Before getting to the guide, you need to know that plastics come in two forms:
AMORPHOUS: Such plastics soften over a wide range of temperatures, and bond easily well using adhesives. These are easy to thermoform.
SEMI CRYSTALLINE: Such plastics have better chemical resistance, electrical properties, and work best for bearing, wear and structural applications. But these are difficult to thermoform or bond, and have a sharp melting point.
Now there are four categories of plastics:
Commodity Plastics: Used in high volume and wide range of applications like packaging, clothing, beverage and trash containers, household products.
Engineering Plastics: These have better mechanical/thermal properties and are more expensive than commodity plastics. These are used for small objects or low-volume applications (example: mechanical parts).
High Temperature Plastics: Superior heat-resistant plastics that are suitable in mechanical engineering, workplace technology, textiles. medical, chemical and automobile industry.
Extreme Temperature Plastics: Melt only in temperatures of 150+° C and are used as reinforcing agents in advanced applications like aerospace, medical, defence.
Now here are the different types of plastics, their uses and the companies that manufacture them. Note that this is a work in progress post and I’ll keep updating company names as and when I get information:
| PLASTIC | TYPE | USED TO MAKE | COMPANIES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polysterene | Commodity | Disposable cutlery, Dinnerware, license plate frames, plastic model assembly kits, and objects that require a cheap and rigid plastic | |
| Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Commodity | Light and rigid products such as piping, musical instruments, automotive body parts, wheel covers, enclosures, protective headgear, toys | |
| Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) | Commodity | Acts as a substitute for glass in products like shatterproof windows, skylights, illuminated signs. Also used in wrinkle-free cosmetics, dentistry. | |
| Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) | Commodity | Electrical, Household Goods, Electronic Appliances, Cosmetic Packaging, Automotive Applications, Stationery, Battery Cases, and other products that require hard rigid transparent plastic | |
| Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | Commodity | Mostly used to make pipes, pipe fittings, pipe conduits, vinyl flooring, and vinyl siding | |
| Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) | Commodity | Transparent, strong, and lightweight plastic used for packaging foods/beverages. | |
| Polyethylene (PE) | Commodity | The most common plastic. Used in packaging (bags, films, geomembranes, containers) | |
| Polypropylene (PP) | Commodity-Engineering | Used as an additive to other materials Used in consumer packaging, industrial/automotive parts, special devices, and textiles. | |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | Engineering | Used to make roofings, shatterproof windows, eyeglass lenses | |
| Poly P-phenylene Oxide (PPO) | Engineering | As it cannot be used in its pure form, it is used as a blend with polystyrene, high impact ABS or polyamide. Used to make structural parts, electronics, automotive items that depend on high heat resistance and dimensional stability. Also used to make sterilizable instruments. | |
| Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) | Engineering | Used as an insulator in the electrical and electronics industries | |
| Polyoxymethylene (POM) | Engineering | Used to make precision parts requiring stiffness, low friction, and stability. This versatile plastic is used in engineering, automotive, food, construction, packaging, medical and many other applications. | |
| Polyamide 6 | Engineering | Mostly formed into fibers and used for monofilaments and yarns (textiles). This is a vegan product that can substitute leather, wool, silk. | |
| Polyamide 66 | Engineering | Superior than Polyamide 6 and aside from its uses in textiles, it can also be used in carpets and molded parts. | |
| Polysulfone (PSU) | High Temperature | Toughness and stable at high temperatures, these are expensive (both at the raw material and processing level). | |
| Polyethersulfone (PESU) | High Temperature | To manufacture membranes in the automotive and electronic industries, fuel cells, strong composites | |
| Polyphenylsulfone (PPSF or PPSU) | High Temperature | Outstanding stability. Used in rapid manufacturing. Used in automotive, aerospace, and plumbing applications. Also in rapid prototyping (as a resin to make 3D-printed prototypes) because it is heat resistant. | |
| Polyetherimide (PEI) | High Temperature | Superior plastic. Used in Medical, Automotive, Electrical/Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Aircraft, Electrical Parts, Aerospace Industrial, Thin-walled Parts and other applications that require strong plastics. | |
| Liquid-crystal Polymers (LCP) | High Temperature | Bulletproof applications (LCP in solid form is called kevlar); Also used in electrical and mechanical parts, food containers, and applications requiring chemical inertness and high strength. | |
| Polyphthalamide (PPA) | High Temperature | Fuel and coolant lines (automotive), fuel modules, fuel cut-off valves, thermostat housing, air coolers, LED headlights. Also in electronics, cable/wire protection, gas pipes, medical applications, personal care (toothbrush bristles), sports equipment, aircraft engine parts | |
| Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) | High Temperature | High performance plastic that is resistant to corrosion. Can act as a metal substitute in quite a few applications. Used by component designers, tool designers and polymer process specialists seeking a truly engineered product. | |
| Polyamide 12 (PA12) | High Temperature | Used as an additive to make films for packing material in the food industry and sterilized films and bags for use in the pharmaceutical industry | |
| Thermoplastic Polyimide (TPI) | High Temperature-Extreme Temperature | Lightweight, flexible, and resistant to heat and chemicals, it is used in the electronics industry (flexible cables), as insulating film on magnet wire and medical tubing | |
| Polybenzimidazole Fiber (PBI) | Extreme Temperature | Highly stable plastic that is used to make high-performance protective apparel like firefighter's gear, astronaut space suits, high temperature protective gloves, welders' apparel and aircraft wall fabrics. Aklso as a membrane in fuel cells | |
| Polyimide (PI) | Extreme Temperature | Used for the reverse osmosis (water purification), or the concentration of dilute materials from water, like in the making of maple syrup. also used in spacecraft insulation. | |
| Polyamide-imide (PAI) | Extreme Temperature | Used in magnet wire enamel (electrical applications), non-stick cookware coatings and in molded or machined | |
| Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) | Extreme Temperature | Used in demanding applications like bearings, piston parts, pumps, high-performance liquid chromatography columns, and electrical cable insulation. Also considered an advanced biomaterial in medical implants, also finding increased use in spinal fusion devices and reinforcing rods. Also used in the aerospace, automotive, and chemical process industries. |
Sir hats off to your noble initiative.thanks for such type of information
Sir company name missing?
Someone truly said that market gives you only what you deserve not what you desire……
You deserve many more…
Wish you and your dear and near one very happy Makar Sakranti, Pongal, Bihu and Lohri….
No company names are displaying. Please correct it.
It’s a work in progress post..
sintex plastics?