Thermoplastics

Thermoplastics

Thermoplastics and Thermoplastic Composites

This book bridges the technology and business aspects of thermoplastics, providing a guide designed for engineers working in real-world industrial settings. The author explores the criteria for material selection, provides a detailed guide to each family of thermoplastics, and also explains the various processing options for each material type. More than 30 families of thermoplastics are described with information on their advantages and drawbacks, special grades, prices, transformation processes, applications, thermal behaviour, technological properties (tenacity, friction, dimensional stability), durability (ageing, creep, fatigue), chemical and fire behaviour, electrical properties, and joining possibilities. Biron explores the technological properties and economics of the major thermoplastics and reinforced thermoplastics, such as polyethylene, and emerging polymers such as polybenzimidazole, Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) and bioplastics. In the second edition, a new section 'plastics solutions for practical problems' provides over 25 case studies illustrating a wide range of design and production challenges across the spectrum of thermoplastics, from metal and glass replacement solutions, to fire retardant plastics and antimicrobials. In addition, Biron provides major new material on bioplastics and wood plastic composites (WPCs), and fully updated data throughout. - Combining materials data, information on processing techniques, and economic aspects (pricing), Biron provides a unique end-to-end approach to the selection and use of materials in the plastics industry and related sectors - Includes a new section of case studies, illustrating best practice across a wide range of applications and industry sectors - New material on bioplastics and sustainable composites

Thermoplastics

The overall aim of this book is to aid the process of sourcing and selecting appropriate thermoplastic polymers. There are now a wide diversity of thermoplastics offered for commercial uses. At one end of the range are the high-volume commodity materials for short life consumer applications. Whereas at the other end are the high value engineering materials; with significant levels of mechanical, physical and electrical performance. Within this publication, the generic groups of thermoplastics can be identified, along with their respective attributes and limitations. All thermoplastics are available in different grades. The constituents selected to form a grade are chosen to modify aspects of material behaviour, both during processing and in the final moulded form. The directory addresses materials which can be obtained in granular, powder or paste form for subsequent processing. Information is not provided directly on semi-finished product forms, such as films, fibres, sheet or profiles, other than when inferred from the processing descriptions of specified grades. The directory covers virgin or compounded material. It does not specifically address reclaimed or recycled grades. Data is provided for the mechanical and physical properties of moulded grades as processed by the route intended by the primary manufacturer (M) or compounder (C). Material grades can be obtained from a number of sources; either the original polymer manufacturer or a recognised compounder who produces a range of grades.