Polyamide, Polycarbonate, Polyester, Polyoxymethylene

The range of organic pigments available for coloring the different plastics varies according to the requirements. In view of economic considerations, it is increasingly necessary for the requirements to compromize between price and performance of the pigment to be used. 

In the case of PETP attention must be paid to the nucleating effect of the organic pigments, depending on the application (bottles). 

Polystyrene (PS), a highly rigid and surface-hardened thermoplastic, is glass clear and almost colorless. Its typical slight yellow tinge is easy to compensate for by adding transparent blue colorants to adjust the color. Polystyrene softens between 80 and 100°C. It is processed between about 170 and 280°C, up to a maximum of 300°C, without color change, by any of the methods which are recommended for thermoplastics. The list of products includes extrusion made sheets, profiles, and films, which are often foamed. 

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), an amorphous plastic material, is extremely stable to aging and to weathering it is hard and glass clear. 

Completely dissolved pigments should be referred to as dyes and be tested as such. This concerns features such as the extraction properties in the finished article. In PS, SAN, and other transparent plastics with a high glass transition temperature, they afford transparent, glass clear colorations. 

---

Engineering polymers are often used as a replacement for wood and metals. Examples include polyamides (PA), often called nylons, polyesters (saturated and unsaturated), aromatic polycarbonates (PCs), polyoxymethylenes (POMs), polyacrylates, polyphenylene oxide (PPO), styrene copolymers, e.g., styrene/ acrylonitrile (SAN) and acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene (ABS). Many of these polymers are produced as copolymers or used as blends and are each manufactured worldwide on the 1 million tonne scale. 

The decorative laminates described in the previous chapter are made with selected thermosetting resins while resins of this type can be moulded and extruded by methods similar to those outlined in the present and the next chapter the materials employed for these processes predominantly are thermoplastic. Many such plastics can be moulded and extruded under suitable conditions, the most important in terms of quantities used being those that combine properties satisfactory for the purpose with convenience in pro-cessing-especially the polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene), poly(vinyl chloride), and styrene polymers and blends. Other plastics with special qualities, such as better resistance to chemical attack, heat, impact, and wear, also are used—including acetals (polyformaldehyde or polyoxymethylene), polyamides, polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyesters like poly(ethylene terephtha-late) and poly(butylene terephthalate), and modified poly(phenylene oxide),... 

The five engineering polymer families are polyamides (PA), thermoplastic polyesters (PEST), polycarbonates (PC), polyoxymethylenes (POM), and polyphenylene ethers (PPE). They constitute about 11% by volume and 34% by value of... 

The five engineering polymer families are polyamides (PA), thermoplastic polyesters (PEST), polycarbonates (PC), polyoxymethylenes (POM), and polyphenylene ethers (PPE). According to a March 2013 Industry Experts report entitled Engineering Plastics - A Global Market, 19.6 Mt of engineering plastics were produced in 2012. In other words, these polymers constitute only about 10 % by volume of all polymers produced. However, due to superior properties, they command a much larger percentage by value of the plastic consumption. 

Figure 1 Cost-related (specific) flexural strength of major thermoplastics, versus cost-related (specific) thermal tolerance. The unit cost is the market price in US cents (1992) of 1 cm plastics. The thermal tolerance is the temperature difference (AT) over room temperature (AT — T - room T), by which temperature (7 ) the flexural modulus is equal to 1 GPa. Designations, abbreviations WFRP-S, wood fiber reinforced PP (S type) of AECL, Canada (See Table 1) PMMA, polymethylmethacrylate PVC, pol)winyl chloride PS, polystyrene PP, polypropylene UP, unsaturated polyesters PA-GF, glass fiber (35%) reinforced polyamide PHR, phenolic resin EP, epoxy resin ABS, acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene copolymer UF, urea/formaldehyde LDPE, low density polyethylene PC, polycarbonate POM, polyoxymethylene CAB, cellulose acetate butyrate LCP, liquid crystal polymers PEEK, polyether-etherketone PTFE, polytetrafluorethylene.

