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.
Stocked in Ultem® 1000 Rods and Sheets, natural and black – and Ultem® 2300 (a 30% glass filled version) in natural (a dark amber) and black.
Great for applications that require improved stiffness, glass fiber filled grades with filler levels of 10% – 40% are available, however, the 30% glass fill is the most readily available. Because it offers superior resistance to autoclave sanitizing and is FDA/USDA and USP class VI compliant, PEI / Ultem is frequently specified for reusable machined components used in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Ultem® Resins were first introduced by General Electric Plastics (GE Plastic) in 1982 and later sold to Sabic. Other material trade names for Sabic Ultem PEI: Tecapei®, Mechetec® PEI, Unitem®, Tempalux®, Sustatec®, and others. The Ultem®PEI materials are high-performance plastics that perform well at high temperatures and under extreme conditions. Ultem is a High Tech Performance Plastic.
Drastically Improved Physical Properties Compared to Acetal or Nylon
Easily Machined and Fabricated
Excellent electrical and mechanical properties
Superior Electrical Properties
Meets ASTM-D-5205
FDA, USDA, 3A and USP Class VI Compliant
ULTEM is ITAR compliant, and ULTEM is RoHS compliant
This materials is…an excellent machining amorphous thermoplastic which possesses a combination of useful characteristics, including high strength at elevated temperatures, high modulus, and broad chemical resistance. Material displays property retention and resistance to environmental stress cracking when exposed to a wide variety of chemicals. Material is extremely rigid, dimensionally stable and able to withstand continuous operating temperatures of 340 degrees F.
Excellent Machining Properties
Extremely Low NBS Smoke Evolution
Inherent Flame Resistance UL 94 5VA at .075″
340 degrees F Continuous Use Temperature
Chemically Resistant to Chlorine and Caustic/Acidic Cleaning Agents
Offers excellent strength, rigidity and machinability
Materials Available As:
Ultem Sheet: .250″ (1/4?) – 4.0″ in Natural (Amber) in 24″ X 48″
Ultem Round Rod: .250″ – 6.0″ diameter in Natural (Amber) up to 120″ lengths
Film: .005″ – .187″ in Natural (Amber) up to 24″ wide (roll up to .030″) Special Order/Minimums May Apply
Special Formulations: Glass Filled Versions, Custom Sizes, Shapes, Colors and Formulations. Ultem Blocks, Ultem Slab, Ultem Pieces, Ultem Cut Parts are also available. Please Call For Specific Details – (866) 832-9315
Properties are for evaluation purposes only. This information is not to be construed as a warranty, guarantee or assurance that you may achieve the same results. Materials made from different resin types, manufacturing techniques and manufacturers will react differently. The information should be used to compare against other materials only, and each user should make his own tests to determine suitability. No warranty as to this materials suitability are either expressed nor implied.
A wide variety of plastics are available in sheet form.
The term: ‘Plastic Sheet‘ or ‘Plastic Sheets’ is more of a general statement covering over a hundred types of plastic materials and plastic products. Some of the most popular plastic materials made as a sheet are:
In addition to the wide range of plastic materials available as plastic sheet, most of these materials are also available as: thin gauge or film, strip, plate, block, slab and plastic panels. The thin gauge or film materials are frequently available with or without a pressure sensitive adhesive also called ‘tape’. Sheet in some materials is available over 4.0″ thick and perhaps as thick as 8.0″ thick in a few materials. The standard sheet size on most of our plastic sheets is either 24″ X 48″ or the larger 48″ X 96″ sheet size; although some materials are available as: 48″ X 120″, 60″ X 96″ or 72″ X 96″. Contact us with with questions on your required piece sizes, we are happy to provide plastic sheets cut to size.
While there are lots and lots of different materials available as plastic sheet, there may only be one or two materials that are right for your application. We want to assist with your search. If you need help choosing the proper plastic material for your application, check out our free Plastic Material Selector Guide. Also, feel free to contact us for further assistance. As a leading plastic sheet distributor since 1975, we feel that we are your best choice as your new plastic sheet and sheets supplier. Give us a call at 866-832-9315.
