HIGH TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE
Heat resistant plastic materials are constantly being developed and becoming more common both in traditional and in high end industrial applications to improve performance and durability.
Common understanding may be that plastics are not normally considered as heat resistant materials. However, the truth is that there are whole families of high-performance polymers which may be used at permanent service temperatures of more than 302°F up to over 572°F depending on the operating conditions.
These materials, characterized by elevated glass transition and melting temperatures, are the best candidates when it comes to metal replacement, as polymers provide the added value of superior properties such as sliding friction characteristics, weight saving, and chemical resistance. These advantages can be maintained, even at high permanent operating temperatures. High temperature polymers are commercially available both as unmodified heat resistant materials and as modified high-performance thermoplastics.
By adding reinforcements, such as glass or carbon fibers, stiffness and heat distortion temperature can be improved, along with the additional benefit of dimensional stability. This is possible thanks to lower thermal expansion rates that can get close to values typical of some metal alloys. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic is currently one of the most interesting solutions when operating conditions require extreme stiffness and mechanical properties combined with the lowest weight possible, as in aerospace or automotive applications.
For applications that require abrasion resistance, wear or a low coefficient of friction, these engineering plastics offer superior performance when compounded with lubricants such as PTFE and graphite. Moreover, the intrinsically good electrical insulating characteristics of these thermoplastics can be modified to achieve static dissipative or electrically conductive qualities.
