High-Performance Polymers
High-performance polymers are plastic materials that maintain their strength, stability, and functionality under extreme conditions. Often used in critical industries, these materials deliver advanced characteristics for high-performance benefits in demanding applications compared to standard plastics to meet your requirements.
What are High-Performance Polymers?
Defined as polymers that can withstand corrosive environments, high temperatures, and harsh pressure conditions while maintaining critical characteristics, high-performance polymers must meet various criteria to be classified as such. High-performance polymers should:
- Have a durability of at least 10,000 h at 177 °C
- Feature a thermal decomposition temperature minimum of 450 °C
- Achieve minimal weight loss rates at elevated temperatures
- Deliver 10% deflection under 1.52MPa load at a minimum temperature of 177 °C
- Exhibit high glass transition temperatures and excellent mechanical properties
With a range of beneficial material characteristics, these materials meet higher requirements than engineering plastics to be used for applications in more demanding environments requiring tighter tolerances.
High-Performance Polymer Material Features
Materials that fall into the high-performance polymer category have various features for advantages across multiple industries. They are lightweight but robust to improve the overall performance while decreasing the weight of the component, as well as offering high tensile strength and impact resistance for applications with tight tolerances. High-performance polymers maintain their physical characteristics in extreme temperatures and can be exposed to various chemicals without dissolving or degrading. The material features found in high-performance polymers include:
- High strength-to-weight ratio
- Chemical resistance
- Thermal stability
- Mechanical strength
- Dimensional stability
Industries Using High-Performance Polymer Components
High-performance polymers are highly favored across various industries. These materials contribute to lightweight designs for fuel efficiency and enhanced performance, as well as offer high strength and thermal stability to withstand harsh operating conditions. Durable, biocompatible, and offering excellent electrical properties, high-performance polymers can be used in automotive, aerospace, medical, and electronics applications, such as:
- Body parts, interiors, and exteriors
- Dashboards and engine components
- Structural components and seals
- Medical devices, implants, and drug delivery systems
- Insulation, encapsulation, and electronic connectors
High-Performance Polymer Materials Compatible with Our Processes
With a team of experienced engineers, a fleet of cutting-edge CNC equipment, and secondary and ongoing support services, Upland Fab is a premium manufacturing partner for high-performance polymer machining. Our highly repeatable and accurate processes produce lightweight, high-precision plastic parts with tight tolerances to meet your exact specifications for applications across industries, working with specialized materials to deliver the material features you need.
PEEK
Polyetheretherketone, or PEEK, is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic with exceptional mechanical strength, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. Lightweight, wear-resistant, and featuring excellent dimensional stability, PEEK is an ideal material for aerospace, automotive, medical, and electronics applications. PEEK is also biocompatible, offering a balance of performance and processability for a versatile solution in various applications.
PVDF
A semi-crystalline fluoropolymer, PVDF, or polyvinylidene fluoride, offers excellent chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and thermal stability. This material performs well in harsh environments, offering good flame resistance, UV stability, and electrical insulation for chemical processing, electrical and electronics, as well as architectural applications. PVDF has a unique combination of properties, making it an excellent choice for complex components like lithium-ion battery parts, membranes, and coatings.
PTFE
Polytetrafluoroethylene, more commonly known as PTFE or Teflon®, is a fluoropolymer known for its chemical resistance, low friction, and high thermal stability. It is non-stick, electrically insulating, with excellent weather and UV resistance, and is virtually inert to most chemicals for use in chemical processing, electrical insulation, and medical device applications. This material is challenging to process, but it is a highly valuable material for critical applications in demanding industries.
