As one of the Nordic region’s leading distributors of raw materials to the plastics industry, Mape Plastics can offer materials in a wide range of grades. We have everything from standard plastics to engineering plastics and high-performance thermoplastics. For the plastics industry, choosing the right material can be a major challenge. The criteria for selecting materials can be complex. At the same time, it is often crucial to choose the right material to ensure that the final product meets the requirements for function, safety, sustainability, and even cost-efficiency.

This is also why Mape Plastics is happy to take on the role of a flexible and solution-oriented knowledge partner. We assist our customers with everything from material selection to technical consultation and advice on the properties of different materials. With nearly 25 years of experience, we can offer not only a strong and diverse portfolio of materials but also extensive material expertise. “The right plastic in the right place” is always our guiding principle in our conversations with customers.

In this article, we would like to highlight two exciting material choices: PPS, Polyphenylene Sulphide, and LCP, Liquid Crystal Polymer.

Does the application require exceptional mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties?

For many of our customers, PEEK – Polyetheretherketone – is an obvious material choice when the application demands are high. PEEK has unique properties with exceptional mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance. Tough environments and demanding applications have made PEEK a strong player in industries such as aerospace, automotive, medical, and electronics. Its tensile strength is significantly higher than that of other thermoplastics, with resistance to both high and low temperatures, unmatched hydrolysis resistance, and excellent wear properties. PEEK is an all-around material with outstanding performance in many areas.

Is PEEK the optimal material choice for all applications? Of course not. As one of the few independent distributors, we can propose what is best for you. We can do this by analyzing the application requirements from aspects of technical performance, cost, and sustainability. The result could be that properties such as those found in PPS or LCP turn out to be the optimal choice.

Durafide® is a PPS with high resistance to heat and chemicals

Durafide® PPS from our partner Polyplastics is a super technical crystalline plastic that has become a popular material choice due to its range of properties that meet the demands of many different applications. Excellent resistance to heat and chemicals, flame retardancy without additives, good creep resistance, and great mechanical strength with exceptionally high rigidity and hardness up to 80°C.

Compared to traditional PPS, Durafide® also has excellent toughness thanks to its superior ability to withstand elongation and impacts. The plastic can be injection-molded, extruded, and machined to tight tolerances. PPS is often described as one of the most important high-temperature polymers due to its resistance to heat, acids, alkalis, mold, bleaching agents, aging, sunlight, and wear.

Examples of common application areas include insulators, membranes, seals, and filters for coal-fired steam boilers. Polyplastics offers a wide selection of grades with Durafide® PPS. Explore Mape Plastics’ material database where technical data sheets provide information on differences in, for example, density and tensile strength.

The liquid crystal polymer Laperos® is an LCP with unique structure and performance

The liquid crystal polymer Laperos® LCP from Polyplastics has a structure and performance not found in traditional plastics. This LCP has a unique feature where the thinner the product, the greater the mechanical strength. Laperos has a low linear thermal expansion coefficient, close to that of metal. Other key properties include vibration absorption, flame resistance, high modulus of elasticity, and a metal-like linear expansion rate.

Laperos® LCP is a super-technical plastic often seen as a symbol of a new generation of advanced engineering plastics. One reason is that the material approaches the properties of steel. These are properties that make LCP a common choice for applications such as miniature connectors in tablets and smartphones, electrical products, and within the automotive and aerospace industries. Laperos® LCP is also available in many different grades—all information can be found in our material database.

Let’s Talk Plastics

Are you curious about Durafide® PPS and Laperos® LCP? We’d be happy to tell you more about how these materials can meet your application requirements. In addition, we have many other materials you can explore in our material database. As a knowledge partner, we are of course here to help you tackle new challenges in new applications. Together, we’ll find the perfect solution and the right material!