What Are Engineering Plastics?

Plastic comes in many different varieties, from LDPE wrappings used in food containers to the extremely durable materials used in industrial applications. Many of the materials in the latter group fall into the category of engineering plastics. What are engineering plastics? Where can you find them? Here you’ll find the answers to these questions and more.

What makes engineering plastics different from the conventional sort? For one thing, these plastics are far stronger and more resilient. Engineering plastic is designed for superior performance according to at least one metric, such as shock absorption or chemical resistance.

• Engineering plastics form a category separate from commodity plastics.

• Commodity plastics are mass-produced materials created for consumer use. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics fall into this category. They’re used for a vast range of household products, from sandwich bags to folding chairs.

High-performance plastics are designed for performance capabilities that exceed conventional engineering plastics. For that reason, they’re also more expensive to produce.

These plastics sometimes are classified as a subset of engineering plastics, and sometimes are given their own category.

These materials provide many advantages over commodity plastics, such as the following:

• Malleable – Compared with standard materials such as metal and wood, engineering plastics can be easily shaped into a particular form.

• Speedy production times – Because it’s easily shaped, these plastics can also be manufactured faster, thus saving money.

• Lightweight – These plastics weigh less than competing materials.

• Shock resistance – Engineering plastics absorb vibrations and shocks very well.

• Durable – Engineering plastics endure physical impact and trauma much better than conventional materials.

• Flame resistant – These plastics also retard the spread of fire.

• Chemical resistant – This is especially useful in products that come into contact with corrosive oils and other potentially damaging fluids.

• Reduce friction – Moving parts can generate intense heat that could cause serious damage. Engineering plastics lessen harmful friction.

Engineering plastics aren’t all alike. In fact, there’s a wide range of these materials, including but not limited to the following:

• Polyamide (PA)

• Polybenzimidazole (PBI)

• Polycarbonate (PC)

• Polyetherimide (PEI)

• Polyether ether ketone (PEEK)

• Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE)

• Polyimide (PI)

• Polyoxymethylene (POM)

• Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU)

• Polysulfone (PSU)

Engineering plastics are far more widespread than you probably believe. Here’s a partial list of common products that include engineering plastics:

• Blu-ray discs

• Car bumpers

• Medical instruments

• Plumbing systems

• Bearings

• Helmets

• Airplanes

• Skis

• Electrical connectors

• Parachutes

A leader in the field of recycling post-industrial thermoplastic materials, Polychem USA has handled over two billion pounds of scrap plastic since its founding. The company is based in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Visit www.polychem-usa.com.