Injection Molding Plastic Material Guide

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

ABS Injection Molding plastics provide a balanced combination of mechanical toughness, wide temperature range, good dimensional stability, chemical resistance, electrical insulating properties, and ease of fabrication. ABS plastic is available in a wide range of grades including medium and high-impact, heat-resistant, plateable fire-retardant, and both low and high gloss varieties.

Applications: Computer housings, small appliances, automotive interior trim and medical components

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
5000-7500 psi	270,000-380,000 psi	3.0-7.5 ft-lb/in notched izod	140°-200° F	Poor to Fair

ABS + PC (ABS + Polycarbonate Alloy)

PC + ABS Injection Molding plastics offer improved strengths over ABS at a lower cost than Polycarbonate. Exceptional low temperature Impact Strength. The Injection Molding Plastic material can be modified by the addition of glass fiber, mineral fillers and flame retardant.

Applications: Automotive exterior and interior components, medical hardware, electrical housings, computers, monitors, business equipment housings and enclosures

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
6400-9150 psi	300,000-400,000 psi	8-12 ft-lb/in notched izod	140°-210° F	Poor to Fair

Acetal (POM) (Polyoxymethylene)

Acetal Injection Molding Plastic are semi-crystalline. They offer excellent inherent lubricity, fatigue resistance, and chemical resistance. Acetals suffer from outgassing problems at elevated temperatures, and are brittle at low temperatures. Glass filled, and added lubrication grades are available, flame retardant grades are not.

Applications: Mechanical Automotive, Business Machine and Household Appliance, Components i.e. Slides, Gears, Cams, Bushings, Door Handles and Seat Belt Parts.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
6000-22,000 psi	120,000-170,000 psi	.8-2 ft-lb/in notched izod	180°-300° F	Excellent

Acrylic (PMMA) (Polymethyl methacrylate)

Acrylic PMMA is a tough, highly transparent Injection Molding Plastic material with excellent resistance to ultraviolet radiation and weathering. It can be colored, molded, cut, drilled, and formed. Acrylic is an economical alternative to polycarbonate (PC) when extreme strength is not necessary. It is often preferred because of its moderate properties, easy handling and processing, and low cost, but behaves in a brittle manner when loaded, especially under an impact force.

Applications: Automotive Transparent Items such as Head/Tail Lenses and Trim, Household Light Fixtures and Decorative Items, Safety Equipment and Shields.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
2800-10,9000 psi	221,000-534,000 psi	.22-1.1 ft-lb/in notched izod	183°-217° F	Excellent

LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer)

LCPs are cool, relatively new Injection Molding Plastic materials with interesting properties. They have tensile strength and modulus close to aluminum. Because of the highly oriented, rod like nature, of the polymer molecules, LCPs present some interesting design challenges. This is because the molecules will only form in straight lines. Additionally, the high orientation only occurs within about .040 of the surface of the part. Molecular orientation below this skin is random. As a result all of the strength of the material is in the skin. Good design data is not available for these materials, so prototyping is a must. prototypes must be molded, because of the molecular orientation mentioned above.

Applications: Electrical and Mechanical parts, Food containers, and any other applications requiring chemical inertness and high strength.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
12,000-32,000 psi	1,300,000-4,600,000 psi	1.1-11 ft-lb/in notched izod	430°-500° F	Good to Excellent

Nylon 6-PA (Polyamide)

Nylons are semi-crystalline Injection Molding Plastics with a good range of properties. Nylons are widely used because they have a good cost to performance ratio. Lower numbered nylons, 6 ,6-6, 4-6, absorb moisture and change their properties as a result. Nylons have been compounded with reinforcements, fillers and additives to produce a very wide variety of properties. Nylon 6 has the lowest modulus of all nylon grades.

Applications: Automotive components, Bearings, Electronic Connectors, Gears, Consumer Products and Industrial products.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
6,000-24,000 psi	390,000-1,100,000 psi	2-8 ft-lb/in notched izod	200°-350° F	Good to Excellent

Nylon 6/6-PA (Polyamide)

Applications: Automotive components, electronic connectors, gears, consumer products and industrial products.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
8,000-24,000 psi	430,000-1,100,000 psi	2-8 ft-lb/in notched izod	220°-350° F	Good to Excellent

Nylon 11-PA (Polyamide)

Applications: Automotive components, Electronic connectors, Gears, Consumer products and Industrial products.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
8,000-17,000 psi	170,000-1,200,000 psi	2-No break ft-lb/in notched izod	180°-250° F	Good to Excellent

PBT Polyester (Polybutylene Terepthalate)

PBT polyesters are semi-crystalline. They are versatile Injection Molding Plastic materials with a good range of properties. They have excellent electrical properties and are abrasion resistant. PBT has been extensively compounded giving a very wide range of properties. PBT performs much like Nylon but can handle higher temperatures and does not absorb moisture. PBT has excellent impact strength but is very notch sensitive. PBT is very anisotropic in shrinkage, so it is difficult to mold to extremely tight tolerances.

Applications: Industrial equipment applications, business equipment, automotive housings-under the hood, power tool casings.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
6,000-13,000 psi	300,000-1,200,000 psi	1 ft-lb/in notched izod	250°-420° F	Fair to Good

PC (Polycarbonate)

Polycarbonate is an amorphous Injection Molding Plastic material with excellent impact strength, clarity, and optical properties. It is very widely used and a wide variety of compounds are available. Polycarbonate has excellent mechanical properties, and can be molded to tight tolerances. It is attacked by solvents and petrochemicals, and its weatherability is only adequate.

Applications: Automotive Headlights, Business Machines, Consumer Products, Telecommunications, Medical Products and Mechanical Goods.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
9000-23,000 psi	340,000-1,400,000 psi	2-18 ft-lb/in notched izod	150°-300° F	Poor to Fair

PEI (Polyetherimid)

PEI is an amorphous, high temperature Injection Molding Plastic material with relatively low cost compared to other high temperature materials. It has excellent elongation and Impact Strength, and can be molded to tight tolerances. Its chemical resistance is not as good as crystalline materials but is excellent for an amorphous material. PEI behaves similar to polycarbonate, but can perform at higher temperatures.

Applications: Commercial aircraft interiors, healthcare products, cooking utensils, fiber optics, electrical and electronic applications.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
14,000-28,000 psi	480,000-1,300,000 psi	2 ft-lb/in notched izod	375°-420° F	Fair to Good

PE (Polyethylene)

Applications: Consumer products, houseware items, electronic wire/cable insulators and medical products

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
1900-4500 psi	40,000-105,000 psi	2-No break ft-lb/in notched izod	130°-150° F	Good to Excellent

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene)

Polyethylene is a widely used, inexpensive, Injection Molding thermoplastic. It has good inherent lubricity, and is easy to process. Polyethylene has good to excellent chemical resistance. It is also soft and cannot be used in temperatures much above 150. As a family, they are light in weight and possess toughness, chemical resistance, impermeability as well as excellent electrical insulating properties. Low density polyethylene is the softest and most flexible version of this material. It has high elongation giving it excellent impact strength. This is offset by its permanent deformation upon impact.

Applications: Consumer products, houseware items, electronic wire/cable insulators and medical products.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
1,200-4,000 psi	35,000-48,000 psi	No break ft-lb/in notched izod	130°-150° F	Good to Excellent

HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)

Polyethylene is a widely used, inexpensive, Injection Molding thermoplastic. It has good inherent lubricity, and is easy to process. Polyethylene has good to excellent chemical resistance. It is also soft and cannot be used in temperatures much above 150. As a family, they are light in weight and possess toughness, chemical resistance, impermeability as well as excellent electrical insulating properties. High density polyethylene is the hardest and stiffest version of this material. It does not have the impact strength of low density, but is more resilient.

