Quality Plastic

[Der Amf]

I'm on a unexciting train journey into the depths of Suffolk, with only a funeral to look forward to at the end of the journey (don't worry, it's that of someone from deep in my past, I'm going more as a member of someone's entourage) and passing the time by seeing how much violence a new five pound note can take. Quite a lot, it seems. Plastic maybe, but clearly quality plastic.

I was brought up to be instinctively very sniffy about anything plastic, and it seems that that programming has gotten in the way of my learning to differentiate between cheap disposable plastic and stable, solid, resilient, colour-fast, aesthetically-pleasing plastic. In other words, I'm clueless, and would benefit from an education.*

What quality plastic is there that I ought to have noticed by now? I suspect fountain pens are going to be on this list. What is it in the ingredients or manufacturing process of plastic that impacts the subsequent quality?





*Can I also blame my GCSE Chemistry teacher for being a monumental twerp? Ta.

[mrushton]

Surely you mean 'precious resin' as MontBlanc call it. Plastic is a generic term but I 'll bet there is a materials scientist/engineer on TZ who can explain it all

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/plastics.html

[Brighty]

Have a swot up on the polymer pyramid



I mostly use PA6-6 (nylon), PPA and PPS

Brighty

[petethegeek]

[Der Amf]

Have a swot up on the polymer pyramid



I mostly use PA6-6 (nylon), PPA and PPS

Brighty

That should translate to my spending a healthy half hour on Wikipedia

Mont Blanc pens will be from the very very top, right?

[MattMM]

I probably am the nearest thing to a plastics geek on the forum - PhD in Polymer Chemistry plus a Chartered Chemist. Mont Blanc plastic is acrylic or PMMA, poly methyl methacrylate to give it its full name. It's on the bottom of the pyramid, but is highly polished and obviously well-marketed/marked up.

[Reeny]

Mine says Hi.
MrsR bought these from a Barclays ATM outlet on the high street last weekend.

They are early print editions with AA28 serial numbers.
In years to come, they could be worth as much as £5 each if I can keep them in pristine condition as "Safe Queens".

[PickleB]

The OP asked "What quality plastic is there that I ought to have noticed by now?" These are probably not the sort of items he had in mind, but they certainly demand certain qualities from their plastic components.

Glock Polymer Corrosion resistant, tougher than steel and still 86% lighter. More than 20 years ago, GLOCK pistols were the first industrially manufactured handguns with high-tech polymer frames.

And then...polymer handguns that should make Glock nervous
.

[Mr.D]

Starbrite

[Colin63]

Will this do?
IMG_20170319_203145.jpg

Still taking a lickin'

[Velorum]

This is fascinating - which things are made from plastics from the top of the pyramid does anyone know?

[reggie747]

This is fascinating - which things are made from plastics from the top of the pyramid does anyone know?

The leading edges of a Typhoons canards ?

[GrahamB]

This is fascinating - which things are made from plastics from the top of the pyramid does anyone know?

PEEK tends to be used in sealing applications when using aggressive chemistry. Also bearings and bushings for aerospace. A fair bit gets used for connectors in oil and gas, especially downhole connectors

[Man of Kent]

[GrahamB]

Lego's the "cheap" end of the scale, I thought they were ABS acrylanitrile butadiene styrene

[Man of Kent]

Lego's the "cheap" end of the scale, I thought they were ABS acrylanitrile butadiene styrene

Ah yes, but it's the best plastic in the world.

Looking at it from a different angle obviously, but it's interesting that even the plastic used in good quality toys is a designed function; not all plastics would be suitable. I believe they use the same type as that used for safety helmets and that type of thing. Plastics at the bottom of the pyramid may be cheaper and possibly easier to produce but there's applications that can't be substituted by others.

[Dave+63]

It's horses for courses; there are so many plastics available that the trick is choosing the one that best suits the application.

Of course the beauty of plastics is that, should you not be able to find something suitable, some clever boffins can develop a new one!

[JasonM]

PEEK tends to be used in sealing applications when using aggressive chemistry. Also bearings and bushings for aerospace. A fair bit gets used for connectors in oil and gas, especially downhole connectors

Some high end Medical devices use Peek too.

[GrahamB]

Ah yes, but it's the best plastic in the world.

Looking at it from a different angle obviously, but it's interesting that even the plastic used in good quality toys is a designed function; not all plastics would be suitable. I believe they use the same type as that used for safety helmets and that type of thing. Plastics at the bottom of the pyramid may be cheaper and possibly easier to produce but there's applications that can't be substituted by others.

You're right, if we are looking at suitability it's the most suitable but, in terms of costs it's at the cheap end although still the best for that job.

The volumes of it kicking about as regrind these days has considerably lowered the price.