Polycarbonate and Acrylic: Clear Plastics with Clear Differences
Tuffak® Polycarbonate and Optix® Acrylic (PMMA) are two very similar looking plastics. Both are often bought as transparent sheets with similar smooth glossy surfaces, and are often used as tougher and more impact resistant alternatives for glass in industrial and consumer applications. These two materials can be found in windows, viewing panels, protective barriers, eye-wear, display cabinets, and similar applications. However, polycarbonate and acrylic actually have very different physical properties and resulting applications.
Polycarbonate: Industrial Grade Impact Resistance
Tuffak® Polycarbonate (manufactured by Plaskolite) is an amorphous thermoplastic material, meaning it has a low degree of crystallinity and a more random polymer chemical structure. This gives the plastic an interesting combination of physical and optical properties, such as transparency comparable to silicate glass and an exceptionally high impact and chemical resistance.
Its exceptional impact resistance has made this particular material popular for manufacturing in sheet form, a lot like sheet metal. It can be rolled, pressed, heated, and formed without cracking or breaking. Polycarbonate can be fabricated quickly and relatively inexpensively into shapes not possible with glass thanks to its chemical structure.
Polycarbonate is commonly used in protective applications, such as barriers and bullet-proof windows, ceiling panels, displays, and enclosures. Despite its impact resistance, polycarbonate tends to scratch easily, so it is not well-suited to displays and applications that require high aesthetics.
OPTIX® Acrylic (PMMA): Durability on Display
Acrylic, short for poly-methyl-methacrylate, (PMMA) can come in many forms, including a sheet material typically referred to as acrylic glass. Like polycarbonate, acrylic is an amorphous thermoplastic, though it features much better transparency. Tough and strong, yet acrylic impact resistance is not as high as that of polycarbonate.
Optix® Acrylic (manufactured by Plaskolite) offers a higher tensile strength and UV resistance than polycarbonate, as well as much better optical characteristics. Acrylic is also easy to clean and maintain, and is generally pretty easy to fabricate, so long as it’s masked for protection during handling. This, combined with being less expensive has made acrylic common in display and consumer applications.
There are many different applications for acrylic thanks to these properties, ranging from LEDs to displays to even consumer windows. Optix® Acrylic sheet can be found in shop displays and enclosures, ceiling skylights, media discs, and fiber optics, as the material is a lightweight and tougher alternative to glass.
Looking for a trusted supplier of Tuffak® Polycarbonate, OPTIX® PMMA, and other Performance Plastic materials?
Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. is one of the largest and most experienced plastic suppliers in the world, with a vast inventory of premium Plaskolite Acrylic and Polycarbonate sheets. Our experienced and certified customer service team are available to assist you. Head over to our website to explore all of the materials that we carry and contact us today with any questions you may have, click here.
Polytetrafluoroethylene or as it’s better known ‘PTFE’ is a popular choice in hydraulics systems and components, being a non-stick surface and a highly durable material. However, since PTFE is made up of some of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry, this type of plastic has many different uses across a variety of industries.
Hydraulic Components and Sealing
The most common use for PTFE is for parts used in seals, gaskets and steam valves that are used to handle caustic fluids. The durability of this plastic has made it popular for a variety of hydraulic fittings like these as well, especially seals used in steam and high temperature applications. The rating for continuous temperature is 500 degrees F, while maintaining physical properties. Virgin PTFE sheets and rods are also excellent materials for wear and slide machined parts found in pumps and manifolds, having a non-stick surface that won’t experience nearly as much wear and tear as other materials.
Thermal Stability for Vehicle Engines
One of the major benefits of PTFE is its high thermal stability, which has made it popular for use in fuel hose linings, gaskets, seals, and other engine components. Its exceptionally long lifespan, high heat resistance and excellent water resistance makes PTFE an excellent choice for making parts such as wiper blades and other exterior components for vehicles.
High Resistance for Chemical Production and Processing
Virgin PTFE sheet in wide range of thickness
PTFE is a highly durable and corrosion resistant material, and so it has become a popular choice of material for a variety of chemical processing applications. It does not melt or erode under the extreme conditions often found in chemical plants, and can is often used to make components that transport corrosive chemicals and other materials.
Excellent Protection for Electronics
Another industry that often takes advantage of PTFE’s benefits is in the electronics manufacturing. PTFE is commonly used for insulation, semiconductor components, and circuit boards. It offers high quality insulation properties even under harsh conditions, and its electrical conductivity can be increased using fillers such as copper. PTFE has been successfully used in a wide range of different electronics components for many applications, from automobiles to aircraft, where the more delicate electronics components need to be able to survive high temperatures or highly corrosive environments.
