Plastics Compendium, Volume 2 - Comparative Materials Selection Data

541 Pages·1998·3.473 MB·541\541

by  Hough, Michael, Allan, Stephen, Dolbey, Rebecca

The Plastics
Compendium
Volume 2
Comparative Materials Selection Data
Michael Hough, Plastics Technology Team Leader
Stephen Allan and Rebecca Dolbey, Editors
Rapra Technology Limited
Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 4NR, United Kingdom
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone] http://www.rapra.net
First Published 1998 by
Rapra Technology Limited
Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 4NR, United Kingdom
© Copyright 1998, Rapra Technology Limited
Typeset by Rapra Technology Limited
Printed by Hobbs the Printers Limited
ISBN: 1-85957-092-5
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means; electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.
Introduction
The Plastics Compendium -
Volume 2, Comparative Materials Selection Data
INTRODUCTION
This volume of The Plastics Compendium contains essential information for designers, engineers and
material specifiers working with plastics. It provides comparative data in a format designed to facilitate
the selection of materials for given applications, on the basis of processability and performance.
The information is based upon value judgements (rankings) which have been assigned to 62 of the
principal qualities of 351 generic and modified plastics material types. These materials encompass
thermoplastics, thermosets and thermoplastic elastomers, and are representative of 30,000 or more
commercially available trade named materials.
BACKGROUND
The judgements which form the basis of this volume were made by a panel of independent experts in
plastics technology, and were compiled originally for use in PLASCAMS, Rapra Technology’s Plastics
Computer Aided Materials Selection software. The judgements were based upon information from a
variety of sources, including published data (research reports, company literature, etc.) and the
knowledge and experience of the panel. The information has now been published in hard copy format
as The Plastics Compendium, in response to requests from many of the 1,000 clients who have rented
the software over the last 13 years.
Within PLASCAMS, 10 ranking values are used, between 0 and 9. These have been simplified in this
volume of The Plastics Compendium, so that each material/property combination has been assigned
one of 6 descriptions, ranging from not applicable (where a material does not possess that property) to
excellent. The descriptions assigned in The Plastics Compendium and their equivalents in PLASCAMS
are as follows:
The Plastics Compendium PLASCAMS
Not Applicable 0
Very Poor 1-2
Poor 3-4
Good 5-6
Very Good 7-8
Excellent 9
CONTENT AND FORMAT
This volume contains two main sections:
● Property based listings,
● Comparative materials data sheets.
The 62 property based listings, in the front portion of the book, each contain a textual description of the
property, followed by lists of all those materials categorised as excellent, very good or good. The
property texts outline the principles underlying the assignment of the comparative descriptions. In
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The Plastics Compendium - Volume 2, Comparative Materials Selection Data
most instances it will be clear whether an excellent rating indicates a high or low value of a particular
property. However, for some properties, either a high or a low value may be desirable according to the
mode of use, and thus it is important that you consult this explanatory text in order to be clear how the
descriptions have been assigned.
As a general rule the property title indicates the order of assignment. For example, in the case of
toughness, a material described as very poor is not very tough, i.e. it is brittle, whereas a material
described as excellent will be extremely tough.
A not applicable description indicates that a material does not exhibit a property at all. For
example, in the case of transparency, an inherently opaque material will have been assigned the
description not applicable. Similarly, in the case of a manufacturing process such as structural
foam moulding, any materials which cannot be processed in this way at all have been described
as not applicable.
In a few instances arbitrary decisions were made regarding the order of assignment. For example, in
the case of friction, very low friction is described as excellent and very high friction as very poor.
The property texts also contain a basic definition of the property, or an explanation of its significance.
The second section of the book provides 351 comparative materials data sheets, i.e., one for each
material, providing a full listing of the descriptions assigned for all 62 properties.
This layout permits easy comparisons, and a methodology for materials selection based on this
comparative data is presented below. Additionally, if a material has already been specified for a particular
process or application, reference to the comparative materials data sheets may show at a glance
where any problems are likely to arise.
A large number of abbreviations are commonly used to describe plastics. Many of these are used in
The Plastics Compendium, and a list is provided towards the end of this introduction.
