The commonly used injection molding materials for injection molding include ABS, PC, PE, PP, PS, PA, POM, etc. The properties of different materials also vary. When selecting processing materials, you can choose based on the performance requirements of the product itself.

ABS plastic

ABS plastic is a ternary copolymer of acrylonitrile (A), butadiene (B), and styrene (S) monomers, with a light ivory color, opaque, non-toxic, and odorless. ABS is one of the most widely used engineering plastics due to its easy availability of raw materials, good comprehensive performance, low price, and wide range of applications.

Characteristics of ABS plastic:

1. High mechanical strength, strong impact resistance, and good creep resistance;

2. It has characteristics such as hardness, toughness, and rigidity;

The surface of ABS plastic parts can be electroplated;

ABS can be blended with other plastics and rubber to improve its performance, such as (ABS+PC).

Typical application range:

Generally used for electrical enclosures such as cars, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, etc.

PC (Polycarbonate)

PC plastic is a hard material, commonly known as Bulletproof glass, which is non-toxic, tasteless, odorless, transparent, flammable, but can self extinguish after leaving the fire.

Characteristics of polycarbonate:

It has special toughness and hardness, and has the best impact strength among all thermoplastic materials;

Excellent creep resistance, good dimensional stability, and high forming accuracy;

Good heat resistance (120 degrees);

The disadvantage is low fatigue strength, high internal stress, and easy cracking;

The wear resistance of plastic parts is poor.

Typical application range:

Electrical and commercial equipment (computer components, connectors, etc.), appliances (Food processor, refrigerator drawers, etc.), transportation industry (front and rear lights of vehicles, dashboard, etc.).

PP soft adhesive (polypropylene)

PP soft adhesive, commonly known as 100 fold soft adhesive, is a colorless, transparent or glossy granular material, and is a crystalline plastic.

The characteristics of polypropylene are as follows:

Good flowability and excellent molding performance;

Excellent heat resistance, can be boiled and disinfected at 100 degrees Celsius;

High yield strength;

Good electrical performance;

Poor fire safety;

Poor weather resistance, sensitive to oxygen, and susceptible to aging due to UV radiation.

Typical application range:

The automotive industry (mainly uses PP containing metal additives such as mudguards, ventilation ducts, fans, etc.), equipment (dishwasher door gaskets, dryer ventilation ducts, washing machine frames and covers, refrigerator door gaskets, etc.), and daily consumer goods (lawn and gardening equipment such as lawn mowers and water sprayers, etc.).

PE (Polyethylene)

PE is one of the commonly used polymer materials in daily life. It is a white waxy solid with a slight appearance of keratin, odorless, tasteless, and non-toxic. Except for thin films, all other products are opaque, which is because PE has a high crystallinity.

The characteristics of polyethylene are as follows:

Low temperature or cold resistance, corrosion resistance (not resistant to nitric acid), insoluble in general solvents at room temperature;

Low water absorption, less than 0.01%, excellent electrical insulation;

It has high ductility, impact strength, and low friction, and exhibits strong creep under sustained force. This creep can be reduced by adding short fibers.

Low water permeability but high air permeability, suitable for moisture-proof packaging;

The surface has no polarity, making it difficult to bond and print;

Not resistant to ultraviolet radiation and poor weather resistance, which can become brittle in sunlight;

Large shrinkage rate, prone to shrinkage and deformation (shrinkage rate: 1.5-3.0%).

Typical application range:

Widely used in the manufacturing of plastic bags, plastic films, wire and cable coverings and coatings.

PS (Polystyrene)

PS, commonly known as hard glue, is a colorless, transparent, and glossy granular material.

The characteristics of polystyrene are as follows:

Good optical performance;

Excellent electrical performance;

Easy to shape and process;

Good coloring performance;

The biggest drawback is brittleness;

Low heat-resistant temperature (maximum operating temperature 60-80 degrees Celsius);

Poor acid resistance.

Typical application range:

Product packaging, household items (tableware, trays, etc.), electrical (transparent containers, light scattering devices, insulation films, etc.).

PA (Nylon)

PA is an engineering plastic composed of polyamide resins, such as PA6, PA66, PA610, and PA1010.

The characteristics of nylon are as follows:

Nylon has high crystallinity;

High mechanical strength and good toughness;

Has high tensile and compressive strength;

Outstanding fatigue resistance, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and non-toxic;

Having excellent electrical performance;

Poor light resistance, easy to absorb water, and not acid resistant.

Typical application range:

Due to its excellent mechanical strength and stiffness, it is widely used in structural components. Due to its excellent wear resistance, it is also used in the manufacturing of bearings.

POM (Polyoxymethylene)

POM, also known as Saigang material, is a hard material and an engineering plastic. Polyoxymethylene has a crystal structure, which has excellent mechanical properties, high elastic modulus, high rigidity and surface hardness, and is known as the "metal competitor".

The characteristics of Polyoxymethylene are as follows:

Low friction coefficient, excellent wear resistance and self-lubrication, second only to nylon, but cheaper than nylon;

Good solvent resistance, especially organic solvents, but not resistant to strong acids, alkalis, and oxidizing agents;

Good dimensional stability, capable of manufacturing precision parts;

The molding shrinkage rate is high, the thermal stability is poor, and it is easy to decompose when heated.

Typical application range:

POM has a low coefficient of friction and good geometric stability, making it particularly suitable for making gears and bearings. Due to its high temperature resistance, it is also used in pipeline components (pipeline valves, pump housings), lawn equipment, etc.