Vacuum Forming Material Specification
To help you select vacuum forming plastics for your needs, the most common vacuum forming materials available & their specs are listed below, all of which we can vacuum form for you. Our vacuum forming material selection guide may also be of help to you.
| General vacuum forming material specs - when in sheet form ABS = Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ABS FR = ABS Fire Retardent HDPE = High Density Polyethylene HIPS = High Impact Polystyrene HDPE Cond. = HDPE Conductive HIPS Cond. = HIPS Conductive PP = Polypropylene PVC = Polyvinyl Chloride CHIPS = HIPS Clear HIPS UVS = HIPS Ultra Violet Stable PETG = Polyethyleneterephthalate Glycol |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| specs | ABS | ABS FR | HDPE | HIPS |
| Density (specific gravity) | 1.08 g/cm³ | 1.24 g/cm³ | 0.96 g/cm³ | 1.06 g/cm³ |
| Izod notched impact strength @ 23°c | 400 - 420 j/m | 160 - 200 j/m | 16 kj/m² | 15.0 kj/m² |
| Izod notched impact strength @ -20°c | 230 - 280 j/m | 60 - 70 j/m | DNS | DNS |
| Vicat softening temperature | 97 - 101°c | 88 - 92°c | 125°c | 97°c |
| Heat deflection temperature | 80 - 84°c | 76 - 80°c | 90°c | 75 - 78°c |
| Tensile strength | 30 - 40 MPa | 40 - 45 MPa | 23 N/mm² | 20 MPa |
| Flexural modulus | 2.0 - 2.2 GPa | 2.0 - 2.5 GPa | DNS | 1.7 - 1.8 GPa |
| Flammability rating | HB | UL94 V0 | HB | HB |
| Forming Temperature | 140 - 190°c | 140 - 190°c | 145 - 160°c | 120 - 140°c |
| Melt flow index | 6.0 g/10min | 22.0 g/10min | 0.4 - 1.0 g/10min | 4.5 g/10min |
| Mould shrinkage (linear) | 0.4 - 0.7% | 0.5 - 0.7% | 2.0 - 3.5% | 0.4 - 0.7% |
| specs | HDPE Cond. | HIPS Cond. | PP | PVC |
| Density (specific gravity) | 1.04 g/cm³ | 1.13 g/cm³ | 0.91 g/cm³ | 1.37 g/cm³ |
| Izod notched impact strength @ 23°c | 27 kj/m² | 10 kj/m² | 40 kj/m² | DNS |
| Izod notched impact strength @ -20°c | 13 kj/m² | 2 kj/m² | DNS | DNS |
| Vicat softening temperature | 127°c | 93°c | 70°c | 70 - 76°c |
| Heat deflection temperature | 56°c | 81°c | 80°c | 67°c |
| Tensile strength | 29 MPa | 20 MPa | 29 - 31 N/mm | 51 - 55 N/mm² |
| Flexural modulus | 820 MPa | 2100 MPa | 25-27 N/mm² | DNS |
| Flammability rating | HB | HB | HB | Class 1 |
| Forming Temperature | DNS | DNS | 155 - 175°c | 110 - 190°c |
| Melt flow index | 6 g/10 min-1 | DNS | 0.3 - 1.0 g/10min | DNS |
| Mould shrinkage (linear) | 1.4 - 1.6% | DNS | 1.5 - 2.0% | 0.4 - 0.7% |
| Volume resistivity | ≤ 10³ | ≤ 10³ | NA | NA |
| Surface resistivity | ≤ 104 | ≤ 104 | NA | NA |
| Hardness shore A/D | 98 / 65 | 99 / 73 | DNS | DNS |
| specs | CHIPS | HIPS UVS | PETG (@3mm) | KEY & NOTES |
| Density (specific gravity) | 1.03 g/cm³ | 1.02 g/cm³ | 1.27 g/cm³ | These material specs should be used as a guide. DNS = Data Not Supplied by material supplier |
| Izod notched impact strength | 2.3 j/m | 120 j/m | 88 j/m | |
| Vicat softening temperature | 90°c | 97°c | 83°c | |
| Heat deflection temperature | 71°c | DNS | 74°c | |
| Tensile strength | 26.4 MPa | 23 MPa | 26 MPa @break | |
| Flexural strength | 63 MPa | 32 MPa | 77 MPa | |
| Falling dart impact strength | DNS | 50.5 j | DNS | |
| Flammability rating | DNS | DNS | HB (V2>3.2mm) | |