Polyetherimide or PEI is the generic name for one of the popular engineering resins. The most common resin supplier for this material is Sabic Plastics (formerly known at G.E. Plastics). This amorphous thermoplastic material comes in two common resin varieties used in the production of plastic shapes, the first is Ultem® 1000 which is an unfilled – natural material, the standard color for unfilled PEI (Ultem Sheet) is a transparent amber. The second is Ultem® 2300, which is a 30% glass filled PEI resin, this resin is a creamy tan color. Several other resins are available, including different percentages of glass fill, black pigment or color, and a few high end specialty grades. Some members our our industry refer to Ultem® as the ‘ultimate’ in plastic materials. With some of the best available properties, this material out performs most plastics in critical applications. This material is certified to: FDA compliance, USDA, 3A and also USP Class VI for medical use. Polyetherimides have exceptional tensile and flexural strengths and excellent electrical properties. Ultem® resins have inherent flame resistance and are UL 94 5VA at .075″. Ultem Sheet and rod machines very well, and can be used at temperatures of 340 degrees continuous.
Polyetherimide – PEI is the Ultimate Resin
The Polyetherimide family of plastic resins really excel in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. These industries have incredible demands on plastic materials, and most plastics fail quickly. Ultem resins handle the heat, chemical, stress better than almost any other material. For complete technical data sheets and more information chick for data sheet page. Several of our major manufacturers produce Ultem® PEI resins into stock sheets and rods. Some trade names from these suppliers are: Tempalux®, Sustatec®,Unitem®and many more. Ultem sheet and rod has some of the best properties of all the available plastic materials. Some materials that have some similar properties: Acetal, Radel, PEEK, PTFE. Check the data sheets on each of these materials to help in deciding which material is appropriate for your application.
Rod is normally available in rod from .375″ – 4.0″ diameters, and sheets from .125″ – over 2.0″ thickness, and we stock many items for immediate shipment. Additional sizes are available on request, including larger diameters, thicknesses, molded tube, extruded shapes, strips and bars. Contact us for more details on this exceptional material. Email us or call us at 866-832-9315
Today’s topic is all about industrial plastic sheet materials in flat sheet or sheets. Also known as plate, slab, strip and bar.
Most plastic materials are processed into sheets or rods. Rods are round, sheet is flat, square or rectangular. These two basic shapes are both generally extruded, although sheet can also be compression molded. Almost all plastic raw materials are available in sheet, and in a huge range of sizes. Most materials are available from .063″ to over 4″ in thickness; and some as thick as 8″ (how to measure thickness accurately, use a 6-Inch Digital Caliper with Extra-Large LCD). Sheet sizes vary, but generally most plastics are produced in 48″ X 96″ sheets or larger, but once again this changes with types of materials and thickness desired. We can help with almost any plastic material.
Need Help Picking a Plastic Sheet Material?
Deciding on the proper material for an application is the first step. Start by reviewing our Plastic Materials Selection Guide to help narrow your search. Having the key properties and needs of your project in mind will help you with this step. Also looking at both the pro’s and con’s of a material will assist in this search. Materials with the greatest property range can be extremely expensive, selecting a material that meets your needs and your budget should be considered.
Step two is researching sizes and availability – this is where we can really help. With most of the major manufacturers as partners, we are able to source your parts from many factories. While the quality from most factories is excellent, the variable is standard and custom sheet sizes. We also stock a wide variety of materials in large sheets. One of our many manufacturers is Westlake Plastics. They have been compression molding large sized sheets of many popular plastic resins; these sheets are available in 48″ X 120″ as a standard sheet size in most plastics. They produce these materials from .250″ – 3.0″ thick or thicker. Other manufacturers produce 24″ X 48″ or 48″ X 96″ sheets as standard. Please contact us for specifics on your material selection.
Mechanical Acetal Sheet
Most of our plastic resins are available as a sheet. This includes some of the most popular plastics, like: Polycarbonate Sheet, Acetal Sheet, PTFE Sheet, Ultem Sheet and dozens more. Sometimes, Plastic sheet is called: Plate, Strip, Bar, Slab, Block or Panel. Please think of these names as being synonyms with Plastic Sheet. Contact us with your special requirements.
In thicker gauges, plastics are frequently referred to as plate, slab or block. And strips or narrow pieces are called bar. A rose by any other name, call it what you will, the plastic starts as a flat sheet from the factory. We can cut them to size or shape. Blanking of sheets to useable sizes is our specialty. Narrow pieces used for long applications are normally called strip. Strip is common in wear type applications.
For a list of materials we have as standard stock materials, check our Plastic Sheets Page. These and many other plastic materials are available, and custom sizes, shapes and colors vary by base material. As a stocking distributor for dozens of major manufactures, we are the West Coasts leading plastic sheet supplier or distributor. If you are in need of some technical assistance go to our Plasticologist page for specific help.
Contact us for more information on plastic sheet materials. Email us or call 866-832-9315
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