USE THESE BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS TO HELP DETERMINE THE BEST MATERIAL
FOR YOUR APPLICATION:
Polypropylene
Polypropylene
offers a good balance of thermal and chemical properties with
moderate strength. It has one of the lowest densities of all
plastics and has a good strength to weight ratio. It offers
excellent chemical resistance with very low permeability to
water, vapor, and gases. It meets the requirement of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration as specified in CFR 177.1520 and
is Drug Master File listed. It can be used in direct contact
with foods. Liquids such as gasoline, Xylene, and chlorinated
solvents will swell and soften this material.
Acetal
Delrin®
acetal homopolymer resin has high tensile strength, stiffness,
resilience, fatigue endurance, a low coefficient of friction,
and moderate toughness. It provides predictable mechanical,
chemical, and electric properties over a broad temperature range
for long periods. Good lubricity and resistance to wear make
this a good choice for bearings as well as other demanding applications.
It has low moisture absorption and is resistant to a wide variety
of solvents, including alcohols, aliphatics, aromatics, aldehydes,
ketones, ethers, oils, greases, and gasoline.
Nylon
Nylon
6/6 offers high strength (especially at elevated temperatures),
toughness at low temperatures, stiffness, wear and abrasion
resistance, low coefficient of friction and good chemical resistance.
All Nylons absorb moisture; this increases flexibility and impact
resistance. Use for high impact application requiring strength
and rigidity. UV light results in degradation over time. Resists
hydrocarbons, aromatics, aliphatic solvents, automotive oils
and fuels, and refrigerants. Attacked by strong acids, bases,
and phenol. Gradually attacked by hot water.
PTFE
PTFE
is the most chemical resistant plastic known. It offers useful
mechanical properties from cryogenic temperatures to over 500°
F. Impact strength is high, but tensile strength and wear resistance
are low compared to other engineering plastics. Coefficient
of friction is lower than almost any other material. "Slippery"
surface makes it difficult to make anything adhere. Use in corrosive
or high temperature applications.
High
Density Polyethylene
High
Density Polyethylene offers good chemical resistance, impact
resistance, electrical properties and a low coefficient of friction.
Attack does occur from aggressive oxidizing agents, aromatic
hydrocarbons. Does not absorb water.
Low
Density Polyethylene
Low
Density Polyethylene is a soft, abrasion resistant material
with an extremely low coefficient of friction. It has high impact
resistance especially at low temperatures. It is a tough, flexible
material that seals well against itself as well as other harder
materials.
