High-performance plastics

Just about 0.2% of the worldwide plastic production belong to the category of high-performance plastics. Depending on the application, one or several characteristics of these materials are clearly optimized.

Usually, high-performance plastics are distinguished from technical plastics by means of the continous operating temperature. Normally, technical thermoplastics can be used at a temperature of 130°C, whereas high-performance plastics can even resist to temperatures of over 150°C permanently.

Thus, these materials may also be designated as high-temperature plastics.
However, these materials resist to considerably more than just high operating temperatures. Some of them also endure cryogenic conditions with temperatures below minus 200°C, others are extremely resistant to chemicals, radioactive radiation or other impacts. Other characteristics of high-performance plastics can be extraordinary resistance to wear and tear, high purity or particular electrical insulation.
Due to these particular characteristics, high-performance plastics can be found in the higher price segment.
(No guarantee for any information given)

ring made of PVDF

PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride)

PVDF is used as inner coating for pipes or exterior components as a result of its good thermical and chemical resistance. As this material type can be produced in ultrapure environment, it is used in chip manufacturing (micro electronics) for pipe systems for the transport of ultrapure materials like high-purity water.

high continous operating temperature (140 °C)
all but no water absorption
good dimensional stability
high chemical consistency
good resistance to hydrolysis
wheater-resistant
stable to radiation
good electrical insulator
high abrasion resistance

Part made of PTFE + 25% glass fibre

PTFE (Polytetrafluore ethylene)

PTFE is very sluggish in reaction. Even aggressive acids like nitrohydrochloric acid are not able to attack PTFE. Its frictional coefficient is very low. PTFE slides on PTFE as good as wet ice on wet ice. Moreover, the sticking friction is the same as the slide friction, thus, changeover from standstill to movement happens without any jerking.

Hardly anything is able to stick on PTFE as its surface tension is extremely high.

Density: 2,2 g/cm³
stable to all acids and bases
only non-resistant to natrium
Operating temperature up to 260 °C (in case of temperatures over 400 °C, extremely toxical pyrolysis products, e. g. fluoric phosegene are evaporated)
frost-resistant up to -200 °C
only adhesive after pretreatment
physiologically harmless

flange made of PPS

PPS / PPSU (Polysulfones)

Polysulfones are characterized by high consistency, rigidity and durability and those properties are even kept at temperatures between −100 und 150° C. The dimensional stability is very high, however, volume of the material changes when getting in touch with cooking water, hot air at a temperature of at least 150 °C, or if the air humidity falls below 0,1 %.

good resistance to chemicals
resistant to mineral acids, bases and electrolytes
not resistant to ketones and chlorinated hydrocarbones

part made of PEEK

PEEK (Polyether etherketone)

Polyether ketones resist to nearly any organic and anorganic chemicals. They also resist to hydrolysis up to a temperature of approx. 280 °C. However, they are not resistant to UV radiation, concentrated nitric acid and some halocarbones.

flame-resistant
high resistance to chemicals
high strength in shape under temperature
high consistency
high dimensional stability
resistant to wear and tear
good slide and friction characteristics