THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

School of engineering
department of mechanical engineering
ASSIGNMENT 1
TITLE: PLASTICS

NAME: MATAUKA F. MUFUNGULWA

COMPUTER NUMBER: 2019075822

COURSE: MEC 4105 (PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY I)

LECTURER: MR MTUMBI GOMA

DUE DATE: 31ST JULY, 2023

Engineering plastics
Engineering plastics are a group of plastic materials that have better mechanical and/or thermal
properties than the more widely used commodity plastics (such as polystyrene, polyvinyl
chloride, polypropylene and polyethylene). Engineering plastics have a higher heat resistance
than standard plastics and are continuously usable at temperatures up to about 150 °C.
The term usually refers to thermoplastic materials rather than thermosetting ones. Examples of
engineering plastics include:
 PA material Polyamide,
Polyamide or commonly called nylon, is a semi crystalline thermoplastic with low density and
high thermal stability. Nylon plastic is one of the most important construction plastics due to its
excellent wear resistance, good coefficient of friction and very good temperature resistance and
impact strength. Designations for Polyamide plastic, often occur in conjunction with numbers
such as PA 6, PA 66, PA 12 and PA 46. These numbers refer to the molecular structure of the
PA polymer.
The material PA is also characterised by very good chemical resistance and is a particularly oil
resistant plastic. Thanks to these excellent Polyamide plastic properties, especially the
combination of high strength, toughness and low weight, PA plastic is ideally suited as a metal
substitute. Automotive parts, industrial valves, insulation for railway sleepers and other technical
applications are made from the polyamide polymer. polyamides (PA, nylons), used
for skis and ski boots;
 PC plastic - Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is referred to by the abbreviation PC and is an amorphous thermoplastic that has
high transparency due to its low crystallinity. This clear polycarbonate plastic offers good
electrical insulation properties and excellent toughness. PC plastic can be used in a wide
temperature range. At up to 120 °C, the plastic retains its rigidity and has very high impact
strength even at low temperatures.
Polycarbonate plastic is also characterised by its UV and weather resistance, but is only
moderately resistant to chemicals. The material only exhibits optical clarity when it is
mechanically or chemically polished.polycarbonates (PC), used in motorcycle
helmets and optical discs.
 poly(methyl methacrylate)
(PMMA, major brand names acrylic glass and plexiglass), used e.g. for taillights and protective
shields.

 ABS plastic - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

ABS material is an amorphous terpolymer formed by the combination of three compounds:
Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene. Using different combinations of these monomers, wide
ranging different plastic ABS types can be manufactured offering a wide spectrum of different
ABS properties by means of branching or copolymerization.
ABS plastic material provides a unique bridge between the standard plastics and other
engineering thermoplastics. The performance of ABS polymer is characterised by toughness and
impact resistance, even at low temperatures, good stiffness and machinability.
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), is currently The most-consumed engineering plastic used
for car bumpers, dashboard trim and Lego.
 Polyethylene terephthalate
PET material is a polyester with a comparatively high density. PET polymer is available as an
amorphous or semi crystalline thermoplastic. The semi crystalline variant is the one mainly used
for engineering applications. Due to its good creep resistance as well as its low moisture
absorption and excellent dimensional stability, PET plastic is ideal for use in complex parts with
the highest demands on dimensional accuracy and surface quality.

High Performance Plastics

High performance plastics are plastics that meet higher requirements than standard or
engineering plastics. Generally, they are used in smaller amounts for critical applications such as
aerospace, defense, medical or industrial applications. They represent about 1% of the plastics
manufactured worldwide. High performance plastics differ from standard plastics primarily by
their higher thermal stability, outstanding chemical resistance, and superior product quality.

There are many names for the term high-performance plastics, such as: high temperature plastics,
high performance polymers, high performance thermoplastics or high tech plastics. The term
“polymers” is often used instead of “plastics” when referring to a high performance plastic.
Some examples of these are:

 PEEK plastic material - Polyetheretherketone

The material PEEK is a unique, versatile, semi-crystalline engineering thermoplastic with
excellent chemical resistance. Due to its high heat distortion and temperature resistance, PEEK
components can be used at temperatures up to 250 - 260 °C. The melting point of the high
temperature plastic is approx. 341 °C.
PEEK materials are often used in environments with hot water or steam and are still able to
maintain their physical properties such as flexural strength and tensile strength at a high level.

 PTFE material - Polytetrafluoroethylene

PTFE material (with the chemical name polytetrafluoroethylene, commonly referred to as
Teflon® plastic) is a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer with many unique properties. This
fluoropolymer offers exceptionally high thermal stability, chemical resistance, and corrosion
resistance, as well as a high melting point (-200 to 260 °C, briefly also up to 300 °C).

In addition, PTFE products have excellent sliding properties, excellent electrical resistance and a
non-stick surface. In contrast to other plastics, however, they have low mechanical strength and a
high specific density. With these qualities, PTFE plastic is commonly manufactured into rollers,
seals, and seal rings. To improve the mechanical properties, the PTFE polymer can be reinforced
with additives such as glass fibres, carbon, bronze or even with polyimide.

 PPS Plastic - Polyphenylene sulfide

PPS material is a semi crystalline, thermoplastic high temperature polymer and chemically
known as polyphenylene sulphide. Due to its structure, PPS plastic is chemical and corrosion
resistant and has very good mechanical strength. Its chemical resistance and tensile strength are
maintained even at temperatures above 200 °C.
In addition, the properties of PPS are characterised by low water absorption, resistance to hot
water and steam, and good dimensional stability. PPS polymers also have excellent dielectric and
insulating properties that are stable under a wide range of conditions, as well as their inherent
flame resistance.

PPS material manufacturers also offer polyphenylene sulphide polymer in reinforced form, such
as PPS GF40, which is 40 % glass fibre reinforced. In addition, a variety of other PPS
modifications are available.

 PES Plastic - Polyethersulfone

PES material is a high temperature engineering thermoplastic that can withstand high
temperatures over long periods of time. The chemical abbreviation for polyethersulphone has
long been PES. However, due to current standards such as EN ISO 1043:2011, polyethersulfones
are now referred to as PESU in order to better assign them to the sulfone family.

PES polymer offers high mechanical strength and stiffness as well as relatively low notch
sensitivity. In addition, PES has good chemical compatibility and hydrolysis resistance. Thanks
to its amorphous molecular structure, PES plastic material is translucent and has a yellowish
brown, transparent colour. PES material is ideal for applications with tight tolerances and low
dimensional change over a wide temperature range. Polyethersulfone components, regardless of
nomenclature, are ideal for a wide range of applications due to their strong physical properties.