The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

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https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

The Eleven Most Important

Types of Plastic
Take Your
Creative Mechanisms Staff on July 21, 2016 Product
Development
Process to the
One of the major innovations of the past century has been the Next Level
introduction and wide adoption of plastics for many day-to-day
applications that previously relied on traditional materials like Companies that develop
metal, glass, or cotton. Plastics have revolutionized many a product on a consistent
industries for a number of different reasons to include the fact basis are under
that they resist environmental degradation over time, are tremendous pressure to:
generally safe for human beings, are economical and widely
available, and are produced with a wide variety of material Create Innovative
properties that allow adaptation to many different applications. designs
Here is our list of the top 11 plastics the modern world simply Properly engineer
cannot do without: the designs for
production
1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or Be successful in
very short
PET): timeframes

PET is the most widely produced plastic in the world. It is used Our expertise and unique
predominantly as a fiber (known by the trade name “polyester”) collaborative process
and for bottling or packaging. For example, PET is the plastic alleviates your stress and
used for bottled water and is highly recyclable. helps take your Design,
Engineering and
Prototyping process to

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The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

the next level.

PET plastic water bottle

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Three words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of Prototyping &
Polyethylene relative to other plastics and materials would be: Product
Development (82)
Wide applications as a fiber (“polyester”) Design & CAD (57)
Extremely effective moisture barrier Mechanisms &
Shatterproof Engineering (40)
Injection Molding
2. Polyethylene (PE): (39)
Production &
There are a number of different variants of polyethylene. Low Manufacturing (38)
and high density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE respectively)
are the two most common and the material properties vary see all
across the different variants.

HDPE plastic container

1. LDPE: LDPE is the plastic used for plastic bags in

grocery stores. It has high ductility but low tensile
strength.

https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

1. HDPE: A stiff plastic used for more robust plastic

packaging like laundry detergent containers as well
as for construction applications or trash bins.

1. UHMW: Extremely strong plastic that can rival or

even exceed steel in strength and is used is for
applications like medical devices (e.g. artificial hips).

3. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC):

Polyvinyl Chloride is perhaps most well known for its use in
residential and commercial property construction applications.
Different types of PVC are used for plumbing, insulation of
electrical wires, and “vinyl” siding. In the construction business
PVC pipe is often referred to by the term “schedule 40” which
indicates the thickness of the pipe relative to its length.
Schedule 40 PVC Pipe

Schedule 40 PVC pipe

Three words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of

PVC relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Brittle
Rigid (although different PVC variants are actually
designed to be very flexible)
Strong

4. Polypropylene (PP):
Polypropylene is used in a variety of applications to include
packaging for consumer products, plastic parts for the

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The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

automotive industry, special devices like living hinges, and

textiles. It is semi-transparent, has a low-friction surface,
doesn’t react well with liquids, is easily repaired from damage
and has good electrical resistance (i.e. it is a good electrical
insulator). Perhaps most importantly, polypropylene is
adaptable to a variety of manufacturing techniques which
makes it one of the most commonly produced and highly
demanded plastics on the market.
Living Hinge Prototype Cap and Closure CNC Machined From Polypropylene

Living hinge prototype cap CNC machined from polypropylene

Two short phrases to describe the major benefits of

Polypropylene relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Unique Use For Living Hinges

Simple To Manufacture

5. Polystyrene (PS):
Polystyrene is used widely in packaging under the trade name
“styrofoam.” It is also available as a naturally transparent solid
commonly used for consumer products like soft drink lids or
medical devices like test tubes or petri dishes.

https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

Styrofoam Peanuts

Styrofoam peanuts

One short phrase to describe the major benefits of Polystyrene

relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Foam Applications

6. Polylactic Acid (PLA):

Polylactic Acid is unique in relation to the other plastics on this
list in that it is derived from biomass rather than petroleum.
Accordingly it biodegrades much quicker than traditional plastic
materials.

A cup made from bioplastic PLA

Two words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of

Polylactic Acid relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Biodegradable
DIY 3D Printing (compare PLA to ABS)

7. Polycarbonate (PC):
Polycarbonate is a transparent material known for its
particularly high impact strength relative to other plastics. It is
used in greenhouses where high transmissivity and high

https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

strength are both required or in riot gear for police.