MATERIALS SELECTION METHODOLOGY
The selection of a suitable plastic material for a particular application must take account of a number
of factors. These are likely to include the following:
● The operating environment experienced by the component, e.g. exposure to extremes of temperature,
mechanical forces, fire, radiation or electrical charge.
● The primary production method, e.g. moulding, extrusion, pultrusion, forming, etc.
● Assembly technique - Must the component be bonded, welded or fastened mechanically?
● The cost of the material.
● Aesthetic and decorative features - Is surface finish important? Must the component be transparent?
Will it be painted or plated?
Generally, all of these factors needs to be considered simultaneously in order to obtain a material that
satisfies each of the requirements to some degree. However, in some cases a material may be selected
which has exceptionally good properties in just one or two areas. One such example is provided by
PTFE, where its difficulty in processing and low strength and stiffness are tolerated or designed against,
in order to utilise its exceptional chemical resistance.
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Introduction
When making a materials selection there are usually a number of material requirements that are essential
and a further group that are desirable. Essential requirements are likely to be defined by the operating
environment, or by the availability of primary production methods, or perhaps by specific end-uses,
such as a need for transparency. Desirable properties may be selected on the basis of preference or
compromise. A factor such as low material cost may be essential for a bulky, mass produced item, but
inconsequential for a small, specialist component.
A rational materials selection procedure must accommodate both the essential and the desirable
criteria. The first stage must be to identify those materials which demonstrate the essential qualities
to the required level. All materials which fail to meet these requirements may be eliminated from
further consideration. The second stage is then to order or rank the selected materials with respect
to certain other desirable qualities, and thus obtain a short list of candidate materials which is suitable
for detailed scrutiny.
Volume 2 of The Plastics Compendium has been arranged in a fashion which facilitates this two stage
approach to materials selection.
The property based data in Section 1 allows materials to be selected or eliminated on the basis of 62
primary material properties. These are grouped under 4 general headings:
● General and Electrical.
● Mechanical.
● Processing.
● Post-processing.
An alphabetical index to these properties is provided on page 489.
For each property up to 3 lists of materials are provided, containing all those materials which have
been categorised as excellent, very good or good, as defined above. By consulting these lists it may
be possible to identify a set of materials which meet all the essential requirements. An ideal set of
materials would all be rated as excellent for all the essential properties. Common sense and experience
will assist in the definition of those properties for which excellence is essential, as against those for
which a very good performance might be adequate. The property descriptions provided on these
pages will also provide guidance.
The set of materials identified using Section 1 may then be refined or ordered using the materials
based information contained in Section 2. A comparative data sheet is provided for each of the 351
materials. This rates the material’s performance against all 62 property criteria, and highlights the
extremes of behaviour. Thus desirable qualities or preferences may be compared for all the materials
identified by the initial selection procedure. The final short list may be ranked according to how many
of the desirable property requirements have been met. A brief list of common applications is also
provided for each material, giving a further indication of suitability.
Additional information about the short-listed materials can be obtained by referring to The Plastics
Compendium - Volume 1, Key Properties and Sources. This provides descriptive text on the strengths
and, in particular, the weaknesses of the same 351 generic and modified materials, together with
numerical datasheets.
Please note: Prior to the final selection and use of any material, it is strongly recommended that
the material’s suppliers are contacted for advice as to the suitability of their specific grades for the
given application.