Applications: Consumer products, houseware items, electronic wire/cable insulators and medical products

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
3,200-4,500 psi	145,000-225,000 psi	.4-4 ft-lb/in notched izod	130°-150° F	Good to Excellent

PET Polyester (Polyethylene Terepthalate)

PET polyesters are semi-crystalline. They are versatile Injection Molding Plastic materials with a good range of properties. They have excellent electrical properties and are abrasion resistant. PET has not been as extensively compounded as PBT because it is more difficult to process. PET has a higher modulus than PBT. Like PBT, PET is very anisotropic in shrink, therefore it is difficult to mold to extremely close tolerances.

Applications: Reusable bottles, Pacifiers, Sippy cups, Bottle sterilizer lids, Medical devices, Housewares.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
7,000-23,000 psi	350,000-3,000,000 psi	.45-8 ft-lb/in notched izod	250°-420° F	Fair to Good

PP (Polypropylene)

Polypropylene is a widely used, semi-crystalline Injection Molding Plastic material. It has been extensively compounded to provide a wide range of properties at a wide range of costs. In general, polypropylene is a low temperature Injection Molding Plastic material with excellent chemical resistance. It has no known solvent at 73 F. Polypropylene is difficult to mold to extremely close tolerances.

Applications: Packaging, industrial components for fluid processing, household goods, automotive and electrical hardware.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
4,500-18,500 psi	210,000 -1,500,000 psi	1.4-5.5 ft-lb/in notched izod	150°-300° F	Excellent

PPA (Polyphthalamide)

PPA is a relatively new, semi-crystalline Injection Molding Plastic material, with an excellent cost to performance ratio. PPA bridges the performance gap between nylons/polyesters, and higher priced, high temperature materials such as PEI and PEEK. PPA has excellent impact strength and is not notch sensitive. PPA does absorb moisture, and its properties change as a result. This change is not nearly as great as 6-6 nylon. Despite its relatively recent introduction, good design data is available for PPA.

Applications: Automotive applications, Housing for high temperature electrical connectors, Multiple other uses as a replacement to metals.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
9,000-33,000 psi	270,000 -2,700,000 psi	.6-22 ft-lb/in notched izod	300°-450° F	Good to Excellent

PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide)

PPS is a high temperature semi-crystalline Injection Molding Plastic material. It has good mechanical properties and excellent chemical resistance at elevated temperatures. PPS has been compounded extensively and many different types of properties are available. PTFE filled PPS is one of the best bearing materials available. Unfilled grades of PPS have poor properties, so components are usually made from glass filled or glass/mineral filled grades. PPS is very sensitive to molding conditions and must be processed properly to achieve its maximum potential.

Applications: Hydraulic components, bearings, cams, valves and electronic parts

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
14,000-28,000 psi	550,000 -2,900,000 psi	.5-6 ft-lb/in notched izod	450°-500° F	Good to Excellent

PS (Polystyrene Crystal)

Crystal polystyrene is the cheapest Injection Molding thermoplastic available. It has properties to match its price. It is transparent and has good optical properties. It has very low Impact Strength.

Applications: Household Goods, Containers, Furniture, Housings and Packaging.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
5000-7500 psi	380,000 -480,000 psi	.35-.45 ft-lb/in notched izod	100°-150° F	Poor

HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)

High Impact Polystyrene is what its name implies. A few cents more than crystal styrene, to pay for the rubber modifier. HIPS is opaque and very widely used. It has a lower modulus, better elongation, and is a lot less brittle than crystal styrene.

Applications: Household Goods, Containers, Furniture, Housings and Packaging.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
7,500-10,000 psi	160,000 -370,000 psi	3-7 ft-lb/in notched izod	100°-150° F	Poor

PSU (Polysulfone)

Polysulfone is a high temperature amorphous Injection Molding Plastic material with relatively low cost. It is transparent and can be used at temperatures of up to 300 F. Polysulfone has been compounded, with glass and mineral filled grades available.

