Plastics guide
The technical properties of plastics can be varied widely by the choice of starting materials, by the additives, and by the chosen production procedure. Depending on the use, there are plastics with different levels of hardness, elasticity, breaking strength, or temperature and chemical resistance. Depending on the moldability, plastics can be processed in a variety of ways.
G.W.P. AG processes plastics using injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming (vacuum forming), or in the production of glass fiber-reinforced plastics. In addition, plastics are processed in methods using computerized numerical control (lathing and milling), and are employed in prototype construction.
Plastic Injection molding
A wide variety of thermoplastics, thermosets or elastomers are suitable for injection molding, also termed plastic injection molding. Construction plastics such as PA6, PA66, PBT, PES, POM and PSU can be used for the injection molding of technical plastic parts. Among the economical polystyrene plastics suitable for injection molding, there are a series of amorphous and economical thermoplastics that can be subdivided into standard polystyrenes and modified styrene polymers such as SAN, PS-I, ABS, ASA, AES, ACS, MABS und ABS/PA blend. Special injection molding methods that are used by G.W.P. are: Two-component injection molding, three-component and four-components techniques, multi-component injection molding, interval injection molding, sandwich injection molding (co-injection), multi-material injection molding, marbling injection molding, liquid silicone processing, thermoset processing, or the encapsulation of inserted parts. A precise knowledge of the compatibilities and processing conditions of the various plastics is essential for the different forms of multi-component injection molding.
Plastic extrusion
Polyamides such as PA6, PA66, acrylic ester styrene acrylonitrile copolymers (ASA), styrene butadiene copolymers (SBS) and polystyrenes (GPPS and HIPS) are used in the extrusion of plastic profiles. With profile extrusion, partial impressions can be introduced, and hard/soft combinations such as sealing lips, etc.can be generated by two-component coextrusion.
Thermoplastics
All thermoplastics such as ABS, PS, PP, PA 6 or PE can be used in thermoforming (vacuum forming). To produce thermoformed parts, plastic panels are subjected to a positive or negative deep-drawing procedure. In addition to mass-produced parts for the packaging industry, thermoforming is preferred for in the production of plastic parts with large surfaces such as plastic jackets or equipment covers.
Glass fiber-reinforced plastics
Depending on the requirements and application, thermoplastics such as polyamides, polystyrenes or polyolefins are used in the processing of glass fiber-reinforced plastics, as well as thermosets such as melamine, phenolic, epoxy or silicone resins. A typical glass fiber-reinforced plastic is glass fiber-reinforced polyamide PA 6 GF30% that for example can be used for electronic housings or machine elements. Glass fiber-reinforced plastics are appropriate in applications where there are very high mechanical loads and temperatures.
You can find out which plastic is suitable for which application and which processing method by submitting a request to G.W.P.
| Abbreviation* | Chemical name | Trade and brand name** |
| A/B/A | Acrylnitril/Butadien/Acrylat, Copolymer | |
| A/MMA | Acrylnitril/Methylmethacrylat, Copolymer | |
| ABS | Acrylnitril-Butadien-Styrol | Sustatec ABS, Terluran, Vestodur |
| ACM | Acrylat-Kautschuk, Polyethylacrylat | Cyanacryl, Hycar, Elaprim AR |
| APE | Aromatische Polyester | |
| ASA | Acrylester-Styrol-Acrylnitril | Luran S |
| BR | Butadien-Kautschuk | |
| CA | Celluloseacetat | |
| CN | Cellulosenitrat | Zelluloid |
| COC | Cyclo-Olefin-Copolymere | |
| C-PET | Polyethylenterephthalat | |
| CR | Chloropren-Kautschuk | Neopren |
| CSM | chlorsulfoniertes Polyethylen | |
| CSM | Chlorsulfonyl-Polyäthylen-Kautschuk | Hypalon |
| ECB | Ethylen-Copolymer-Bitumen | Lucobit |
| EP | Epoxidharz | |
| EPDM | Ethylen-Propylen-Dien-Kautschuk | Buna |
| EPM | Ethylen-Propylen-Copolymer (Kautschuk) | |
