What Are The Classification Of Plastics?

Plastic, a seemingly ordinary yet ubiquitous material, is widely used in modern industry and daily life due to its versatile forms, excellent performance, and strong versatility. You must have heard of familiar plastic materials such as polyvinyl chloride and nylon.

However, have you ever thought about the similarities and differences between those various plastic materials? And what are the classification of plastics? 

PA

PA stands for Polyamide, commonly abbreviated as nylon, and has a wide range of applications in various industries such as clothing, home textiles, industrial products, medical supplies, electronic products, and automobiles.>

Nylon material has good wear resistance, impact resistance, mechanical strength, and heat resistance, as well as high chemical stability, which can resist the erosion of chemical substances such as acid, alkali, and oil. Meanwhile, nylon is also resistant to organic solvents，which makes it widely used in chemical, petroleum, and other fields.

However, its light resistance and low temperature resistance are poor, and it is not resistant to strong acids and alkalis, which requires high requirements for injection molding technology. This to some extent limits the application of nylon.

Nylon materials have various branching categories, such as PA6, PA11, PA12, etc., and their respective characteristics also have some differences:

POM

POM, also known as Polyoxymethylene, has excellent comprehensive properties and is one of the hardest varieties of thermoplastic materials. Its mechanical properties are close to those of metals, and its tensile strength, bending strength, fatigue strength, wear resistance, and electrical properties are all excellent.

It is widely used in the manufacturing of components such as gears, bearings, pipelines, valves, etc. that require high strength and wear resistance, as well as in the packaging of aerosols, oil pipelines, etc.

PU

PU, also known as Polyurethane, has excellent physical and chemical properties such as high elasticity, toughness, wear resistance, aging resistance, oil resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance.

It uses synthetic fibers as raw materials and can be processed into various shapes and sizes through various processes, with excellent properties such as easy processing, environmental friendliness, and waterproofing. Its price is moderate, and its appearance can be improved through processes such as dyeing and printing.

These characteristics have enabled PU materials to have a wide range of applications, such as industrial production, medical equipment, food processing, home furnishings, and electronic products.

PE

The full name of PE is Polyethylene, which has good mechanical strength and chemical stability, and can resist most acid-base erosion. Its density is low, making it easy to transport and process, while also having electrical insulation properties. Widely used in various types of films, pipelines, containers, wires and cables, and daily necessities.

According to different densities, it can be divided into HDPE, LDPE, and LLDPE , each with different application scenarios.

PP

PP, also known as Polypropylene, is a high-performance and widely used thermoplastic resin. Usually a colorless, transparent, or semi transparent solid. It has a low density and is one of the lightest varieties among all plastics.

At the same time, it has high strength and rigidity, good heat resistance, low temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and excellent processing performance.

It is widely used in fields such as building pipes, medical supplies, and food packaging due to its advantages.

PVC

PVC, also known as Polyvinyl chloride, is a widely used thermoplastic made by polymerizing vinyl chloride monomer. It has excellent corrosion resistance, insulation, flame retardancy, good stability to light and heat, and can be used outdoors for a long time without aging easily.

PVC can adjust its hardness and strength by adding different additives (such as plasticizers, stabilizers, etc.) to meet the needs of different applications.

It has a wide range of applications in multiple fields, including building materials, wires and cables, packaging materials, medical devices, and daily necessities.

PTFE

PTFE, also known as Polytetrafluoroethylene, has the lowest friction coefficient and surface tension among solid materials, thus possessing excellent lubrication performance and non adhesiveness; Capable of withstanding strong acids and bases and almost insoluble in all solvents; It can maintain stability in both high and low temperature environments, and can be used for a long time in the range of -180 to 260 ℃.

Therefore, PTFE is widely used in the production of electrical components, food packaging, pipeline valves, medical implants, aerospace, and more. However, due to its non melting nature and direct decomposition under high temperature conditions,  resulting in higher production costs compared to other plastics. At the same time, its pressure resistance is relatively poor, generally only capable of carrying low-pressure fluids and not suitable for high-pressure environments.

PFA

PFA, also known as Perfluoroalkoxy polymer, has properties similar to PTFE but with better transparency, processability, creep resistance, and compressive strength. It is mainly used in applications that require high temperature and chemical stability, such as semiconductor manufacturing, chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, and other fields.

FEP

FEP, also known as Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene Polymer, has good heat resistance and corrosion resistance, but is generally slightly lower than PTFE and PFA.

At the same time, it has good processability and transparency, with mechanical properties between PFA and PTFE, and good tensile resistance and flexibility.

Widely used in the production of beverage bottles, food packaging, synthetic fibers, etc. In addition, PET is also used to make films, sheets, and engineering plastics.

PET

PET, also known as Polyethylene terephthalate, is a thermoplastic polyester material that is easy to process. It is typically light yellow or milky white in color, with a smooth and glossy surface, making it suitable for occasions that require high aesthetic standards.

PET has high strength, high rigidity, and good wear resistance. It has good resistance to most solvents and oils, and has low permeability to gases and water vapor, making it an ideal choice for packaging materials such as food and medicine .

However, its heat resistance is not high. The thermal deformation temperature of pure PET material is about 85 ℃, and its UV and corona resistance are also poor. When used in these situations, it needs to be treated with UV resistance or fiberglass reinforcement.

ABS

ABS, also known as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, is an easy to process thermoplastic that combines the chemical corrosion resistance of acrylonitrile, the elasticity of butadiene, and the rigidity of styrene. It has excellent overall performance and can be used in medium load and high-speed environments, especially exhibiting good toughness at low temperatures (-40 ℃).

At the same time, it is easy to print, coat, and color on the surface, has high glossiness, and meets environmental requirements.

Therefore, it is widely used in various fields such as automobiles, electrical appliances, building materials, packaging, furniture, etc.

However, its flame retardancy is poor and it is sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, which may not be ideal for scenarios that require high flame retardancy or long-term outdoor work.

The above are the types and characteristics of common plastics. The application of plastics covers all walks of life. In the field of pipe connection, plastic pipes of different materials have different characteristics. 

FOKCA is a professional manufacturer ofpneumatic components, producing a wide range of high-quality fittings and pipes including PU pipes, nylon pipes, PE pipes, rubber and plastic hoses to meet your different needs and applications. You can click here to access our Product page for more information. 

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