Johnny Xiong
Rapid Tooling Expert
Contents
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment, understanding plastic material properties is essential for successful product design and development. Whether you're working on consumer electronics, automotive components, or medical devices, choosing the right plastic material directly affects performance, durability, cost, and production efficiency.
This guide offers a comprehensive overview of essential plastic material properties and includes helpful reference charts, such as a plastic identification chart and plastic density chart, to support your material selection decisions.
Why Understanding Plastic Material Properties Matters
The success of a product often hinges on the correct choice of material. Selecting the right plastic is not merely about choosing something that “works”—it’s about optimizing performance for the specific application while minimizing production costs.
Understanding key plastic material properties influences:
- Design parameters like wall thickness, geometry, and part strength
- Molding decisions such as tool design, cooling time, and shrinkage
- End-use performance, including temperature resistance, flexibility, and durability
A well-informed decision ensures product longevity, reliability, and compliance with safety standards.
Key Plastic Material Properties to Know
When selecting a plastic for your application, consider the following properties:
- Strength and Toughness – Determines how well a plastic resists breaking under stress.
- Flexibility and Rigidity – Impacts how much a material can bend or flex without cracking.
- Heat Resistance – Often defined by the plastic melting temperature, critical for high-heat applications.
- Chemical Resistance – Important for applications involving exposure to solvents, oils, or cleaning agents.
- Transparency/Clarity – Needed for optical parts or aesthetic considerations.
- Density – Useful for weight-sensitive designs; see our plastic density chart below.
- Environmental Durability – Includes UV, moisture, and weather resistance.
Plastic Material Selection Guide
Below is a summary of key properties for commonly used plastics. This can serve as a quick plastic material selection guide for engineers and designers.
Material | Strength | Flexibility | Melting Temp (°C) | Chemical Resistance | Density (g/cm³) | Notes |
ABS | Medium | Low | ~105 | Moderate | 1.04 | Good impact resistance, widely used in housings |
PP | Low | High | ~160 | Excellent | 0.91 | Lightweight, excellent fatigue resistance |
PE-HD | Medium | High | ~130 | Excellent | 0.95 | Durable, used in containers and pipes |
PC | High | Moderate | ~150 | Low | 1.20 | High clarity, impact-resistant |
PA (Nylon) | High | Moderate | ~220 | Good | 1.14 | High wear resistance, used in mechanical parts |
POM (Acetal) | High | Low | ~175 | Good | 1.42 | Excellent dimensional stability |
PS | Low | Brittle | ~100 | Poor | 1.05 | Low cost, used in packaging and disposable items |
PVC | Medium | Low-Moderate | ~75 (soft) ~100 (rigid) | Excellent | 1.38 | Versatile, used in pipes, medical devices |
TPE | Low | High | ~200 | Good | 0.89–1.3 | Rubber-like flexibility |
TPU | High | High | ~180 | Excellent | 1.20 | Elastic, abrasion-resistant |
PET | Medium | Low | ~250 | Moderate | 1.38 | Good barrier properties, used in bottles |
Data may vary slightly based on grade and manufacturer specifications.
HordRT’s Material Expertise
Choosing the right plastic can be challenging given the range of available options and performance variables. At HordRT, we specialize in helping clients navigate this complexity. Our experts provide technical consultation during the early stages of design, ensuring optimal material selection tailored to each specific injection molding project.
With decades of experience and access to a wide range of engineering-grade plastics, we empower our clients to create products that are not only manufacturable but also cost-effective and durable.
Conclusion
Understanding plastic material properties is more than an academic exercise—it's a vital step in creating successful products. From plastic melting temperatures to chemical and environmental resistance, each property influences how your design will perform in real-world applications.
Use this guide as a quick reference in your design and development process. And when in doubt, consult experts like HordRT to ensure you're making the right material choice for your application.