The blends described in the EDCPB provide a cross section of commercial alloys available in Asia, Europe, and North America. The focus is on blends with the five principal engineering resins polyamides, thermoplastic polyesters, polycarbonates, polyoxymethylenes (acetals), and polyphenylene ethers. There are but few examples of the commodity (and these mainly with polypropylene) as well as with high performance specialty resin blends. This may leave a wrong impression of the global blend industry. 

Several thermoplastics, both of the commodities kind [polystyrene (PS), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC) etc.] and engineering pol)uners [polyamides (PA), polyesters (PE), polycarbonates (PC), polyimides (PI), polysulfones (PSF), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyphenylene oxide (PPO) etc.] exhibit glass transition temperatures (Tg) higher than or close to room temperature (R.T.). As a consequence they show, at R.T. or below it, the shortcoming of brittle impact behaviour, which limits their commercial end-uses. 

All TP or TS matrix property can be improved or changed to meet varying requirements by using reinforcements. Typical thermoplastics used include TP polyesters, polyethylenes (PEs), nylons (polyamides/ PAs), polycarbonates (PCs), TP polyurethanes (PURs), acrylics (PMMAs), acetals (polyoxymethylenes/POMs), polypropylenes (PPs), acrylonitrile butadienes (ABSs), and fluorinated ethylene propylenes (FEPs). The thermoset plastics include TS polyesters (unsaturated polyesters), epoxies (EPs), TS polyurethanes (PURs), diallyl phthalates (DAPs), phenolics (phenol formaldehydes/PFs), silicones (Sis), and melamine formaldehydes (MFs). RTSs predominate for the high performance applications with RTFs fabricating more products. The RTPs continue to expand in the electronic, automotive, aircraft, underground pipe, appliance, camera, and many other products. 

Engineering thermoplastic resins (ETP) are those whose set of properties (mechanical, thermal, chemical) allows them to be used in engineering applications. They are more expensive than commodity thermoplastics and generally include polyamides (PA), polycarbonate (PC), linear polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene ether (PPE) and polyoxymethylene (POM). Specialty resins show more specialized performance, often in terms of a continuous service temperature of 200°C or more and are significantly more expensive than engineering resins. This family include fluoropolymers, liquid crystal polymers (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), aromatic polyamides (PARA), polysulfones (P ), polyimides and polyetherimides. 

Keywords blends, alloys, miscibility, compatibilization, crystallization, nucleation, polyamide (PA-6, PA-66), polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic polyesters (PET, PBT), polyoxymethylene (POM), pol3 henylene ether (PPE), ethylenevinylacetate (EVA), grafting with maleic anhydride (MA), grafting with glyddyl methacrylate (GMA), liquid crystal pol)oners (LCP), copolymer compatibilizer. 

Polymers resistant to hydrolysis in all media include polyolefins, hydrocarbon rubbers, polystyrene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and implasticized poly(vinyl chloride). Polymers sensitive to hydrolysis in both alkaline and acidic media are, eg, cellulose esters, plasticized poly(vinyl chloride), polyCmethyl methacrylate), polyacrylonitrile, polyoxymethylene, polyamides, polyesters, polycarbonates, and polysulfones. Polymers sensitive to alkalis but not acids are imsaturated polyester resins and phenol-formaldehyde resins. 

Polyethylene, polyester, nylon, acetate, polyacrylonitrile, polybenzobisthiazole, polypropylene, acrylic, aramid Polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyimide, fluoropolymers, polyurethanes, poly(vinyl chloride) Cellulose acetate, polysulfone, polyamide, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyacrylonitrile, fluoropolymers Polyoxymethylene, polyester, nylon, polyethersulfone, poly(phenylene sulfide) acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polystyrene... 

Engineering (CUT < 140 °C) a category comprising polyamides (PA), thermoplastic polyesters (PEST including PET, PBT), polycarbonate of bisphenol-A (PC), polyoxymethylene (POM or acetal), and poly(2,6-dimethyl-l,4-phenylene oxide), better known as polyphenylene ethers... 

---