{"id":2376,"date":"2020-12-24T16:32:44","date_gmt":"2020-12-24T16:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/?post_type=cpt_blog&p=2376"},"modified":"2021-07-23T11:44:17","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T11:44:17","slug":"guide-to-plastic-materials-for-prototyping-and-production","status":"publish","type":"cpt_blog","link":"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/articles\/guide-to-plastic-materials-for-prototyping-and-production","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Plastic Materials for Prototyping and Production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the world of plastics, there are a lot of different options for a designer to choose from. There are so many plastic materials, in fact, that the process of selecting the proper 3D printing plastics<\/a> for prototyping and subsequent manufacturing plastics for production may seem intimidating. This article seeks to clarify the main types of plastic materials available, as well as applications for each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overview: Different Types of Plastic Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plastics are a synthetic material used for a multitude of different applications. They are commonly made of petrochemicals, but can also be made of some natural components. Some common plastics include Nylon, Acetal, and High Density Polyethylene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the two main types of plastics are thermoplastics and thermosets, this article will focus on grouping plastics by their mechanical behavior, as detailed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rigid Plastics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In short, these are the plastics that we use for items such as electronics enclosures, football helmets, power tool bodies, tape dispensers, and cutting boards. They are substantially less flexible than elastomers but much stronger. They are commonly rated on the Shore D scale, which will be detailed below. Some common rigid plastics are ABS<\/a>, Nylon<\/a>, HDPE<\/a>, and PolyCarbonate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elastomers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also known as rubbers, elastomers are a class of polymers that are characterized by low elastic modulus and high strain to failure. In other words, they are \u201cstretchy\u201d. Some common elastomers are silicone rubber, HNBR, Nitrile, Buna-N, and Urethane rubber. The image below is of a part made from a liquid silicone rubber compound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"part
A part made from a liquid silicone rubber compound<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More specifically, the component is a platinum catalyzed silicone rubber that is cured at room temperature under light pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fiber Reinforced Plastics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These are plastics that have reinforcing fibers dispersed within the plastic to add rigidity, strength, and wear resistance. Common examples of this include fiberglass and carbon fiber layups. It\u2019s also somewhat common to have chopped fiber in injection molded plastics<\/a>. The image below shows a pocket knife with handles that have a nylon plastic with a glass fiber fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"pocket
A pocket knife with handles that have a nylon plastic with a glass fiber fill<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This knife has been carried around daily for well over two years, and it shows very little wear. This is largely thanks to the mechanical properties of glass-filled plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some SLS printed parts may have glass filled nylon powder, which produces parts with a much higher stiffness than standard nylon. Picking such an option would be a good choice to replicate the handle above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modified Plastics with Additives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also common to incorporate additives into a base plastic to produce a variety of desirable characteristics. Some common additives are: antimicrobials, antistatics, plasticizers, pigments, UV stabilizers, fillers, and flame retardants. There are more options, so if you have a specialized need beyond the common additives, I recommend contacting a plastics material vendor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important Mechanical Properties to Consider<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the type of plastic, there are some basic material properties that need to be understood for the optimum material selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yield Strength<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the maximum stress that can be applied to the material before the material deforms permanently. My article here<\/a> goes into much more detail on this topic. The important thing to know in almost all cases is that you want the material stresses to remain below the yield strength of the material during use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image below details a plastic component in its original state, and again after it has been loaded past its yield strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"plastic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"plastic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As we can see, the part is now permanently deformed, due to excessive force. We could not expect this part to perform as it was designed because we have exceeded the yield strength of the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimate Strength<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ultimate strength is much like yield strength, except it\u2019s the stress at which the part fails completely. The image below shows the same component from above that has been loaded even further and completely separated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"component<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Youngs Modulus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also known as elastic modulus, this is the amount that a material will \u201cstretch\u201d when a load is applied. If we remain below the yield strength, the part will return to its original shape after the load is removed. More details of this concept are detailed in the article mentioned above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image below shows a fishing lure that is made of an elastomer in two conditions: the original state and stretched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"fishing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"fishing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the material has stretched quite far, it will return to the original state when the load is removed. Elastomers are also commonly used for gaskets and seals. The image below shows an elastomeric ring gasket on the bottom side of the lid for my pressure chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"elastomeric<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This elastomer holds 60 psi while the chamber remains pressurized and prevents the captive air from leaking off. Gaskets similar to this can also be found on blenders, travel coffee mugs, and many other items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durometer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Different plastics and rubbers have different hardness values that are known as the material\u2019s durometer. More specifically for this article, the shore hardness scale is typically used. Within shore hardness, there are three classifications: 00, A, and D, in order of increasing hardness. A pencil eraser would have a hardness of around 40 on the Shore A scale, while a plastic hard hat would be closer to 80 on the Shore D scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elongation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elongation describes the amount that a material is able to stretch. If the stresses remain below the yield point, the component returns to the original shape in most cases. If the stresses exceed the yield point but are below the ultimate strength of the material, the part will deform but remain intact. If the stresses exceed the ultimate strength, the part will separate as shown above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastics and elastomers typically have a higher elongation when compared with most other materials, with the former having a high elongation in the elastic region. Standard plastics can\u2019t stretch quite as far as an elastomer, but they are also commonly characterized by a high elongation after plastic deformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coefficient of Friction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The coefficient of friction is a term that describes the ratio of the force to move and object perpendicular to normal force. In more simple terms, it describes how well an object slides on the material. This is important for items that will be used in sliding or dynamic contact applications. Some bearings are made of a Teflon (PTFE<\/a>) material because of the low coefficient of friction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional Material Properties of Importance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Outside of the common list of mechanical properties of materials, there are some additional properties of plastics that may be important based on your intended application. Those properties are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n