinks, washbasins, room dividers, and the tail lights on automobiles.
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)
A copolymer made by polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene. ABS possesses outstanding impact strength and high mechanical strength, which makes it suitable for use in tough consumer and industrial products. This material is also great as a substrate for metalizing (applying a chrome-like finish to the plastic part).
Typical Applications:
Appliances, automotive parts, pipe, business machines, telephone components, shower heads, door handles, faucet handles, and automotive front grilles.
Alkyds
Alkyds are thermosetting unsaturated polyester resins that are produced by reacting an organic alcohol with an organic acid, dissolved in and reacted with unsaturated monomers such as styrene, diallyl phthalate, diacetone acrylamide, or vinyl toluene. Alkyds also have excellent heat resistance and are dimensionally stable under high temperatures. As a molding material for compression molding, alkyds offer excellent dielectric strength.
Typical Applications:
Electrical applications like circuit breaker insulation, switchgear components, cases, housings, capacitor and resistor encapsulation, automotive parts, and coatings.
BMC (Bulk Molding Compound)
Thermosetting plastic resins mixed with stranded reinforcement, fillers, and other additives into a viscous compound for compression or injection molding. BMC is a highly rigid and impact resistant material that possesses exceptional physical and aesthetic properties and is typically selected for its high strength-to-weight ratio at a relatively low cost.
Typical Applications:
Appliance parts, electric and electrical components, HVAC components, industrial light housings, automotive, recessed lighting baffles.
Diallyl Phthalate (DAP)
The term DAP is used both for the monomeric and polymeric forms. The monomer is used as a cross-linking agent in unsaturated polyester resins. As a polymer, it is used in the production of thermosetting molding powders, casting resins and laminates. This is the material of choice for critical, high-performance military and commercial electrical components where long-term reliability is demanded due to its ability to retain its superior insulating properties, even when subjected to extreme environmental conditions of high heat and high humidity over long time periods. Additionally, DAP compounds will resist dimensional change in high-heat soldering environments where competitive materials may warp.
Typical Applications:
Cross-linking agent, thermosetting molding powders, casting resins, and laminates, military, electronic components.
Epoxy
Epoxies are thermosetting resins that, in the uncured form, contain one or more reactive epoxide or oxirane groups and serve as cross-linking points in the subsequent curing step, in which the uncured epoxy is reacted with a curing agent or hardener. Epoxies are used by the plastics industry in several ways. Epoxies can be used in combination with glass fibers to produce high-strength composites or reinforced plastics that provide heightened strength, electrical and chemical properties, and heat resistance or can be used in the encapsulation or casting of various electrical and electronic components and in the powder coating of metal substrates.
Typical Applications:
Adhesives, protective coatings in appliances, industrial equipment, aircraft components, pipes, tanks, pressure vessels, tooling jigs, and tooling fixtures.
Melamine-Formaldehyde
Thermosetting resins formed by the condensation reaction of formaldehyde [HCHO] and melamine. Melamines offer extreme hardness, excellent colorability properties, and arc- resistant non-tracking characteristics.
Typical Applications:
Rugged dinnerware, household goods, various electrical applications, bonding, adhesives, and coatings.
Nylon
Nylon resin or polyamide resin is a type of engineering thermoplastic synthesized from ethylenediamine for the purpose of producing a variety of products for industrial use. These resins are usually grouped together as a class of polamides that are known for their stability and adaptability when it comes to mechanical engineering applications. In the United States the majority of resin produced is nylon 66, which is typically used in the production of extruded and molded parts.
Typical Applications:
Automotive parts, electrical and electronic applications, and packaging.
Phenolic
Phenolic, also known as Bakelite, is a resin that is made from phenol and an aldehyde. There are a lot of advantages to using phenolic resins such as excellent dielectric strength, great mechanical strength, and dimensional stability, resistant to high heat, wear resistant, low moisture absorption, and can be machined easily.
Typical Applications:
Adhesives, casting resins, laminating resins, electrical and electronic Applications, automotive, appliance handles, frac balls, and knobs.
Polyamide-Imide
Thermoplastic resins that are produced by the condensation reaction of trimellitic anhydride and various aromatic diamines. These resins have exceptional mechanical, thermal and chemical resistant properties.
Typical Applications:
Aerospace, heavy equipment, and automotive.
Polyarylates
A type of aromatic polyester which is a high-performing engineering plastic that is noted for its strength, toughness, chemical resistance, and high melting points.
Typical Applications:
Automotive, appliances, electrical and electronic applications, ovenware, and outdoor lighting.
Polybutylene
Thermoplastic resins offering high flexibility, resistance to creep, cracking and most chemicals and is produced via stereo-specific Ziegler-Natta polymerization of butene-1 monomer.
Typical Applications:
Pipe and packaging film.
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonates are thermoplastic resins that were originally created to compete with die- cast metals. They have excellent electrical insulating characteristics that are maintained over a wide range of temperatures and loading rates and are strong and rigid while having the pliability that is associated with softer, lower modulus thermoplastics. Polycarbonates are transparent and can be processed via injection molding and rotational molding.
Typical Applications:
Appliances, and electrical and electronic applications.
Polyethylene
Polyethylene is a thermoplastic resin that is obtained by polymerizing the gas ethylene, a monomer that provides the ability to double bond with other carbon-based monomers to form polymers. It is available in a range of flexibilities and properties which are dependent upon the production process with high density materials being the most rigid. Great for applications where moisture resistance and low cost are required!
Typical Applications:
Packaging films, house wares, toys, containers, pipes, drums, gasoline tanks, and coatings.