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The Plastics Compendium - Volume 2, Comparative Materials Selection Data
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE PLASTICS COMPENDIUM - VOLUME 2,
COMPARATIVE MATERIALS SELECTION DATA
Abbreviation Full Name
ABS Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
ASA Acrylate styrene acrylonitrile
CA Cellulose acetate
CAB Cellulose acetate butyrate
CEE TPE Coether ester based TPE
CP Cellulose propionate
CPE Chlorinated polyethylene
CPVC Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride
CTFE Chlorotrifluoroethylene
DAIP Diallyl isophthalate
DAP Diallyl phthalate
DMC Dough moulding compound
ECTFE Ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene
EEA TPE Etherester amide based TPE
ETFE Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene
EVA Ethylene-vinyl acetate
FEP Fluorinated ethylene-propylene
Gfr Glass fibre reinforced
GMC General-purpose moulding compound
HDPE High density polyethylene
HIPS High impact polystyrene
LDPE Low density polyethylene
LLDPE Linear low density polyethylene
MC Moulding compound
MDPE Medium density polyethylene
MF Melamine formaldehyde
Ol TPE Olefinic based TPE
PA Polyamide
PAI Polyamideimide
PAr Polyarylate
PB Polybutylene
PBT Polybutylene terephthalate
PC Polycarbonate
PE Polyethylene foam
PEEK Polyether ether ketone
PEI Polyetherimide
PES Polyethersulphone
PET Polyethylene terephthalate
PF Phenol formaldehyde
PFA Perfluoroalkoxyethylene
PI Polyimide
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Introduction
PMMA Polymethylmethacrylate
POM Polyoxymethylene
PP Polypropylene
PPO Polyphenylene oxide
PPS Polyphenylene sulphide
PPVC Plasticised polyvinyl chloride
PS Polystyrene
PSul Polysulphone
PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene
PU Polyurethane
PU TPE Polyurethane based TPE
PVC Polyvinyl chloride
PVDF Polyvinylidene fluoride
PVF Polyvinyl fluoride
R.I.M. Reaction injection moulding
SAN Styrene acrylonitrile
SB Styrene butadiene
SBS TPE Styrene-butadiene-styrene based TPE
SEBS TPE Styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrenebased TPE
SMAc Styrene maleic anhydride copolymer
SMAt Styrene maleic anhydride terpolymer
SMC Sheet moulding compound
TPE Thermoplastic elastomer
TPX Polymethylpentene
UF Urea formaldehyde
UHMWPE Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene
UPVC Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride
UV Ultraviolet
VA Vinyl acetate
XLPE Crosslinked polyethylene
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES
The Plastics Compendium - Volume 1, Key Properties and Sources (1995)
Numerical property data and details of suppliers of all the materials listed in this volume can be found
in The Plastics Compendium - Volume 1, Key Properties and Sources.
The volume contains several main sections:
● Property and commercial datasheets, containing descriptive text, numerical values for 23 key
properties, and a list of trade names and their suppliers.
● An alphabetical trade name index.
● A listing of suppliers’ (or their agents’) addresses, together with telephone, telex and fax numbers, in
up to 15 European countries and the USA.
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The Plastics Compendium - Volume 2, Comparative Materials Selection Data
The Plastics Compendium - Volume 3, Time and Temperature Dependency
Volume 3 will contain information regarding the long term performance characteristics of plastic materials.
In particular it will cover modulus as a function of time and temperature, and long term failure
characterisation. This will provide basic long term design data essential in the primary selection of
plastic materials for engineering applications.
Chemical Resistance Data Sheets - Volume 1, Plastics (Second Edition, 1993)
Volume 2 of The Plastics Compendium provides comparative data for detergent resistance and hydrolytic
stability. However detailed information on resistance to a wide range of chemicals is clearly beyond its
scope.
This information is provided by the Chemical Resistance Data Sheets - Volume 1, Plastics, also published
by Rapra Technology Limited. This edition provides qualitative assessments of the resistance of 44
plastics to 190 chemicals, as well as quantitative data for a smaller set of materials and environments.
PLASCAMS Computer Aided Materials Selector
PLASCAMS is the leading independent PC-based materials selection package covering thermoplastics,
thermosets, composites and thermoplastic elastomers. It is available on a rental basis from Rapra
Technology Limited.
PLASCAMS 6.26 (the latest version at the time of publication in autumn 1998) operates within the
Windows environment, and includes flexural modulus vs. temperature data presented in graphical
form. Detailed chemical resistance data is also included. A User Text function enables users to
incorporate their own information.
