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MATERIAL SELECTION GUIDE

1. GET THE RIGHT GROUP ACCORDING TO THE APPLICATION

GENERAL GROUP CHARECTERISTICS

AMORPHOUS THERMOPLASTICS

  • Soften over a wide temperature range

  • Good formability

  • Transparency

  • Poor Chemical resistance

  • Bond well using adhesives or solvents

  • Prone to stress cracking

  • Poor fatigue resistance

  • Structural applications only (not suitable for bearing and wear)

POTENTIAL MATERIAL CHOICES

  • ABS

  • Acrylic

  • Kydex®

  • Noryl®

  • PETG

  • Polycarbonate

  • Polystyrene (HIPS)

  • Polysulfone

  • PVC

  • Radel R®

  • Ultem®

SEMICRYSTALLINE THERMOPLASTICS

  • Sharp Melting point

  • Poor formability

  • Opaque

  • Good Chemical Resistance

  • Difficult to bond using adhesives or solvents

  • Resistant to stress cracking

  • Good Fatigue resistance

  • Good for bearing and wear and structural applications

IMIDIZED MATERIALS

  • Best physical properties above 400ºF

  • Best temperature resistance

  • Best bearing and wear capabilities

  • Good chemical resistance

POTENTIAL MATERIAL CHOICES

  • Acetal

  • HDPE

  • LDPE

  • Nylon

  • PBT

  • PEEK

  • PET

  • Polypropylene

  • PPS

  • PTFE

  • PVDF (Kynar®)

  • UHMW-PE

  • PAI (polyamide-imide)

  • Vespel® Polyimide Shapes

POTENTIAL MATERIAL CHOICES

This selector guide is intended to help you review the needs of your particular application and determine a few material candidates that can then be tested.

Although the information and statements herein are believed to be accurate, no guarantee of their accuracy is made. The statements and information are included for reference purposes only and are not intended and should not be construed as either a warranty of any type or representations applicable to the particular application, use or design of the buyer or user of the goods. In every case, we recommend that the purchaser or user before using or buying any product perform their own tests and make their own decision to determine to their own satisfaction whether the product is of acceptable quality, type and design and is suitable for the particular purposes under their own operating conditions.

2. CHOOSE THE BEST FAMILY - TEMPERATURE vs COST

AMORPHOUS THERMOPLASTICS

HIGHEST

Cost

  • Ultem®

  • Radel R®

  • Polysulfone

  • Noryl®

  • Polycarbonate

  • ABS

  • Polystyrene (HIPS)

  • Kydex®

  • PVC

  • PETG

  • Acrylic

Temperature Resistance

  • Radel R®

  • Ultem®

  • Polysulfone

  • Polycarbonate

  • Noryl®

  • Acrylic

  • Polystyrene (HIPS)

  • ABS

  • Kydex®

  • PVC

  • PETG

LOWEST

SEMICRYSTALLINE THERMOPLASTICS

HIGHEST

Cost

  • PPS

  • PEEK

  • PVDF (Kynar®)

  • PTFE

  • PET

  • PBT

  • Nylon

  • Acetal

  • UHMW-PE

  • HDPE

  • LDPE

  • Polypropylene

Temperature Resistance

  • PPS

  • Nylon

  • Acetal

  • PBT

  • PVDF (Kynar®)

  • PTFE

  • PET

  • Polypropylene

  • HDPE

  • LDPE

LOWEST

IMIDIZED MATERIALS

HIGHEST

Cost

  • Vespel® Polyimide Shapes

  • PAI (polyamide -imide)

Temperature Resistance

  • Vespel® Polyimide Shapes

  • PAI (polyamide -imide

LOWEST

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3. COMPARE THE MECHANICAL STRENGTH
     IS TENSILE STRENGTH ( RESISTANCE TO BEING PULLED APART) IMPORTANT

AMORPHOUS THERMOPLASTICS

TENSILE STRENGTH PULL APART - (psi)

  • Ultem®        

  • Polysulfone 

  • Radel R® 

  • Acryli

  • Noryl®

  • Polycarbonate

  • PETG

  • PVC

  • Kydex®

  • ABS

  • Polystyrene (HIPS)

15,200​

10,200

10,100

10,000

9,600

9,500

7,700

7,500

6,100

4,100

3,500

SEMICRYSTALLINE THERMOPLASTICS

TENSILE STRENGTH PULL APART - (psi)

  • PEEK

  • Nylon (6 cast)

  • PPS

  • Nylon (6/6 extruded)

  • PET 11,500

  • Acetal (Homopolymer)

  • Acetal (Copolymer)

  • PBT

  • PVDF (Kynar®)

  • Polypropylene (Homopolymer)

  • HDPE

  • Polypropylene (Copolymer) 

  • UHMW-PE

  • PTFE

  • LDPE

14,000

10,000-13,500

12,500

12,400

11,500

10,000

9,800

8,690

7,800

5,400

4,000

3,800

3,100

1,500-3,000

1,400

IMIDIZED MATERIALS

TENSILE STRENGTH PULL APART - (psi)

  • PAI (polyamide-imide)

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-1

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-21

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-3 

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-22

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-211 

21,000​

12,500

9,500

8,200

7,500

6,500

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4. COMPARE THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
     IS FLEXURAL MODULUS ( BENDING STIFFNESS) IMPORTANT?

