Plastics

10. Plastics

10.1 Raw Material Source

10.2 Mixing/Preparation

10.3 Molding/Curing

10.4 Chemistry Certifications

Plastics

The Plastics Material Category is composed of thermoset and thermoplastic polymers.

Plastics can be customized at the following Production Stages:

  • Raw Material Source
  • Mixing/Preparation
  • Molding/Curing
  • Chemistry Certifications
At minimum, the type of plastic polymer needs to be known to select an appropriate Example Material in the Higg MSI.

There are eighteen different Plastics Example Materials that can be selected and customized:

  • Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic should be selected when using ABS plastic, composed of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene monomers. Different ratios of the three monomers can have different material properties but should all still be classified as ABS plastic.
  • Epoxy plastic should be selected when using an epoxy resin that cures into a thermoset plastic. All epoxy resins should select this example material, regardless of curing method or pre-polymers.
  • Nylon/Polyamide plastic should be selected when using an amide-linked polymer.
  • Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (acrylic) plastic, fossil fuel based should be selected when using the transparent polymer resulting from the reaction of methyl methacrylate monomers. PMMA is also known as acrylic and plexiglass.
  • Polycarbonate (PC) plastic should be selected when using transparent polymers linked through carbonate groups. The main monomer of the reaction is usually a phenol compound, such as bisphenol-A or bisphenol-S.
  • Polyester plastic should be selected when using an ester-linked polymer, except for PLA, which is listed as a separate plastic type in the Higg MSI. Co-polyester plastics and plastic with resin identification code #1 (PET) are both classified as polyester plastics.
  • Polyethylene (PE) plastic should be selected when using a plastic made through the polymerization of ethylene monomer units. Polyethylene can be low- or high-density (LDPE and HDPE). Plastics with either #2 (HDPE) or #4 (LDPE) resin identification codes are PE plastics.
  • Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastic should be selected when the raw material type is a polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of lactic acid ester units derived from naturally occurring sugars.
  • Polyoxymethylene (POM) plastic should be selected when using polyoxymethylene plastic, also known as acetal or polyformaldehyde, and composed primarily of anhydrous formaldehyde monomer.
  • Polypropylene (PP) plastic should be selected when the raw material type is a long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight ofpropylene. Plastic with resin identification code #5 (PP) is a polypropylene plastic.
  • Polystyrene (PS) plastic should be selected when using a plastic made through the polymerization of styrene monomer units. Plastic with resin identification code #6 (PS) is a polystyrene plastic.
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) plastic should be selected when using a fluoropolymer composed of tetrafluoroethylene monomer.
  • Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) plastic should be selected when using the water-soluble polymer PVA, prepared through the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate monomers.
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic should be selected when using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, composed primarily of vinyl chloride monomers. Soft PVC that contains plasticizers should also select PVC plastic.
  • Silicone plastic should be selected when using silicone (polysiloxane) polymers, made of a variety of different siloxane monomers. When using silicone for its elastomeric properties (typical use case), silicone rubber should be selected from the Rubbers/Elastomers Material Category.
  • Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) plastic should be selected when using a polyurethane polymer that is thermoplastic (can be melted into a liquid). Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) plastic is applicable to solid plastic parts. For thermoplastic polyurethane used in Textiles, Rubbers, or Foams, the appropriate Material Category should be selected.
  • Thermoset Polyurethane (PU) plastic should be selected when using a polyurethane polymer that is a thermoset (cannot be melted into a liquid or re-formed). Thermoset Polyurethane (PU) plastic is applicable to solid plastic parts. For thermoset polyurethane used in Textiles, Rubbers, or Foams, the appropriate Material Category should be selected.
  • Plastic fillers should be selected when filler particles are added to plastic to improve its properties, reduce costs, and make it lighter.