The information provided in The Plastics Compendium is based upon material obtained
from a variety of sources. It is the product of many years work in accumulation and validation
of data, and every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. However it should be
appreciated that there are many variables which affect the characterisation and performance
of materials. Whilst the information contained in this book is supplied in good faith it is
published on the basis that no responsibility or liability of any nature shall attach to Rapra
Technology Limited arising out of or in connection with any utilisation in any form of any
material contained herein.
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Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................xix
Property Based Listings:
General and Electrical Properties.........................................................................................................1
Arc Resistance.............................................................................................................................................................1
Detergent Resistance...................................................................................................................................................3
Dielectric Constant.......................................................................................................................................................7
Dielectric Strength......................................................................................................................................................10
Dissipation Factor (1MHz).........................................................................................................................................12
Dissipation Factor (50Hz)..........................................................................................................................................14
Ease of Flow...............................................................................................................................................................16
Expansion Coefficient................................................................................................................................................19
Flame Spread.............................................................................................................................................................22
Flammability ...............................................................................................................................................................24
Gamma Radiation.......................................................................................................................................................25
Heat Distortion Temperature (0.455MPa/66psi)........................................................................................................28
Heat Distortion Temperature (1.82MPa/264psi)........................................................................................................31
Hydrolytic Stability......................................................................................................................................................33
Material Cost..............................................................................................................................................................36
Maximum Operating Temperature.............................................................................................................................39
Oxygen Index.............................................................................................................................................................41
Shrinkage....................................................................................................................................................................43
Specific Gravity..........................................................................................................................................................46
Surface Finish.............................................................................................................................................................48
Tracking Resistance...................................................................................................................................................51
Transparency..............................................................................................................................................................53
UV Radiation (Weathering)........................................................................................................................................55
Volume Resistivity.......................................................................................................................................................58
Warpage.....................................................................................................................................................................61
Mechanical Properties................................................................................................................................64
Brittle Temperature.....................................................................................................................................................64
Dimensional Stability..................................................................................................................................................66
Elongation at Break....................................................................................................................................................69
Fatigue Index..............................................................................................................................................................71
Flexural Modulus........................................................................................................................................................74
Friction........................................................................................................................................................................76
Strain at Yield .............................................................................................................................................................78
Surface Hardness.......................................................................................................................................................80
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The Plastics Compendium - Volume 2, Comparative Materials Selection Data
Tensile Strength..........................................................................................................................................................82
Toughness (-40°C/-40°F)............................................................................................................................................84
Toughness (20°C/68°F)..............................................................................................................................................87
Water Absorption........................................................................................................................................................89
Wear............................................................................................................................................................................92
Processing.........................................................................................................................................................95
Blow Moulding............................................................................................................................................................95
Casting .......................................................................................................................................................................96
Cold Press Moulding..................................................................................................................................................97
Compression Moulding..............................................................................................................................................98
Contact Moulding.......................................................................................................................................................99
Extrusion.....................................................................................................................................................................99
Injection Moulding....................................................................................................................................................101
Pultrusion..................................................................................................................................................................104
R.I.M..........................................................................................................................................................................104
Resin Injection..........................................................................................................................................................105
Rotational Moulding.................................................................................................................................................106
Structural Foam Moulding........................................................................................................................................107
Transfer Moulding.....................................................................................................................................................108
Vacuum Forming......................................................................................................................................................109
Post-Processing...........................................................................................................................................111
Bonding....................................................................................................................................................................111
Machining.................................................................................................................................................................113
Painting.....................................................................................................................................................................116
Plating.......................................................................................................................................................................119
Welding (Friction - Spin/Orbital)..............................................................................................................................120
Welding (Friction - Vibration)...................................................................................................................................123
Welding (Hot Gas)....................................................................................................................................................126
Welding (Hot plate)..................................................................................................................................................129
Welding (Radio Frequency).....................................................................................................................................132
Welding (Ultrasonic).................................................................................................................................................133
Comparative Materials Data Sheets:
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)...........................................................................................137
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): Fire retardant.............................................................................................137
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): 30% Glass fibre reinforced.......................................................................138
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): High heat...................................................................................................139
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): High heat; UV stabilised...........................................................................140
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): High impact...............................................................................................141
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): High impact; UV stabilised.......................................................................142
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