Different plastic material families have different characteristics and applications. The following table is an initial guide to selecting an appropriate material.
Individual plastic grades, and the use of suitable additives, need to be considered before finalizing the material to be used.
| Generic grades | Typical Applications |
|---|---|
|
ABS
Offers superior processibility, appearance, low creep, excellent dimensional stability, and high impact strength. |
Automotive (instrument and interior trim panels, glove compartment doors, wheel covers, mirror housings); refrigerators; small appliance and power tool housings (hair dryers, blenders, food processors, lawn mowers); telephone housings, typewriter housings and keys; recreational vehicles such as golf carts and jet skis |
|
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
An odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic polymer that makes it suitable for food contact applications. HDPE has greater tensile strength, heat distortion temperature, viscosity, and chemical resistance than LDPE, but has lower impact strength. |
Containers in refrigeration units; storage vessels; household goods; seal caps; bases for PET bottles; major use in blow-molding applications (packaging) |
|
High Impact Polystyrene
An inexpensive and hard polymer that is used extensively. |
Packaging; home wares (tableware, trays); electrical (transparent housing, light diffusers, insulating film) |
|
LCP Plastic
Excellent mechanical properties, high chemical and thermal resistance |
Electrical (connectors, switches) and medical (surgical and dental instruments, drug delivery systems) applications |
|
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
An odourless, tasteless and nontoxic polymer that makes it suitable for food contact applications. It has higher impact strength than HDPE, but lower tensile strength, viscosity and chemical resistance. |
Closures, bowls, bins, pipe couplings |
|
Nylon 6
One of the major engineering thermoplastics. Nylon 6 is tough, has excellent abrasion resistance, good chemical resistance, fatigue endurance, lubricity, impact strength, high strength, and rigidity. |
Structural applications (due to mechanical strength and rigidity); bearings (due to wear resistance) |
|
Nylon 66
An engineering-grade thermoplastic. Nylon 66 has higher strength but lower impact resistance than Nylon 6. |
Automotive industry; appliance housings; competes with Nylon 6 for most applications especially where impact resistance and strength are required |
|
PBT Plastic
Has high strength and rigidity for a wide range of applications. PBT is one of the toughest engineering thermoplastics. |
Household appliances (food processor blades, vacuum cleaner parts, fans, hair dryer housings, coffee makers); electronics (switches, motor housings, fuse cases, key caps for computer keyboards, connectors, fiber optic buffer tubing); automotive (grilles, body panels, wheel covers, components for doors and windows) |
|
PC/ABS Plastic
Combines the high processibility of ABS with the excellent mechanical, impact and heat resistance properties of PC |
Computer housings, business machine housings, electrical applications, cellular phones, garden equipment and automotive |
|
PEEK
A high performance thermoplastic that is light weight, with good chemical resistence, strength, low coefficent of friction, and fatigue resistance. |
Aeronautical, aerospace applications. Medical applications such as implants. Chemical processing applications where it shows minimal contamination. |
|
PET Plastic
Has excellent chemical resistance and barrier properties, good strength, rigidity, fatigue endurance, and abrasion resistance. |
Automotive (mirror backs, grille supports, electrical parts, headlamp reflectors, alternator housings); electrical (motor housings, electrical connectors, relays, switches); industrial applications (furniture chair arms, pump housing, hand tools) |
|
PMMA Plastic
Has excellent chemical and weather resistance. |
Automotive (signal light devices, instrument panels); medical (blood cuvettes); industrial (video discs, lighting diffusers, display shelving); consumer (drinking tumblers, stationery accessories) |
|
Polycarbonate
An amorphous engineering material with exceptionally good impact strength, heat resistance, clarity, sterilizability, flame retardancy, and stain resistance. |
Electronic and business equipment (computer parts, connectors); appliances (food processors, refrigerator drawers); transportation (headlights, taillights, instrument panels) |
|
Polypropylene
A widely-used, translucent, semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polymer with excellent chemical resistance to a range of chemicals. |
Automotive (dashboard components, ductwork, fans, some under-hood components); appliances (door liners for dishwashers, ductwork for dryers, wash racks and lids for clothes washers, refrigerator liners); consumer products (garden furniture, lawn mower components, sprinklers) |
|
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
A widely used polymer. The range of additives used with this polymer can alter its physical properties to create a tough rigid polymer used for water pipes through to a pliable material used for fabric applications. |
Water distribution piping; home plumbing; house siding; business machine housing; packaging (electronics, foodstuffs); medical apparatus |
|
POM Plastic
Has a low coefficient of friction, good dimensional stability, and high temperature resistance. |
Gears and bearings (due to low coefficient of friction and good dimensional stability); plumbing equipment (due to high temperature resistance) |
|
PPS Plastic
Good thermal and dimensional stability, excellent chemical and fire resistance |
Pump and valve parts, Automotive components, structural components in a corrosive environment. |
|
SAN
Has good rigidity, strength, and toughness, and better chemical resistance than polystyrene. |
Electrical (kitchen appliances, refrigerator fittings, TV chassis); automotive (head lamp bodies, reflectors, glove compartments, instrument panel covers); household appliances (tableware, cutlery, beakers); cosmetic packs |