Impact-Resistant Plastics
Designed to absorb or withstand sudden forces or shocks, impact-resistant plastics resist cracking or breaking for use in demanding applications. These materials are used across various industries, offering toughness, flexibility, and durability combined with intrinsic material properties to meet the specific demands of a range of applications to ensure reliability and safety in operation. When choosing an impact-resistant plastic for your needs, it is important to consider:
- Expected Load Conditions
- Operating Temperature Range
- Chemical Exposure
We’ll explore some of the best impact-resistant plastics, including popular materials such as ABS and polycarbonate, discussing material properties, benefits and drawbacks, and potential applications to assist your material selection process. For additional assistance in finding the right material for your project, contact Upland Fab today.
The Best Impact-Resistant Plastics for Various Applications
Polycarbonate (PC)
Polycarbonate, also known as PC, is an exceptionally tough plastic that can be made transparent for various applications. It is easy to manufacture with a variety of favorable properties, including resistance to heat, flame, and UV light, as well as withstanding repeated steam sterilizations for medical applications. As a common glass alternative when impact resistance is needed, polycarbonate can be used for:
- Indoor & Outdoor Signs
- Protective Goggles & Face Shields
- Food Shields
- Helmets
- Windows & Architectural Glazing
- Greenhouses & Roofing
However, polycarbonate is also one of the more expensive engineering polymers, and it is not scratch-resistant. In applications where optical clarity is a concern, this material should be coated to prevent scratching.
Teflon™ (PTFE)
Soft and squishy, while demonstrating incredible toughness, Teflon™ or PTFE offers impact resistance that surpasses PEEK and most polycarbonates, for a solution with similar characteristics to HDPE. It boasts a low coefficient of friction, offering excellent wear resistance to improve its suitability for demanding applications, as well as chemical resistance and extreme temperatures. While PTFE can resist cracking or chipping, it is important to remember that this material can be deformed or dented under prolonged pressure and impact.
Polyamide-Imide (PAI)
Polyamide-imide or PAI is a durable plastic characterized by its toughness, stiffness, as well as high compressive and tensile strength that adjusts to high impacts. This material is known for:
- Maintaining dimensional stability in high temperatures
- Resistance to fuels, acids, and solvents
- Electrical-grade insulation
- Minimal thermal expansion
Due to its superior properties, PAI is expensive, difficult to process, and best suited to high-temperature operations. It can hold tight tolerances, but also has a limited hydrolysis resistance, causing this material to expand when coming into contact with water. PAI can be used for bearings and bushings, pump and valve parts, semiconductor machinery, and other electrical connector components.
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
With densely packed molecules for outstanding toughness and rigidity, high-density polyethylene or HDPE is a widely used, highly versatile impact-resistant plastic. It offers a range of favorable material properties, resisting degradation from chemicals, corrosion, absorption, and abrasion, but can be susceptible to stress cracking under extreme pressure. HDPE is a low-cost, easy-to-fabricate material that is available in flexible or rigid forms, offering a lightweight and high-strength solution for various applications, such as:
- Chemical Tanks
- Marine Construction
- Outdoor Equipment & Playgrounds
- Prosthetics
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Easy-to-machine and bond with adhesives, paint, and coatings, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS is a cost-effective, impact-resistant plastic. This material is hard, rigid, electrically insulating, and exceptionally moldable for automotive components, tool housings, and even children’s toys. Depending on the temperatures used in the manufacturing process, ABS can be made at low temperatures for higher impact resistance or at high temperatures for better heat resistance. It is a highly versatile material, but it does not offer chemical or UV resistance to operate in harsh conditions, nor is it recommended for food and beverage applications.