| ETFE | Ethylen-Tetrafluorethylen | Hostaflon ET, Tefzel |
| EVA, EVM | Ethylenvinylacetat | |
| FEP | Perfluorethylenpropylen-Copolymer | Teflon, Neoflon |
| FFKM, FFPM | Perfluorierter Kautschuk | ISOLAST, Kalrez |
| FKM, FPM | Fluor-Polymer-Kautschuk | Viton |
| FVMQ | Fluor-Silikon-Kautschuk | |
| HD-PE | Polyethylen, High-Density | |
| HIPS | High Impact Polystyrene, Copolymer | |
| HNBR | Hydrierter Nitril-Kautschuk | Therban, Zetpol |
| IIR | Butylkautschuk | |
| IR | Isopren-Kautschuk | |
| LCP | Liquid Crystal Polymer | Vectra |
| LD-PE | Polyethylen, Low-Density | |
| LLD-PE | Polyethylen, Linear-Low-Density | |
| MF | Melamin-Formaldehyd-Harz | |
| MVQ, VMQ | Silikon-Kautschuk | Silopren, Silastic, SE, Blensil, Silicone |
| NBR | Acrylnitril-Butadien-Kautschu | Perbunan, Hycar, Krynac, Elaprim, JSR-N, Chemigum |
| PA | Polyamid | Nylon, Perlon |
| PA 11 / 12 | Polyamid 11 /12 | Rilsan, Vestamid |
| PA 6 | Polyamid 6 | Akulon, Sustamid, Ultramid |
| PA 6 G ölhaltig | Polyamid G + Öl | Oilamid |
| PA 6 Guss | Polyamid Guss | Sustamid G, Ultralon |
| PA 6.6 | Polyamid 6.6 | Akulon, Sustamid, Ultramid |
| PAEK | Polyaryletherketon | Peek Optima |
| PAI | Polyamidimid | Torlon, Tecator |
| PAN | Polyacrylnitril | Dralon |
| PBI | Polybenzimidazol | Celazole |
| PBT | Polybutylenterephthalat | Arnite, Celanex, Crastin, Pocan, Ultradur |
| PC | Polycarbonat | Makrolon, Lexan |
| PCT | Polycyclohexylendimethylenterephthalat | Eastar |
| PCTFE | Polychlortrifluorethylen | Voltalef, Kel-F |
| PE | Polyethylen | Hostalen, Lupolen, Vestolen |
| PE 1000 | Polyethylen 1000 | Hostalen GUR, RCH 1000 |
| PE 500 | Polyethylen 500 | Lupolen, RCH 500 |
| PE-C, CM | Chloriertes Polyethylen | Lupolen, Hostalen |
| PEEK | Polyetheretherketon | Sustatec PEEK, Vitrex PEEK |
| PE-HD | Polyethylen, hohe Dichte | Hostalen |
| PE-HMW | Polyethylen, hochmolekular, hohe Molmasse | |
| PEI | Polyetherimid | Sustatec PEI, Ultem |
| PEK | Polyetherketon | Hostatec |
| PE-LD | Polyethylen, niedrige Dichte | Hostalen |
| PE-LLD | Polyethylen, linear, niedrige Dichte | Hostalen |
| PE-MD | Polyethylen, mittlere Dichte | |
| PEN | Polyethylennaphthalat | |
| PES | Polyethersulfon | Sustatec PES, Victrex |
| PET | Polyethylenterephthalat | Impet |
| PETG | Polyethylenterephthalat + Glycol | Sustodur PETG |
| PETP | Polyethylenterephthalat | Arnite |
| PE-UHMW | Polyethylen, ultrahochmolekular, sehr hohe Molmasse | |
| PF | Phenol-Formaldehyd-Harz | Bakelit |
| PFA | Perfluoralkoxylalkan / Perfluoralkoxy-Copolymer | Teflon, Hostaflon |
| PFPE | Perfluorpolyether | |
| PI | Polyimid | Kapton, Vespel |
| PIB | Polyisobuten | |
| PMI | Polymethacrylamid | Rohacell |
| PMMA | Polymethylmetacrylat | Plexiglas, Acrylglas |
| POM | Polyoxymethylen, Polyacetal | Delrin, Hostaform C, Sustarin, Ultraform |
| POM+Gleit | Polyacetal + Gleitmittel | Oilex 1200 |
| PP | Polypropylen | Hostalen, Vestolen, Novolen |
| PPA | Polyphthalamid | Amodel |
| PP-C | Polypropylen, Copolymer | |
| PPE | Polyphenylenether | |
| PP-H | Polypropylen, Homopolymer | |
| PPO | Polyphenylenoxid | Sustatec PPO |
| PPS | Polyphenylensulfid | Fortron, Ryton, Sustatec PPS, Tedur |
| PPY | Polypyrrol | |
| PS | Polystyrol | Polystyrol |
| PS-E | Polystyrol, expandierbar | Styropor |
| PSU | Polysulfon | Sulfor, Sustatec PSU, Ultrason S |
| PTFE | Polytetrafluorethylen | Teflon, Hostaflon, Fluon |
| PU | Polyurethan | Adiprene, Vulkollan |
| PUR | Polyurethan, Polyesterelastomer | Arnitel |
| PVA | Polyvinylalkohol | |
| PVAC | Polyvinylacetat | Vinnapas |
| PVC | Polyvinylchlorid | Trovidur, Hostalit, Vestolit, Vinnolit |
| PVDC | Polyvinylidenchlorid | |
| PVDF | Polyvinylidenfluorid | Sustatec PVDF, SOLEF, Hylar, Kynar |
| PVF | Polyvinylfluorid | |
| SAN | Styrol-Acrylnitril | |
| SBR | Styrol-Butadien-Kautschuk | |
| TPE | Thermoplastische Elastomere | |
| UF | Harnstoff-Formaldehyd-Harz |
The accuracy of this information is not guaranteed
*Plastic abbreviations according to DIN EN ISO 1043-1 and DIN ISO 1629.
**All brand names are the property of the relevant manufacturer.
For additional information on the trade names and material properties of plastics, we recommend: