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A guide to plastic material selection
To give you some help with plastics for your application, this plastic material selection guide lists the most common plastic material types available together with an overview of basic properties of each plastic when in natural colour unfilled grade.

The guide also gives advice on typical trade names, costs & uses for mouldings made from each type of plastic material.

Material Types and Trade Names
Abbreviations		 Density
g/cm³		 Description and Details
Typical Applications
Acetal
Delrin / Hostaform / Lucel		 POM 1.42 Natural - opaque white, very tough, low-med.cost
Gears and bearing; taps and aerosol valves
Acrylic
Diakon / Oroglas / Plexiglas		 PMMA 1.18 Transparent and brittle, low - medium cost
Lenses; car light housings and reflectors
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
Lustran / Magnum / Starex		 ABS 1.06 Natural opaque and tough, low - medium cost
Telephone handsets + vacuum cleaner housings
Cellulose Acetate
Cellidor / Dexel / Setilithe		 CA 1.20 Transparent, tough, flexible to rigid, high cost
Spectacles frames and screwdriver handles
Polyamide 6 (Nylon)
Akulon / Grilon / Ultramid		 PA6 1.14 Almost opaque/white, very tough, med-high cost
Bushes, bearings, curtain runners + combs
Polyamide 6.6 (Nylon)
Radilon / Vydyne / Zytel		 PA6.6 1.14 Almost opaque/white, rigid+tough, med-high cost
Levers, housings, handles etc
Polyamide 11+12 (Nylon)
Grilamid / Rilsan		 PA11
PA12		 1.18 Opaque to clear, rigid + tough, very high cost
Air filters, safety masks, spectacle frames etc
Polyester - Thermoplastic
Celanex / Crastin / Rynite		 PBT
PET		 1.42
1.34		 Rigid + stable, medium - high cost
Electrical sockets, housings and parts
Polycarbonate
Calibre / Lexan / Makrolon		 PC 1.20 Transparent, very tough and resilient, high cost
Street lamp covers and safety helmets
Polyethylene - Low Density
Alkathene / Escorene / Novex		 LDPE 0.92 Natural waxy look, tough+flexible, low cost
Kitchenware and many sealing lids + closures
Polyethylene - High Density
Eraclene / Hostalen / Stamylan		 HDPE 0.96 Natural waxy look, tough + stiff, low cost
Chair seats and milk crates
Polyether Sulphone
Udel / Victrex		 PES 1.37 Clear, tough, v.high chemical resistance+cost
Valve seat linings, metal replacement parts etc
Polypropylene
Appryl / Escorene / Novolen		 PP 0.91 Natural waxy look; tough + stiff, low cost
Beer crates and spade handles
Polyphenylene Oxide
Noryl / Thermocomp / Vamporan		 PPO 1.07 Tough + stable, high cost
Electrical parts requiring tight tolerances
Polyphenylene Sulphide
Fortron / Ryton		 PPS 1.65 Brown, v.good heat resist., v.high strength+cost
Fuel system parts, guides, bearings etc
Polystyrene - General Purpose
Lacqrene / Styron / Solarene		 GPPS 1.00 Transparent and brittle, low cost
Cosmetics packaging and ball-point barrel pens
Polystyrene - High Impact
Kostil / Polystar / Polystyrol		 HIPS 1.05 Natural translucent and tough, low cost
Food containers; cotton reels; toys - model kits
Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride
Polycol / Trosiplast		 UPVC 1.40 Transparent to opaque; tough, low cost
Outdoor applications - gutters, drainpipes+fittings
Plasticised Polyvinyl Chloride
Varlan / Welvic		 PVC 1.30 Transparent to opaque; tough + flexible, low cost
Shoe soles and electrical insulation
Styrene Acrylonitrile
Arpylene / Luran / Starex		 SAN 1.07 Transparent and brittle, low cost
Table and picnicware
Thermoplastic Elastomer / Rubber
Hytrel / Santoprene / Sarlink		 TPE
TPR		 1.10 Tough & flexible, high cost
Electrically insulated parts, seals + bushes

For more help with plastics view our ultrasonic welding of plastics or injection moulding troubleshooting guides.