Polycarbonate (PC) Transparent Plastic Greenhouse

A polycarbonate greenhouse

Two words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of

Polycarbonate relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Transparent
High Strength

8. Acrylic (PMMA):
Acrylic is best known for its use in optical devices. It is
extremely transparent, scratch resistant, and much less
susceptible to damaging human skin or eye tissue if it fails (e.g.
shatters) in close proximity to sensitive tissue.

https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

A Laser Being Redirected Through An Acrylic Plastic Lens

A laser being directed through an acrylic lens

Two words or short phrases to describe the major benefits of

Acrylic relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Transparent
Scratch Resistant

9. Acetal (Polyoxymethylene, POM):

Acetal is a very high tensile strength plastic with significant
creep resistant properties that bridge the material properties
gap between most plastics and metals. It is known for high
resistance to heat, abrasion, water, and chemical compounds.
Additionally, Acetal has a particularly low coefficient of friction
which combined with its other characteristics makes it very
useful for applications that utilize gears.

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The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

Gears and Rack Made From Low Friction Acetal Plastic

Acetal gears and rack

One short phrase to describe the major benefits of Acetal

relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Low Friction

10. Nylon (PA):
Nylon is used for a variety of applications to include clothing,
reinforcement in rubber material like car tires, for use as a rope
or thread, and for a number of injection molded parts for
vehicles and mechanical equipment. It is often used as a
substitute for low strength metals in applications like car
engines because of its high strength (relative to other plastics),
high temperature resilience, and high chemical compatibility.

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The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

White Nylon Rope

Nylon rope

Two short phrases to describe the major benefits of Nylon

relative to other plastics and materials would be:

High Strength
Temperature Resistant

BONUS: #11 …
This list really wouldn’t be complete without ABS. ABS is the
plastic we use most often to rapid prototype on a day-to-day
basis.

11. ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene):

ABS has a strong resistance to corrosive chemicals and
physical impacts. It is very easy to machine, is readily available
and has a low melting temperature making it particularly simple
to use in injection molding manufacturing processes or 3D
printing.

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The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

Lego Toys Made From ABS Plastic

LEGO toys made from ABS plastic

Four short phrases to describe the major benefits of ABS

relative to other plastics and materials would be:

Impact Resistant
Readily Available
Simple To Manufacture
#1 Material For 3D Printing

No matter what the application is there are different plastics

with the right material properties to suit the requirements. If
you’re looking for the right plastic for your application we can
help. We have been creating plastic prototypes for more than
30 years and can help you or your organization make your idea
a reality.

https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

Topics:
Plastics

Mahmood Mohiuddin
8/22/2016, 11:33:44 PM

Plastics offers numerous advantages such as low weight,

recyclable,easy of bonding etc. etc. The advantages of plastics

in the medical device industry surpass any other selection.

They can be sterilized by conventional processes. Its unique

application is more visible in blood and blood component

storage in plastics versus in glass. The life of stored product is

significatnly reduced in glass versus plastics.

Reply to Mahmood Mohiuddin

Roy Raju
7/27/2017, 12:40:50 PM

Hi, We would like to manufacture plastic cap for the shaving

razors. I am a bit confused on which plastic to go for. Can you

help me with the same.

Thanks

Roy

Reply to Roy Raju

Michael Creighton
7/27/2017, 11:27:51 PM

https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

Roy, I would suggest taking our online class about plastics

found here:

https://creativemechanisms.pathwright.com/library/plastics-

course/about/

The class covers many types of plastics and explains

some of the reasons for using them in certain applications.

If you still need help selecting the right plastic after

completing that class, feel free to contact us directly.

Reply to Michael Creighton

geeth siriman
6/11/2018, 6:34:32 PM

fanks for the tip

Reply to geeth siriman

Earnestine Clayton
9/10/2018, 4:19:06 AM

I’m been really interested in making a strong plastic Doll House

for My Granddaughter’s. What type of Plastic would you

consider and where would I purchase this item? Thankful

Reply to Earnestine Clayton

Michael Creighton
9/10/2018, 7:36:35 PM

https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/eleven-most-important-plastics[11-05-2019 17:12:58]
The Eleven Most Important Types of Plastic

Earnestine, ABS or Polystyrene (PS, sometimes just called

Styrene) would likely be a good choice for model making.

Both materials are easy to cut, sand, glue, modify, paint,

etc. ABS can be purchased from your local plastic supplier

or from www.mcmaster.com. There are many Styrene

products available from https://evergreenscalemodels.com/

that are really nice for model making.

Reply to Michael Creighton

Syifa Ruri
12/25/2018, 1:55:23 PM

Hi, first of all thank you for this helpful information. I'm

wondering, can we use others plastic (not PLA or ABS) for 3D

printing?

Thank you.

Reply to Syifa Ruri

Michael Creighton
1/3/2019, 3:21:13 AM

Syifa, yes materials beside PLA and ABS can be used with

3D printing. Other common materials include: Nylon,

Polycarbonate, ASA and ULTEM.

Reply to Michael Creighton

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