Thermoplastic Elastomers  (TPE)

Sometimes referred to as thermoplastic rubbers, are a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers (usually a plastic and a rubber) which consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties. While most elastomers are thermosets, thermoplastics are in contrast relatively easy to use in manufacturing, for example, by injection molding. Thermoplastic elastomers show both advantages typical of rubbery materials and plastic materials. The principal difference between thermoset elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers is the type of crosslinking bond in their structures. In fact, crosslinking is a critical structural factor which contributes to impart high elastic properties. The crosslink in thermoset polymers is a covalent bond created during the vulcanization process. On the other hand the crosslink in thermoplastic elastomer polymers is weaker dipole or hydrogen bond or takes place in one of the phases of the material.

Polyacetal (Polyoxymethylene) (POM)

(Commonly referred to as POM and also known as polyacetal or polyformaldehyde) is an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts that require high stiffness, low friction and excellent dimensional stability. It is commonly known under DuPont's trade name Delrin. Hermann Staudinger, a German chemist who received the 1953 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, first studied the polymerization and structure of POM in the 1920s to research the theory of giant molecule. Due to initial problems with thermal stability it was not commercialized.

Polypropylene or Polypropene (PP)

Is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industryand used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles (e.g. ropes, thermal underwear and carpets), stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes. An addition polymer made from the monomer propylene, it is rugged and unusually resistant to many chemical solvents, bases and acids.

Polycarbonates (PC)

Are a particular group of thermoplastic polymers. They are easily worked, moulded, and thermoformed; as such, these plastics are very widely used in the modern chemical industry. Their interesting features (temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties) position them between commodity plasticsand engineering plastics. Polycarbonates do not have a unique plastic identification code.

Polyamide (PA)

Is a polymer containing monomers of amides joined by peptide bonds. They can occur both naturally and artificially, examples being proteins, such as wool and silk, and can be made artificially through step-growth polymerization, examples being nylons, aramids, andsodium poly (aspartate). The amino group and the carboxylic acid group can be on the same monomer, or the polymer can be constituted of two different bifunctionalmonomers, one with two amino groups, the other with two carboxylic acid or acid chloride groups.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. It takes 1.75 kilograms of petroleum (in terms of energy and raw materials) to make one kilogram of HDPE. HDPE is commonly recycled, and has the number "2" as its recycling symbol. In 2007, the global HDPE market reached a volume of more than 30 million tons HDPE has little branching, giving it stronger intermolecular forces and tensile strength than lower-density polyethylene. It is also harder and more opaque and can withstand somewhat higher temperatures (120 °C/ 248 °F for short periods, 110 °C /230 °F continuously). High-density polyethylene, unlike polypropylene, cannot withstand normally-required autoclaving conditions. The lack of branching is ensured by an appropriate choice of catalyst (e.g., Ziegler-Natta catalysts) and reaction conditions. HDPE contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen.