Plastics

Applications and Characteristics

Torlon^® (Polyamidimide)

Torlon^® is a high strength, high performance, melt processable plastic material. It’s ability to perform under severe stress combined with its resistance to elevated temperatures makes it ideal for various applications across many industries.

Torlon^® features superior creep resistance and mechanical strength over a wide range of temperatures and a very low coefficient of linear thermal expansion. Torlon’s resistance to chemicals, high-energy radiation, hydrolysis, and UV combined with its ability to maintain physical properties under extreme temperatures make Torlon^® ideal for applications exposed to severe environments.

Torlon^® is optimal for parts that need to perform under conditions generally considered too severe for thermoplastics. Typical applications include aircraft hardware and fasteners, automotive transmission and powertrain components, and oil & gas exploration and recovery equipment. The material’s excellent electrical insulating properties have made it a common choice for semiconductor fabrication and testing as well as electrical and electronic components.

Typical Applications Include:

• Semi-conductor machinery parts
• Aerospace components
• Pump and Valve parts
• Compressor Components
• High Temperature Insulators

PEEK (polyetheretherketone)

PEEK is a high-performance engineering plastic with outstanding resistance to harsh chemicals. The mechanical properties and flexural modulus of PEEK are among the highest of all plastic resins. PEEK’s properties provide resistance to abrasive and fatigue wear, while also providing high strength and excellent resistance to high temperatures. The chemical resistance in PEEK is outstanding, even at elevated temperatures, resisting most common organic compounds and is not attacked by water or pressurized steam. Glass and carbon fillers can increase strength and thermal stability. Because of its superior properties, PEEK is actively used in metal replacement applications.

PEEK has a long list of outstanding properties:

• Excellent friction and wear characteristics
• Extremely high tensile strength
• Long-term creep and fatigue properties
• Low coefficient of friction
• Maximum working temperature 500°F
• High electrical integrity
• Low moisture absorption
• Resistant to high-pressure steam, fresh water, and salt water
• High abrasion and cut-through resistance
• Low smoke and toxic gas emission
• Can be insulating, conducting, or static dissipative
• FDA approved
• Meets UL94 V-0 requirements

ULTEM (Polyetherimide)

An amorphous material with exceptional strength and rigidity under long term heat exposure, PEI has excellent impact strength, flame resistance and generates very low levels of smoke when burned. PEI also has excellent hydrolytic stability and is well suited for repeated steam sterilization. These properties are very useful for applications requiring tight tolerances and low warp.

• Excellent chemical resistance
• Good high temperature characteristics
• Precise tolerance control

Ryton^® (Polyphenylene Sulfide)

Polyphenylene Sulfide (Ryton^® PPS) is an engineered thermoplastic, that offers an exceptional balance of properties. PPS has a high-temperature resistance, chemical resistance, flowability, and dimensional stability. This makes PPS a useful material in electronics, automotive, aerospace, and chemical industries. The high temperature resistance in PPS consists of a long-term resistance to temperatures up to 200°C (392°F) and short-term resistance to temperatures up to 260°C (500° F). PPS plastic maintains dimensional stability at elevated temperatures and hard chemical environments. PPS also has a low water absorption and is insoluble in all common solvents below 200°C (392°F), making PPS stable in both typical and alternative automotive fuels.

PPS offers a unique combination of properties:

• Excellent hydrolytic stability
• Inherently self-extinguishing (UL 94 V0)
• Precision molding to tight tolerances with high reproducibility
• High stress cracking resistance
• Long-term and short-term thermal stability
• High modulus and creep resistance
• Dimensional stability

EXTEM^® (Polyimide)

Having one of the industry’s highest continuous use temperature ratings for an unfilled thermoplastic material, Extem combines polyetheretherketone (PEEK) into its polyimide resin technology base. Combining the best features of both materials allows for lower-weight, high-temperature continuous use applications when replacing metals, ceramics, and thermosets for optimized performance in harsh environment applications.

• Extremely high continuous heat
• Excellent friction and wear
• Flame-retardant

Celazole^® (polybenzimidazole)

Celazole^® is a unique and highly stable linear heterocyclic polymer.  PBI is an engineered thermoplastic that has exceptional characteristics such as high compressive strength, high modulus, low creep, and solubility in few solvents.

PBI offers an excellent combination of properties:

• Highest compressive strength of any unfilled resin
• Excellent tensile and flexural strength
• Good fatigue properties; low creep
• Excellent hardness
• Low coefficient of friction
• Outstanding Tg and heat deflection temperature (HDT)
• Relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion
• High volume resistivity
• Very good plasma resistance

Nylon (Polyamide)

Well suited for high temperature and wear applications, Nylon’s mechanical properties and a flexural modulus are among the highest of all plastic resins. Outstanding chemical resistance, even at elevated temperatures, resists most common organic compounds and is not attacked by water or pressurized steam. Glass and carbon fillers can increase strength and thermal stability. Unfilled Nylon generates extremely low levels of smoke and toxic gas emission in fire situations. Because of its superior properties, Nylon is actively used in metal replacement applications.

• Excellent friction and wear characteristics
• Extremely high tensile strength
• Maximum working temperature 500°F
• Low moisture absorption
• FDA approved
• Meets UL94 V-0 requirements

Vespel^®

Highly demanding applications like aerospace components, semiconductor processing, automotive manufacturing, and energy production rely on Vespel^® parts to keep their equipment running.

Vespel^® polyimide materials provide continuous operation at cryogenic to high temperatures; low wear and low friction at high PV in lubricated or unlubricated environments; outstanding creep, strength, and impact resistance; exceptional dimensional stability; low thermal expansion; and easy machinability.

Uses

• Bearings, bushings, insulators, seals, thrust washers, and wear rings
• Wear pads, wear strips, and tube clamps
• Thermoplastic injection-molded, assembled, and composite parts
• Test sockets and wafer guides
• Glass handling technology
• Wear components in centrifugal pumps
• Hydrocarbon, chemical, and water service pumps
• Potable water applications

Advantages

• Low creep and low out-gassing
• Lightweight yet handles high loads
• Chemical, electrical, wear, and thermal resistance
• Strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability
• Easy to machine and can be machined to very close tolerances
• Works well under hard vacuum, radiation, oxygen compatibility, cryogenic conditions, and exposure to flame
• Costs less to manufacture than ceramic 

Semitron ESD

Semitron ESD is a family of static dissipative products designed for use where ESD (electro-static discharge) becomes a problem. These materials are commonly used for sensitive electronic components including integrated circuits, hard disk drives, and circuit boards (see applications below).

Semitron products are also an excellent choice for material handling applications, and components in high-speed electronic printing and reproducing equipment. Semitron ESD products are inherently dissipative and electrically stable unlike many other dissipative plastic shapes. They do not rely on atmospheric phenomena to activate, nor are surface treatments used to achieve dissipation. Static electricity is dissipated through these products as readily as it is dissipated along the surface.

Delrin^® (acetal homopolymer) 

Delrin^®  is used for high-load mechanical applications such as gears, safety restraints, door systems, conveyor belts, healthcare delivery devices, and other demanding products and parts. It combines low-friction and high-wear resistance with the high strength and stiffness such applications require. It provides a wide operating temperature range (-40 °C to 120 °C). Delrin^® also mates well with metals and other polymers and offers excellent dimensional stability.

Uses

• Gears
• Safety restraint components
• Door system components
• Conveyor system components
• Medical delivery devices

UHMW

UHMW (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) is an extremely tough, low cost plastic with high abrasion and wear resistance. The versatility of polyethylene has made it a popular plastic for countless industrial applications that require durability, low friction, and chemical resistance.

Uses

• Star wheels and idler sprockets
• Packaging machinery parts
• Food processing machinery parts