High-Performance and Unique Materials

Few materials are truly unique. All plastic materials compete with each other and conventional materials, at least to some degree however, it is the combination of properties and cost that ultimately decides which material will be used in any given applications. Even those protected by patents must compete with others that overlap their properties in some way. 

As an example of a unique material, consider polymethylpentene-1 (PMP). While its optical properties do overlap those of some other transparent polymers, its combination of gas permeation, light transmission, heat, and chemical resistance set it apart from other transparent polymers such as acrylic, PET, PC, and SAN. PMP s relatively high cost keeps it from taking away more than a small number of high-end applications from the competing products, but this pricing must be considered a deliberate choice by the manufacturer to maximize profitability in markets where sales volumes are limited. 

---