Looking for a supplier of high quality PTFE?
Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. has been a trusted, worldwide supplier of quality performance plastics, including PTFE, since 1975, and we have one of the largest inventories of American made plastic materials in the world. Check out our website to view our full product directory or to contact us with any questions you may have.
We have all heard the upset consumer angry about the ‘Cheap Plastic’, normally about a thin plastic bag or water bottle that just broke during normal use.
“I thought ALL Plastic Was A Just A Cheap Material?”
We do hear this question regularly. And, maybe, in years gone by Plastic was that Cheap material.
Back in the 50′s and 60′s, plastics were very inexpensive, and were very limited in types, grades and availability.
What caused this to change?
Plastics are primarily produced from Oil and several Oil by-products. As oil pricing has skyrocketed from the 50′s, so did the low end plastic material pricing.
In addition, a new generation of high tech, mechanical and engineering grades of plastic we developed. These performance plastics replace metals and other substrates in manufacturing. They out live and out perform most materials at a fraction of the cost of the material it replaces.
Isn’t Cheap better?
All materials are not designed to the same standard. This is true with plastics as well. Choosing the wrong plastic for a project can be a costly mistake. All engineering perimeters should be considered: strength, impact, sunlight, water absorption, electrical resistance, temperature range, etc. We’ve all witnessed the ‘cheap’ plastic kids toy that lasts but a couple of days, the clip or cover in your car breaks off, the inexpensive outdoor furniture and so on. These are examples of under designed or choosing a material for its resin cost, not its physical properties. Thus, no, cheaper is not better. Cost should be just one of your decision criteria. The overall ‘performance’ of the material you require will dictate the type, grade and overall cost of the material. We supply materials from very inexpensive to some that are very expensive. These price differences are based on the significant differences in many of today’s high performance plastic materials.
What Should You Do?
The answer is really quite easy. Ask.
Talk to one of our experienced ‘Plasticologists’ and tell them your requirements. You’re input, and a little time to answer some questions could save you enormous time and expense in your finished parts. All plastics are not created equal, and neither are all plastic suppliers. Give us a try, and take the guess-work out of choosing the right material for your job. Most Performance Plastic materials outlast other raw materials, even metals. Check the physical properties, and using the right material for the application, could mean your parts may last decades without needing maintenance or lubrication.
Some of our lower cost materials: HDPE, PVC, Styrene – are less expensive, but not cheap. Each with very specific strong points, and yes, weak areas as well. Contact us with any questions you may have about the best material for your project as ‘one size does not fit all’.
‘Cheap plastic’ is most likely not the best plastic for your application.
Ask Us, we are happy to guide you on your Performance Plastic Material search.
In a previous post, we explored the advantages of Sabic Ultem™, the trademarked name for a special type of high-performance plastic that is often the go-to choice for any industry in need of exceptional physical properties in a thermoplastic. With Ultem™ polyetherimide resins, this type of plastic can retain its mechanical properties even at extremely high temperatures, which is especially important in applications that require good structural integrity under harsh conditions–aerospace and automotive applications for example.
Why is ULTEM™ so popular?
This material is known for its excellent mechanical properties, dimensional stability, as well as chemical and temperature resistance. Because of these properties, Ultem™ has been used widely and with success in many different industries, such as aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, medical equipment, electronics, and industrial equipment. There are, however, a few disadvantages to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to use Ultem™ for your manufacturing project.
Sabic Ultem 1000 and 2300 sheet and rod
A few disadvantages of using ULTEM™
Also, the polyetherimide thermoplastic can be vulnerable to stress cracking if exposed to polar chlorinated solvents. This can restrict its use in certain applications.
In addition, while Ultem™ is a very high performance thermoplastic, it does tend to be more expensive compared to similar materials and can be difficult to process due to its high melting point and viscosity. For optimal results, you may need to use specialized equipment or work with someone specialized in working with this thermoplastic, which could drive up production costs even more. If the material is not properly controlled during manufacturing, Ultem™ plastic parts can experience surface defects or cracks as well as dimensional instability. If large amounts of material are removed during machining, parts should be annealed after production to prevent warp and twist. Proper quality control needs to be in place to avoid these problems.
Looking for a supplier of high performance thermoplastics?
Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. has been supplying performance plastic sheet, rod, and tube since 1975, and specializes in wholesale Engineering Plastics, Mechanical Plastics, and High Performance Plastics for a wide range of industries. Check out our website to learn more!
Industrial Plastic Supply has a large inventory of performance plastic materials to offer, each with its own unique advantages and applications. In this article, we feature one of the many quality performance plastics that we supply, Sabic ULTEM™ sheet and rod.
Sabic ULTEM® is the brand name for the thermoplastic polyetherimide (PEI), this unique commercially available resin has the ability to retain mechanical integrity even at extremely high temperatures. There are various types of this thermoplastic available, based on their formulation and the particular strength and resistance requirements of the end use it will serve. The most common is the virgin unfilled ULTEM™ 1000 sheet and rod. Our second most common version is 30% Glass Filled ULTEM™ Sheet and Rod, also known as ULTEM™ 2300.
Excellent Stability
The main advantage of ULTEM™ is its dimensional stability and strength, even when the material is exposed to extremely high operating temperatures. The Sabic ULTEM material is incredibly rigid and dimensionally stable as well, with better physical properties compared to similar performance plastic materials like Acetal or Nylon. It has excellent tensile strength and flexural strength, and is especially popular for applications that require plastics with improved stiffness and/or electrical properties.
Machined ULTEM 1000 rod
Broad Chemical Resistance
PEI/ULTEM™, regardless of which grade is used, has exceptional resistance to a wide range of chemicals, including the fats and oils found in foods, alcohols, acids, service fluids for various vehicles, and those found in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Its resistance to such a wide range of chemicals has made this plastic popular for use in reusable machined components in Medical Equipment manufacturing and Pharmaceuticals, as well as in commercial Aerospace applications. The Ultem – PEI material is produced into sheet and rod by a variety of Performance Plastic manufacturers under trade names, including: Tecapei®, Unitem®, Tempalux®, Sustatec®, Mechetec® PEI, and others.
Wide-ranging compliance
PEI / ULTEM™ is one of the few thermoplastics that can meet several of the strictest quality and performance standards in the world. It is FDA/USDA and USP class VI compliant. The thermoplastic is also ITAR compliant for use in firearms applications as well as RoHS compliant for use in electrical equipment. In addition to being resistant to many different chemicals, Sabic ULTEM™ is also highly flame resistant, which has made it very useful in various parts of the commercial aerospace market. This high performance plastic material also is available with factory lot and batch certification from this ISO-9001 certified supplier.
Looking for a quality supplier of ULTEM™ and other thermoplastics?
Industrial Plastic Supply has been in the business of plastics since 1975, specializing in the wholesale engineering, mechanical, and high-performance plastics for any industry.
For more information about this or any other performance plastic material, please check out our website today.
Why choose a local Performance Plastic Sheet Supplier
One of the latest trends across many different industries has been the push for supporting local businesses, especially with the events of the pandemic in recent years. However, this isn’t just a trend–choosing to source your plastic from a local plastic sheet supplier is also an excellent and beneficial economic opportunity. There are plenty of advantages to why you should buy your plastic sheets from a local supplier.
Less waste–in time, money, and resources
Choosing to source your plastic from a local supplier means that you not only will support the local economy, but you also often get to bypass many of the expenses associated with importing and exporting international goods. In addition, there are fewer transportation costs, with a local supplier being closer geographically than another supplier might be.
A closer geographical location to you also means that you’ll receive much shorter lead times on your quotes. With less distance to travel, you can receive your plastic sheets much more quickly than if you don’t source them locally.
Improved Environmental Impact
Industrial Plastic Supply of Anaheim California
With reduced transportation comes less environmental impact. This doesn’t just mean less harmful emissions into the atmosphere, but also less use of resources, especially nonrenewable ones like fuel. Less fuel consumption doesn’t just promote the efficient use of resources–it also tends to lead to lower transportation costs as well! Shorter distance–less costs and a smaller carbon footprint.
Better Control over Product and Quality
Often, local plastic suppliers provide much better product quality and customer service, because they take the time to understand the needs and preferences of their customers. The proximity of choosing a local supplier also helps to ensure a timely delivery, reducing the potential for disruptions on your project. They’ll also likely be more available and efficient when serving local customers, able to offer quicker lead times based on the shorter geographical distance.
This insures the best quality materials and timely replenishment of popular items.
Looking for an expert plastic sheet supplier?
Industrial Plastic Supply has been in the business since 1975, located right in the heart of Orange County, CA. Check out our website to see our full inventory of plastic materials.
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