Plastics information

ABS – Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

ABS is a "polymerized alloy" of the three materials acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene. The mechanical properties for ABS are good for impact resistance even in low temperatures. The material has high rigidity, and the properties are kept over a wide temperature range. In addition, ABS resins possess excellent abrasion resistance, dimensional stability and electrical properties. The weather resistance for ABS is restricted, but can be drastically improved by additives such as black pigments. ABS is used for a variety of applications including extruded pipe, auto parts, suitcases, toys etc.

Link to ABS data sheets

HDPE – High Density Polyethylene

HDPE is one of the most recycled materials in the world. The main attractive features of HDPE, in addition to its low price, are excellent electrical insulation properties over a wide range of frequencies, very good chemical resistance, good processability, toughness and flexibility. This material is highly used in the consumer packaging industry for products such as buckets and milk jugs, folding chairs and tables as well as toys. Buckeye Polymers has a wide range of HDPE products that we offer to our customers.

Link to HDPE data sheets

Polypropylene

PP is normally tough and flexible, especially when polymerized with ethylene to produce polypropylene copolymer. This allows polypropylene to be used as an engineering resin, competing with materials such as ABS. Polypropylene is reasonably economical, and is translucent when uncolored, but is often colored using pigments. Polypropylene has good resistance to fatigue. The MFR (Melt Flow Rate) is a measure of PP's molecular weight and helps to determine how easily the melted raw material will flow during processing. Higher MFR resins fill the plastic mold more easily during the injection or blow molding production process. As the melt flow increases, however, some physical properties, like impact strength, may decrease.

Buckeye Polymers produces a wide variety of polypropylene resins, both homopolymers and copolymers, with physical and mechanical properties specifically designed for our customer’s applications. We offer a full compliment of unfilled products, as well as talc, mica, glass, calcium carbonate reinforced resins with loading levels to forty percent.

Link to Polypropylene data sheets

TPO – Thermoplastic Olefin

TPO resins are known for their excellent physical and mechanical properties and are highly used in the automotive industry. With excellent toughness (even at low temperatures), chemical resistance, UV resistance and paintability, these resins have become the standard for use as automotive fascias. Other added benefits are their low density, producing lower weight parts, scratch and mar resistance and economic price point. Other automotive applications include step pads, air deflectors, tail gate deflectors, bracketry, cowl vent screens, rocker moldings and claddings.

Buckeye Polymers line of TPO products offers our customers various options and opportunities to address the most difficult of requirements for exterior automotive applications. We have been extremely successful in addressing our customer’s needs where our competition has fallen short, often at a cost savings.

Link to TPO data sheets

TPE – Thermoplastic Elastomers

BP Flex materials are made using SEBS block copolymers and are oil extended to achieve the desired physical and mechanical properties. BP Flex TPE resins are known for their ease of molding by the use of low pressures and heat profiles which makes this a “preferred” material to work with compared to EPDM based products.

Applications which require a soft touch, lower hardness or require temperature performance down to -40°C makes Buckeye Polymers BP Flex grades an excellent choice.

Additional performance properties for these resins are resistance to degradation by oxygen, ozone, and UV light. They also have higher cohesive strength and retain their structural integrity at higher temperatures better than their SBS counterparts.

Typical applications are grommets, pads, handles, grips, seals, gaskets, mats, and any soft touch or rubber feel applications where ASTM #2 oil resistance is not required.

Link to TPE data sheets