Plastic as manufacturing material

Plastics are materials whose basic components are different polymers. The special structure of plastics makes it possible to adapt their technical properties by selecting the starting material, the manufacturing process and the addition of additives.

This makes it possible, for example, to vary the breaking strength, elasticity, hardness, temperature resistance, heat resistance and chemical resistance very well. Depending on their mechanical and thermal behavior, plastics are divided into thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers.

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Thermoplastics

Thermoplastics are composed of polymer chains and can be made soft and malleable to the point of melting as often as desired by an input of energy in the form of heat. This property enables thermoplastics to be formed into a desired shape because the shape is retained after the workpiece has cooled.

Elastomers

Elastomers, on the other hand, are very flexible and can change their shape briefly as a result of pressure or stretching. This property is due to the wide-meshed crosslinked polymers of which elastomers are made. Similar to thermosets, however, elastomers decompose at too high a temperature.

Thermosets

Thermosets are formed from closely crosslinked polymers. Unlike thermoplastics, heating does not lead to plastic deformability, but to decomposition of the material. For this reason, thermosets are not suitable for recycling. Cured thermosets are hard and brittle and can only be machined in this state.

Overview of various plastics

Polyamide

Polyamides are very frequently used as construction materials. They are characterized by their high strength and stiffness, good abrasion and wear resistance, and excellent impact strength. In addition, they have good resistance to organic solvents. Fillers are often added to polyamides to optimize mechanical properties. For example, glass fibers are added to improve stiffness.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonates are known for their transparency and are often used as an alternative to glass. In addition to their transparency, polycarbonates are good insulators against electrical voltage and offer high strength, impact resistance, stiffness and hardness. Furthermore, polycarbonates are resistant to water, dilute acids, many oils and fats, and alcohols.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene has low strength, hardness and stiffness compared to other plastics, but has high ductility and impact strength as well as good sliding properties. Visually, polyethylene appears milky white, depending on the crystallinity. The lower the crystallinity, the more transparent this plastic is and the lower its density. Polyethylene has a high resistance to water, acids, alkalis, alcohols, oils and gasoline.

Polystyrene

Depending on its composition, polystyrene can range from crystal clear to foamed white. Styrene polymers exhibit high stiffness, with medium hardness and strength, and have low impact strength. The material is resistant to fats and oils and to acids and bases in non-high concentrations.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

ABS is a fracture-resistant material with high impact strength and surface hardness. In addition to its positive mechanical properties, ABS has good resistance to weathering and aqueous chemicals. Furthermore, ABS is well suited for coating with metals and polymers, so that, for example, chrome-plated surfaces can be realized on a plastic part.

Ethylene vinyl acetate

Ethylene vinyl acetate is a copolymer made from ethylene and vinyl acetate. The vinyl acetate content has a significant influence on the performance of the material. As the vinyl acetate content increases, the strength, stiffness and chemical resistance of this copolymer is affected. The material exhibits insensitivity to cold and rubber-like flexibility.

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)

Polybutylene terephthalate has very high dimensional stability and at the same time high strength and rigidity. In addition, the material has good friction and wear properties, so that it is used, among other things, for the manufacture of plain and roller bearings as well as gear wheels. Furthermore, PBT has good chemical resistance to many solvents and is a good insulator against electrical voltage.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

Polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent plastic with a polishable surface. With appropriate surface treatment, very good resistance to scratches can be achieved. For this reason, polymethyl methacrylate is very often used as an alternative for glass and is colloquially known as Plexiglas®. PMMA has medium strength and high rigidity, as well as high hardness. In addition, the material is resistant to weathering and aging as well as to acids, bases of medium concentration, gasoline and oils.

Polyoxymethylene (POM)

Polyoxymethylene is known for high strength, hardness and stiffness. Due to its low frictional resistance, good abrasion resistance and excellent resilience, polyoxymethylene is used for the construction of functional parts in precision engineering and apparatus engineering. In terms of media resistance, polyoxymethylene has good properties against numerous chemicals, acids, alkalis, oils and alcohols.

Polypropylene (PP)

Polypropylene is the most widely used standard plastic. The material has a low density and at the same time very good resistance to fatigue. In terms of mechanical properties, polypropylene has average strength, stiffness and impact strength. Typical applications for PP include packaging and film hinges.

Thermoplastic elastomers

Thermoplastic elastomers are characterized by the fact that they combine the respective advantages of thermoplastics and elastomers. They are flexible like conventional elastomers, but can be repeatedly plasticized by heating and are permanently elastic again after curing.

Thermoplastic polyurethane

Thermoplastic polyurethane is characterized by its elasticity and the associated good wear resistance. In conjunction with its good resistance to oils, greases and abrasion, thermoplastic polyurethane can be used for many applications.

More information on plastics for additive manufacturing

A suitable plastic is available in the PROTIQ Marketplace for almost every requirement. Depending on the manufacturing process, liquid, powder or stranded starting materials are fused or bonded and built up layer by layer into impressive 3D objects. In this way, master models, functional prototypes or even mechanically resilient components for a wide range of industries are created from plastic.