A Practical Guide to the Selection of High-Temperature Engineering Thermoplastics

1. Thermoplastics as Engineering Materials. This chapter is concerned with thermoplastics in general - discussing blends, co-polymers, fibre-reinforcement, self-reinforcing thermoplastics and structural foams. A brief introduction is included on processing and the productions rate required to make each process economic. 2. Materials Selection Procedures. Chapter two describes materials selection methods together with codes of practice, standards and product specifications. The chapter is completed with an introduction to some commercially available materials selection programs, some of which are free. 3. Costing of Plastics Products. Details the methods by which fabrication costs can be estimated, with special reference to injection-moulding. Two commercially available programs are described: one for calculating injection moulding costs and the second for computer-aided injection mould design. 4. High Temperature Engineering Thermoplastics. Gives a brief description of each family within the high-temperature engineering thermoplastics range, including descriptions of the principal characteristics of each polymer, its main applications, trade names and suppliers. Details are given of the new thermotropic liquid crystal polymers that are now on the market.