Common Plastic Materials

Acetal

Brand Names: Delrin, Celcon

Relative Cost: Medium

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium Sink in Thick Sections: Good
  • Impact Resistance: Medium Flash: Good
  • High Temp Strength: Medium-Low

Moldability Charactersitics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Fair
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Poor
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Good
  • Flash: Good
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Fair

Acrylic

Brand Names: Plexiglass, Acrylite

Relative Cost: Medium

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Good
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Excellent
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Good
  • Flash: Good
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium
  • Impact Resistance: Low
  • High Temp Strength: Low

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

Brand Names: Lustran, Cycolac

Relative Cost: Low

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Good
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Good
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Flash: Good
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium-Low
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Low

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Brand Names: Dow HDPE, Chevron HDPE

Relative Cost: Low

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Fair
  • Fills Small Features: Excellent
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Unknown
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Poor
  • Flash: Poor
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Low
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Low

Nylon 6/6

Brand Names: Zytel

Relative Cost: Medium

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Fair
  • Fills Small Features: Excellent
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Good
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Flash: Poor
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Fair

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Low

Nylon 6/6, glass filled

Brand Names: Zytel

Relative Cost: Medium

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Fair
  • Fills Small Features: Good
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Excellent
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Good
  • Flash: Fair
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Fair

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: High
  • Impact Resistance: Medium
  • High Temp Strength: High

Polybutylene Terephthalate

Brand Names: Valox, Crastin

Relative Cost: Medium-High

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Fair
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Unknown
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Flash: Fair
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Low

Polycarbonate

Brand Names: Lexan, Makrolon

Relative Cost: Medium-High

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Good
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Fair to Good
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Flash: Good
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Medium-High

Polycarbonate/ABS Alloy

Brand Names: Cycoloy, Bayblend

Relative Cost: Medium

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Good to Excellent
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Good
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Flash: Good
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Medium

Polyetherimide

Brand Names: Ultem

Relative Cost: High

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Good to Excellent
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Good
  • Flash: Good
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Poor

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: High
  • Impact Resistance: Medium
  • High Temp Strength: High

Polyethermide, fiber reinforced

Brand Names: Ultem

Relative Cost: High

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Good
  • Fills Small Features: Fair
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Good
  • Flash: Excellent
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Poor

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Very High
  • Impact Resistance: Medium
  • High Temp Strength: High

Polypropylene

Brand Names: Maxxam, Profax

Relative Cost: Low

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Fair
  • Fills Small Features: Excellent
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Poor
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Poor
  • Flash: Poor
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Low
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Low

Polystyrene

Brand Names: Styron

Relative Cost: Low

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Good
  • Fills Small Features: Good
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Unknown
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Fair
  • Flash: Fair
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Good

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Medium-Low
  • Impact Resistance: Low
  • High Temp Strength: Low

Thermoplastic Elastomer

Brand Names: Isoplast, Santoprene

Relative Cost: Low-Medium

Moldability Characteristics

  • Warp and Dimensional Accuracy, Molded: Poor
  • Fills Small Features: Good
  • Voids in Thick Sections: Excellent
  • Sink in Thick Sections: Good
  • Flash: Poor
  • High Temperature Hard on Mold & Ejectors: Excellent

Mechanical Properties

  • Strength: Low
  • Impact Resistance: High
  • High Temp Strength: Low