Pros & Cons Of The 8 Best Injection-Moulding Plastic Materials

Choosing the right material is the most important aspect of development for a custom plastic machine company because it affects the production process and the final product.

There are so many different plastic materials to choose from for consumers, how do you make the right choice?

The first thing to consider is the function of the part and the conditions in which the part will be placed.
Some of the factors that come into consideration are the substance's tensile strength, heat resistance, durability, cost of production, and the variety of colors available for the material.

We have created a list of characteristics for the 10 most commonly-used plastic molding materials and their possible uses.

Some of these plastics have many different variants in which case we have listed general properties of the material.

Acrylic

The chemical name for acrylic is PMMA and it is most often used to create lighting equipment, transparent windows, and walls because PMMA closely resembles glass.

PMMA is tasteless, odorless because it does not contain Bisphenol A (BPA) and it is scratch-proof and weather-resistant.

Another disadvantage is that acrylic is not highly scratch-resistant and plastic acrylic sheets can melt at temperatures of 160°C (320°F; 433 K).

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is a chemically and thermally stable product that is a durable plastic that is resistant to repeated impact and still has a nice glossy finish.

ABS will easily corrode when exposed to corrosive materials and it gives off fumes when it is burnt.

Nylon (Polyamide)

The chemical name for nylon is polyamide and it is commonly used to create durable mechanical parts, an example of which are some automotive parts.

Prolonged exposure to UV rays can also cause the polyamide to crack or break depending on the thickness of the material.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonates have excellent heat resistance characteristics because they are thermoplastics, this means they return to a liquid state when they are burned to a melting point of 155°C.

Polycarbonates have an amorphous nature and this means that they gradually melt instead of rapidly transitioning from solid to a liquid state.

Polycarbonates are extremely resistant to impact but they can be easily scratched and this is why they are mostly used with a topical scratch-resistant material for protection.

Polyethylene (PE)

Polyethylene is the most frequently used and the most prevalent plastic in the world with shampoo bottles, packaging films, and milk bottles all made of it.

Polyethylene is easily flammable and releases poisonous fumes when it is burnt.

Polyoxymethylene (POM)

Polyoxymethylene (POM) is a kind of acetal resin that is used to make components for the motor vehicle sector that would normally be made of die-cast metal components.

The final presentation of this plastic is a glossy molded surface that offers excellent solvent and impact resistance.

The final representation of POM can be easily damaged with exposure to UV rays and it does not easily bond with other materials.

Polypropylene (PP)

Polypropylene (PP) can be used for many purposes because it is inexpensive but still offers great resistance to moisture and chemical resistance.

Some other advantages of polypropylene are that it is a good electrical insulator and extremely impact-resistant with a tensile strength of 4,800psi.

Polypropylene is a very common substance in the automotive, electrical, and packaging industries.

The material can suffer chips and cracks on exposure to temperatures above 100°C. One way to resolve this issue is to use polymer stabilizers.

Polystyrene (PS)

Polystyrene is available in two forms of injection molding: General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS) which is transparent and High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) which is opaque.

Polystyrene can have a density between 10kg/m3 to 50kg/m3 with a glassy and lustrous appearance.

An advantage of polystyrene is that it has a high buoyancy in water.

Animals will sometimes ingest polystyrene because it looks similar to their food intake.

This can lead to serious health impacts on the animals and the overall environment.

Another problem with polystyrene is that it can lead to electric shock or fire if used as insulation material and there is some form of exposed electrical wiring.

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