Polyimides
Thermoset polyimides are produced in condensation polymers that possess reactive terminal groups capable of subsequent cross-linking through an addition reaction. They are known for thermal stability, good chemical resistance, excellent mechanical properties, and exhibit very low creep and high tensile strength. Polyimides are also inherently resistant to flame combustion and do not usually need to be mixed with flame retardants. Most carry a UL rating of VTM-0.
Typical Applications:
Electronics, medical tubing, adhesives, gears, covers, bushings, piston rings, and valve seats.
Polyketones
Polyketones are a family of high-performance thermoplastic polymers. The polar ketone groups in the polymer backbone of this material yields a strong attraction between polymer chains, which increases the material's melting point. This resin is resistant to solvents and has great mechanical properties.
Typical Applications:
Appliances, industrial applications, electrical and electronic applications, automotive applications, bearings, gears, hoses, and tubing.
Polyphenylene Oxide, Modified
Modified polyphenylene oxide materials are actually blends of PPO and polystyrene. By combining different combinations of each and adding different additives it is possible to produce materials with a wide range of physical and mechanical properties, heat resistance, and flame-retardancy. They have low moisture absorption levels which give them good electrical properties over a wide range of humidity and temperature ranges and are resistant to most chemicals.
Typical Applications:
Electrical and electronic applications, appliances, automotive parts, business machine parts.
Polyphenylene Sulfide
Engineering thermoplastic resins produced by the reaction of p-dichlorobenzene with sodium sulfide. This resin exhibits excellent heat resistance, as well as outstanding chemical resistance, high stiffness and good retention of mechanical properties at elevated temperatures.
Typical Applications:
Electrical and electronic applications, and automotive parts.
Polypropylene
Polypropylene is an economical material that offers a combination of outstanding physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties which is not found in any other thermoplastic. It is light in weight and possesses excellent resistance to staining, organic solvents, degreasing agents and electrolytic attack and has a low moisture absorption rate. This is a tough, heat-resistant, semi-rigid material, ideal for the transfer of hot liquids or gases. It is recommended for vacuum systems and where higher heats and pressures are encountered.
Typical Applications:
Dishwashing safe food containers, packaging, automotive, and appliances.
Polystyrene
Today, polystyrene which is also known as Styrofoam is among the most heavily used commodity thermoplastics. This resin is a petroleum-based plastic made from the styrene monomer. Polystyrene is a light-weight material, about 95% air and has very good insulation properties. High molecular weight thermoplastic resins are generally produced by the free-radical polymerization of styrene monomer which can be initiated by heating alone but more effectively by heating in the presence of free-radical initiator (such as benzoyl peroxide). Typical processing techniques are modified mass polymerization or solution polymerization, suspension polymerization, and expandable beads for foam.
Typical Applications:
Packaging and foodservice products, automotive parts, toys, house wares, appliance parts, wall tiles, radio and TV housings, furniture, floats, and luggage.
SMC (Sheet Molding Compound)
Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) is a combination of resins, fiberglass, catalysts and fillers compounded into a sheet form and then used to manufacture compression- molded products. SMC benefits from very high volume production ability, excellent part reproducibility, and it is cost effective.
Typical Applications:
Electrical applications, corrosion resistant needs, structural components at low cost, automotive, and transit.
Styrene Acrylonitrile
Thermoplastic copolymers of styrene and acrylonitrile. SAN resins are random, amorphous copolymers produced by emulsion, suspension, or continuous mass polymerization. Styrene Acrylonitrile has good chemical resistance, high heat resistance, great clarity, good dimensional stability, and high rigidity.
Typical Applications:
Automobile instrument panels and interior trim and house wares.
Sulfone Polymers
A family of engineering thermoplastic resins characterized by the sulfone group. Polysulfone is made by the reaction of the disodium salt of bisphenol with 4,4'- dichlorodiphenyl sulfone. These resins are heat-resistant plastics can be molded to tight tolerances and exhibit low creep under a sustained load at elevated temperatures and have excellent oxidation resistance and compressive strength.
Typical Applications:
Electrical and electronic applications and automotive parts.
Thermoplastic Polyester (Saturated)
Thermoplastic polyesters are highly crystalline, hard, strong and extremely tough. They form a family of polyesters in which the polyester backbones are saturated and hence unreactive. The most common commercial types are: PET (polyethylene terephthalate) produced by polycondensation of ethylene glycol with either dimethyl terephthalate or terephthalic acid; and PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) produced by the reaction of DMT with 1,4 butanediol.
Typical Applications:
X-ray film, magnetic tape (audio, video and computer); packaging; metalized film, strapping and labels.
Thermoset Polyester
Thermoset polyester is available in a variety of standard and custom formulations, colors, and extrusions for compression, transfer, and injection molding. This resin is usually chosen because of its low cost per cubic inch, its high strength-to-weight ratio, dimensional stability, and its retention of physical properties at high temperatures. Great to use as an alternative to metal parts!
Typical Applications:
Appliance parts, electric and electrical components, HVAC components, industrial light housings, automotive, recessed lighting baffles.
Urea-Formaldehyde
A member of the amino family, just like melamine, urea-formaldehyde is a very hard, scratch-resistant material with good chemical resistance, electrical qualities, and heat resistance. These resins are formed by the condensation reaction of formaldehyde and urea and are clear water-white syrups or white powered materials that can be dispersed in water to form colorless syrups. Molding powders are made by adding fillers to the uncured syrups and form a consistency suitable for compression and transfer molding. The liquid and dried resins find extensive Applications in laminates and chemically resistant coatings. The molding compounds are formed into rigid electrical and decorative products.
Typical Applications:
Electrical and electronic products, decorative products, laminates, and chemically resistant coatings.