Properties of Plastic

Plastic panel

Plastic Pulley

Plastic cam bracket

The name Plastic is derived from the Greek word plastikos, which means able to be shaped. Plastic materials consist of long chain molecules (polymers). Available in many colors and in transparent form, plastics can be rubbery or rigid. Plastic shapes include sheet, rod, hex, pipe, cubes, balls, tubes, etc.

Plastic Properties

Plastics have numerous properties that make them superior to other materials in many applications. Plastics generally have:

• Resistance to corrosion and chemicals
• Low electrical and thermal conductivity  
• High strength-to-weight ratio
• Colors available in a wide variety and transparent.
• Resistance to shock
• Good durability
  
• Low cost
• Easy of manufacture
• Resistance to water
• Low toxicity
  

Machining Plastic

eMachineShop allows you to design custom plastic parts using: Blanking ... Counter boring ... Counter sinking ... Drilling ... Laser Cutting ... Milling ... Reaming ... Band sawing ... Shearing ... Threading & Tapping ... Turning (lathe) ... Waterjet Cutting ... Extrusion ... Injection Molding ... Rapid Prototyping (FDM) and Vacuum forming.

Applications of Plastic

Plastics are one of the most common materials in countless products and applications including:

• Appliances
• Auto interior panels, side shields, fender liners, head liners
• Bottles
• CD and cassette boxes
• Cutlery
• Displays
• Disposable cups
• Electrical connectors
• Electronic enclosures
• Eyeglasses
• Food packaging
• Fridge liners
• ID cards
• Instrument panels
• Jars
• Lenses
• Microwavable packaging
• Name tags
• Outdoor signs
• Packaging
• Pallets
• Pipes
• Plates
• Seat backs
• Security shields
• Shutters
• Trays
• Window frames
• Windows
• Windshields
  

Types of Plastic Materials

Plastic materials include:

• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polystyrene (PS)
• High impact polystyrene (HIPS)
• Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• Polyester (PES)
• Polyamides (PA) (Nylons)
• Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)
• Polyurethanes (PU)
• Polycarbonate (PC)
• Polyethylene (PE)
• etc.