Polypropylene (PPC & PPH)
Polypropylene (PP) is a plastic polymer, tough and lightweight with low water absorption and often chosen for its resistance to corrosion and excellent chemical resistance. Polypropylene offers an excellent combination of mechanical, physical, thermal and electrical properties compared to other plastics. This low cost plastic is often compared to high density polyethylene (HDPE), although it has lower impact strength, Polypropylene has superior tensile strength and working temperature. Polypropylene provides outstanding resistance to organic solvents, degreasing agents and electrolytic attack. This material is resilience against most forms of physical damage, including impact and freezing.
Polypropylene is available in two main grades, Polypropylene homopolymer and Polypropylene copolymer. Both have very similar properties but appearance and performance differences are distinctive between the two types. Polypropylene homopolymer or PPH for short is stronger and stiffer than copolymer and more widely used. With the combination of excellent chemical resistance and the ability to be joined and welded by heat fusion makes this an ideal plastic for chemical tanks and structures in corrosive environments.
Polypropylene copolymer and commonly abbreviated as PPC is tougher and more durable than PPH . Although polypropylene copolymer is softer, it offers better impact strength and tends to have better stress resistance and toughness even at low temperatures compared to Polypropylene homopolymer.
Common Uses for Polypropylene (PPC & PPH)
Polypropylene is used in many different applications from industrial, consumer goods to display applications. Polypropylene is used extensively in manufacturing chemical tanks, structural tank, liners and covers. Other common applications include, industrial battery covers, pump components and impellers. Polypropylene sheeting is also used for hygienic cladding applications. FDA Food approved makes this an ideal plastic material for food processing applications and components. Polypropylene is reasonably economical, and can be made translucent when uncolored; the natural finish is a milky white finish. Polypropylene is difficult to bond with adhesives due to its chemical resistant properties and welding and mechanical fixing is recommended.
Polyethylene
Plastic Stockist offers a superb selection of polyethylene sheet and rod in three different grades with custom sizes available. High density polyethylene is commonly abbreviated as HDPE and also referred to as PE300. HDPE is used in a variety of applications and industries where excellent impact resistance, high tensile strength, low moisture absorption and chemical and corrosion resistance properties are required. HDPE in the natural colour finish also meets the FDA/USDA food handling guidelines.
High Molecular Weight Polyethylene is commonly abbreviated as HMWPE and also referred to as PE500. HMWPE is commonly used as wear parts and abrasion resistant components in the conveyor and materials handling industry. HMWPE is used in food prepartaion and chopping boards because its slightly softer than UHMWPE - PE1000 grade and better for the cutting equipments. Also, HMWPE offers a better consistent and durable cutting surface than HDPE.
Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene is commonly abbreviated as UHMWPE and also referred to as PE1000. Polyethylene PE1000 grade offers exceptional and unique combination of low friction surface, great impact strength and wear and corrosion resistance. UHMWPE retains key physical properties and high impact strength, even at low temperatures to -30°C. This excellent general-purpose plastic with self lubricating properties offers noise reduction and low friction surface. UHMWPE offers good chemical resistant and low moisture absorption. UHWMPE (natural) is an outstanding solution for food handling components, and meets FDA, USDA and 3-A Dairy guidelines for food processing and handling.
Common Uses for Polyethylene
Polyethylene is used extensively for components in the material handling and conveyor industries. Polyethylene is used for wear strips, valves and seals that require low coefficient of friction with good wear resistance. Other applications for polyethylene are sliding bearings, sliding pads, bearing, wear parts, wear plates, rope pulleys, scraper blades, chute, rollers, chain sprockets, chopping boards and food processing equipment.
Acetal / Delrin
Plastic Stockist provides a great range of acetal and delrin engineering grade plastic at fantastic prices. Acetal available in natural or black, is well suited for machining on automatic lathes and is particularly recommended for mechanical precision parts. Acetal copolymer is more resistant against hydrolysis, strong alkalis and thermal-oxidative degradation than the acetal homopolymer. The latter, however, has higher, mechanical strength, stiffness, hardness and creep resistance as well as a lower thermal expansion rate. We offer sheets/plates in a thickness of 1-120mm, and rods with a diameter of 5-400mm.
Common Uses for Acetal / Delrin
Acetal is commonly used for gear wheels, cams, heavy load bearings and rollers, valve seats, snapfit assemblies and precision parts. This plastic has low moisture sensitivity, good fatigue life and high resistance to solvents and chemicals.
Delrin is used for gear wheels, cams, bearings, rollers, precision parts and electrical insulators. This plastic has good fatigue life, high resistance to solvents and chemicals and low moisture sensitivity.
Nylon 66 Glass Filled
Plastic Stockist offers Glass Filled Nylon 66 (PA66-GF30) with 30% glass fibre filled. The filler addition adds increase strength, creep resistance and enhanced stability whilst retaining an excellent wear resistance. This reinforced and heat stabilsed nylon grade offers higher maximum service temperature and offers much better strength than the general purpose nylon.
Common Uses for Nylon 66 Glass Filled
Glass filled Nylon 66 is used where increase strength and higher service temperature is required. Application examples include damping plates, bearings, bushing, friction strips, piston guides and Valve seats and wear surfaces.
Oil Filled Nylon
Plastic Stockist provides Oil Filled Nylon in both sheet and rod form that offers self lubricating properties. This plastic offers the toughness of cast nylon 6 with an oil-based lubricant that is encapsulated within the nylon. It increases the load bearing performance of the material when compared to unfilled nylons and reduces the coefficient of friction by half.
Common Uses for Oil Filled Nylon
Oil Filled Nylon is ideal for industrial applications that are heavy loaded and slow moving. The internally lubricating properties vastly improve wear resistance of up to ten times compared to standard nylon.
PTFE
Plastic Stockist provides a great selection of PTFE sheet and PTFE rods in virgin grade with exceptional properties. This fluorocarbon polymer based material is known as PolyTetraFluoroEthylene and abbreviated PTFE for short. This plastic provides outstanding chemical resistance and processes a high inertness towards nearly all known chemicals. PTFE has a continuous service temperature of up to 250°C and even higher temperatures for limited periods. The lower service temperature is just as impressive offering satisfactory performance at temperatures below - 200°C.
PTFE offers excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties, self-lubricating with low coefficient of friction makes PTFE ideally suited for the production of high temperature bearings seals. PTFE mechanical properties are considered low compared to other plastic materials but this can be enhanced by adding fillers such as graphite, glass and carbon. PTFE also has low moisture absorption, low compressive & tensile strength. PTFE virgin grade is FDA approved.
Common Uses for PTFE
PTFE is ideally suited for the production of high temperature bearings seals and insulators used in the aerospace, semiconductors, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and chemical processing industries. PTFE can be used for friction pads, bearings and rollers. PTFE virgin grade is food approved and often used in food processing applications for parts that experience high temperatures.