Applications: Appliance parts, electronic parts, automotive parts, medical components, business Equipment, aerospace and insulators.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
9,500-18,000 psi	390,000-1,500,000 psi	.65-7 ft-lb/in notched izod	300°-350° F	Fair to Good

PU (Polyurethane)

Polyurethane is a resilient, extremely tough abrasion and tear resistant elastomeric Injection Molding Plastic material that is available in ether and ester based formulations. These diverse formulations cover an extremely wide range of stiffness, hardness, and densities. These Injection Molding Plastic materials offer good chemical resistance, and are transparent in unfilled grades.

Applications: Gaskets, Seals, Bushings, Connectors, Electrical parts

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
6,500-33,000 psi	230,000-2,000,000 psi	1.5-10 ft-lb/in notched izod	150°-230° F	Good

PVC (Polyvinylchloride)

PVC is one of the oldest and most commonly used Injection Molding thermoplastic materials. The material is a colorless polymer of vinyl chloride. PVC can have numerous properties and the characteristics can be altered by the use of additives such as stabilizers, lubricants, softeners, pigments, fillers or static agents. PVC offers similar properties to ABS at a slightly reduced cost. However, the appearance of PVC cannot come close to ABS. In its plastic phase, PVC is corrosive to molds and molding machines. In its solid phase, PVC is non corrosive.

Applications: Medical/Healthcare Products, Automotive Applications, Household Items and Electronic Extruded Wire Covering.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
10,000-12,000 psi	350,000-600,000 psi	.8-1.4 ft-lb/in notched izod	120°-170° F	Fair to Good

PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride)

PVDF is a melt processable fluropolymer Injection Molding Plastic. It is similar in properties to other fluropolymers, but has better strength and lower creep than the other members of this family. PVDF has good wear resistance , and excellent chemical resistance. But does not perform well at elevated temperatures.

Applications: Aircraft applications, Computer components, Protective coverings, Seals, Electrical parts, Diaphrams.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
3,500-7,200 psi	170,000-1,200,000 psi	2.5-8 ft-lb/in notched izod	170°-300° F	Good to Excellent

SAN (Styrene Acrylonitrile)

SAN is ABS without the Butadiene. It does not have the Impact Strength of ABS, but can be crystal clear. Injection Molding Plastic, Styrene Acrylonitrile has better general chemical resistance than polystyrene and is cheaper than acrylic. It has a good combination of rigidity, strength, toughness and transparency.

Applications: Battery cases, Dials, Knobs, Switches, Lenses, Trays, Containers, Covers, Autoclavable devices, Dental & Medical light diffusers

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
10,000-18,000 psi	500,000-1,200,000 psi	.3-3.0 ft-lb/in notched izod	140°-200° F	Poor to Fair

TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer)

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are a combination of polymers (usually a plastic and a rubber) which consist of both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties resulting in a product that is extremely easy to use in manufacturing a variety of products. TPE Injection Molding Plastic require little or no compounding and no need to add reinforcing agents, stabilizers or cure systems.

Applications: Automotive Fluid Delivery Systems, Household appliances, Sporting goods, Electrical and Medical components.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
1,000-7,000 psi	5,000-800,000 psi	2.5-No Break ft-lb/in notched izod	200°-300° F	Fair to Good

TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer)

Injection Molding Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers exhibit excellent abrasion and wear resistance and high tensile and tear strengths. TPUs are tough, durable, easy to clean and well-suited to applications that demand the elasticity of rubber combined with high stability. In addition, the inherent translucency of these products makes it easy to color and that is an added benefit in many applications.

Applications: Automotive and Aerospace Applications, Medical and Optical purposes, Electrical Wire and Cable Coverings.

Tensile Strength	Flexural Modulus	Impact Strength	Max Temp.	Chemical Resistance
6960-12,000 psi	260,000-340,000 psi	.80-10.1 ft-lb/in notched izod	160°-250° F	Fair to Good

From Website
Edited by Leafly Mould Provides Injection Mold, Plastic Mold, Injection Molding, Die Casting Mold, Stamping Mold

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