AMORPHOUS THERMOPLASTICS

SEMICRYSTALLINE THERMOPLASTICS

FLEXURAL MODULUS stiffness (psi)

  • PPS

  • PEEK

  • Nylon (6 cast)

  • Acetal (Homopolymer)

  • Nylon (6/6 extruded)

  • PET

  • Acetal (Copolymer)

  • PBT

  • PVDF (Kynar®)

  • Polypropylene (Homopolymer)

  • Polypropylene (Copolymer)

  • HDPE

  • UHMW-PE

  • PTFE

  • LDPE

6,00,000

5,90,000

420,000 - 500,000

420,000

410,000

400,000

370,000

330,000

310,000

225,000

215,000

200,000

110,000

72,000

30,000

IMIDIZED MATERIALS

  • PAI (polyamide-imide)

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-22

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-21

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-3 

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-211

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-1 

711,000

700,000

550,000

475,000

450,000

450,000

FLEXURAL MODULUS stiffness (psi)

FLEXURAL MODULUS stiffness (psi)

  • Ultem® (30% glass-filled)

  • Polycarbonate (20% glass-filled)

  • PVC

  • Ultem®

  • Acrylic

  • Polysulfone

  • Noryl®

  • Radel R®

  • Polycarbonate

  • Kydex®

  • Polystyrene (HIPS)

  • PETG

  • ABS

 

1,300,000

 

8,00,000

4,81,000

4,80,000

4,80,000

3,90,000

3,70,000

3,50,000

3,45,000

3,35,000

3,10,000

3,10,000

3,04,000

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5. COMPARE THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
     IS IZOD IMPACT( TOUGHNESS ) IMPORTANT?

AMORPHOUS THERMOPLASTICS

IZOD IMPACT (notched) - toughness(ft-ls/in)

  • Kydex®

  • Polycarbonate

  • Radel R®

  • ABS

  • Noryl®

  • Polystyrene (HIPS)

  • PETG

  • Polysulfone

  • Ultem®

  • PVC

  • Acrylic

18

12.0 - 16.0

13

7.7

3.5

2.0

1.7

1.3

1.0

1.0

0.4

SEMICRYSTALLINE THERMOPLASTICS

IZOD IMPACT (notched) - toughness(ft-ls/in)

  • LDPE

  • UHMW-PE

  • Polypropylene (Copolymer)

  • PTFE

  • PVDF (Kynar®)

  • PEEK

  • PBT

  • Acetal (Homopolymer)

  • Polypropylene (Homopolymer)

  • Nylon (6/6 extruded)

  • Acetal (Copolymer)

  • Nylon (6 cast)

  • PET

  • PPS

no break

18.0

12.5

3.5

3.0

1.6

1.5

1.5

1.2

1.2

1.0

0.7-0.9

0.7

0.5

IMIDIZED MATERIALS

IZOD IMPACT (notched) - toughness(ft-ls/in)

  • PAI (polyamide-imide)

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-21

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-1 

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-3 

2.3

0.8

0.8

0.4

6. COMPARE THE PROPERTIES
     IS DIELECTRIC STRENGTH( ELECTRICAL INSULATION ) IMPORTANT?

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AMORPHOUS THERMOPLASTICS

DIELECTRIC STRENGTH - insulation (v/mil)

  • Ultem®

  • PVC

  • Kydex®

  • Noryl®

  • Acrylic 

  • Polysulfone

  • PETG

  • Polycarbonate

  • Radel R®

830

544

514

500

430

425

410

380

360

SEMICRYSTALLINE THERMOPLASTICS

DIELECTRIC STRENGTH - insulation (v/mil)

  • Nylon (6 cast)

  • Acetal (Homopolymer)

  • Acetal (Copolymer)

  • PTFE

  • PEEK

  • PPS

  • PET

  • PBT

  • Nylon (6/6 extruded)

  • PVDF (Kynar®)

500-600

500

500

400-500

480

450

400

400

300-400

280

IMIDIZED MATERIALS

DIELECTRIC STRENGTH - insulation (v/mil)

  • PAI (polyamide-imide)

  • Vespel® Polyimide SP-1 

600

560

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