Tools
Plastic Property Comparison
Compare 21 common injection moulding plastics across density, mechanical properties, heat resistance, chemical resistance, mouldability and relative cost. Click any row for the full property profile.
Showing 21 of 21 materials. Click a row to expand the full property profile.
| Family | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ABS | 1.02–1.06 | 45 | 2.3 | 15 | 80 | 80 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | Styrenic |
Polyamide 6 (Nylon 6) PA6 | 1.12–1.14 | 75 | 2.8 | 5 | 65 | 100 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | Polyamide |
Polyamide 6,6 (Nylon 6,6) PA66 | 1.13–1.15 | 82 | 3 | 5 | 90 | 120 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | Polyamide |
Polybutylene Terephthalate PBT | 1.3–1.32 | 55 | 2.5 | 4 | 65 | 120 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | Polyester |
Polycarbonate PC | 1.19–1.22 | 65 | 2.4 | 60 | 130 | 120 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | Engineering Thermoplastic |
Polyether Ether Ketone PEEK | 1.3–1.32 | 100 | 3.6 | 6 | 160 | 250 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | High-Performance |
Polyetherimide (Ultem) PEI | 1.27–1.29 | 105 | 3.3 | 5 | 200 | 170 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | High-Performance |
Polyethylene — High Density HDPE | 0.941–0.965 | 28 | 1 | 5 | 55 | 90 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | Polyolefin |
Polyethylene — Low Density LDPE | 0.91–0.94 | 12 | 0.3 | 10 | 40 | 70 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | Polyolefin |
Polyethylene Terephthalate PET | 1.33–1.36 | 80 | 3.1 | 3 | 70 | 100 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | Polyester |
Polymethyl Methacrylate (Acrylic) PMMA | 1.17–1.2 | 72 | 3.3 | 2 | 95 | 80 | 3/5 | 1/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | Engineering Thermoplastic |
Polyoxymethylene — Copolymer (Acetal) POM-C | 1.39–1.41 | 65 | 3.2 | 7 | 100 | 95 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | Engineering Thermoplastic |
Polyoxymethylene — Homopolymer (Acetal) POM-H | 1.41–1.43 | 70 | 3.5 | 7 | 110 | 100 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | Engineering Thermoplastic |
Polyphenylene Sulphide PPS | 1.34–1.36 | 70 | 3.8 | 2 | 135 | 220 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | High-Performance |
Polypropylene — Copolymer PP-C | 0.895–0.915 | 30 | 1.2 | 6 | 55 | 95 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Polyolefin |
Polypropylene — Homopolymer PP | 0.899–0.92 | 35 | 1.5 | 3 | 60 | 100 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Polyolefin |
Polystyrene — General Purpose PS | 1.04–1.06 | 45 | 3.2 | 2 | 75 | 70 | 3/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Styrenic |
Polystyrene — High Impact HIPS | 1.035–1.045 | 25 | 2.1 | 8 | 70 | 65 | 3/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Styrenic |
Polyvinyl Chloride — Rigid PVC-U | 1.38–1.4 | 55 | 3 | 3 | 70 | 60 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | PVC |
Thermoplastic Elastomer (general) TPE | 0.88–1.2 | 10 | 0.05 | 50 | 50 | 80 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | Thermoplastic Elastomer |
Thermoplastic Polyurethane TPU | 1.1–1.25 | 40 | 0.1 | 40 | 55 | 90 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | Thermoplastic Elastomer |
How to use this comparison tool
Sorting and filtering
Click any column header to sort the table by that property. Click again to reverse the sort order. Use the search box to find a material by name or abbreviation, and the family filter buttons to narrow the list to a specific polymer group.
Expanding a material
Click any row to open the full property profile above the table. The profile shows the complete density range, all mechanical and thermal values, resistance ratings, typical applications, and the source reference. Click the row again, or the close button, to dismiss it.
Rating scale
Resistance and processing ratings use a 1–5 scale where 5 is best. For chemical and UV resistance, 5 means excellent resistance. For mouldability, 5 means the material is easiest to process by injection moulding. For relative cost, 5 means lowest cost per kilogram among the materials listed.
Limitations
All values are representative midpoints for unfilled injection moulding grades. Filled, reinforced, foamed or speciality grades will differ significantly. Mechanical properties are dry-as-moulded where applicable. Always confirm properties using the manufacturer's current technical datasheet before making material selection decisions.
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