(Newswire.net — October 30, 2013) Anaheim, CA — PET is a Thermoplastic material which is a rigid food grade plastic sheet or plastic rod that is easily machinable; it is self lubricating with exceptional wear resistance. These are some of the reasons why it is so frequently used in food and dairy processing, clothing and fabricating, fluid handling applications.
PET is also used as self-lubricating bearing surfaces and in many slide type applications because of its excellent abrasion resistance and very low moisture absorption. PET is FDA and NSF approved for food contact, and has become a common replacement for Nylon and Acetal. Bearings coated with PET will move freely and require very little maintenance. Almost all conveyor systems used in industrial environments as reliable components for automated distribution and warehousing use timing or feed screws made of PET. These screws are very important because they are responsible for the organized manipulation and delivery of product on the production line as it is quickly moved throughout the process of manufacture. Excellent rigidity and machinability makes PET a wise choice of material for this type of application.
PET plastic resins are used in a wide variety of industries not limited to manufacturing and machinery. In the 1970’s, polyester suits and clothing were made popular. Rainy weather was turned away with the use of Polyester rain coats and umbrellas. Fabrics that were made from Polyester are generally easy to care for and usually machine washable. Over the last several decades, PET became more versatile and was introduced to upholstery, coating on some musical instruments, bed linens, ropes, wire and insulating tapes and dielectric film.
PET film has great dimensional and thermal stability. It is widely used as a substrate in lamination for flexible packaging and as an electrical insulation component in electronic industries where excellent thermal and electrical resistance is critical.
Leather and polyester are the most popular fabrics used today in automobile seat covers. Both materials are comfortable, durable, and easy to clean, however leather tends to be more expensive and requires more care, unlike PET which is chemical resistant and has a very little moisture absorption and is much less expensive. Also, PET has excellent color fastness and a is UV resistant, meaning that the fabric will maintain its hue regardless of how often it is cleaned and however long it is exposed to the suns powerful rays.
One variety in the Polyester family is PETG. This material is normally produced as a clear rigid sheet that is easily vacuum formed or heat processed. It is a common material for indoor POP displays, bent literature holders, and even the test sockets for artificial limbs. Because this material heats uniformly and at lower temperatures than Polycarbonate sheet, the PETG sheet has grown to be a popular material for clear parts that require forming.
This strong and durable material also comes in a PETE grade for molding, and is the material of choice for 2 liter soda bottles. This material is produced into a ‘test-tube’ shaped part, and then reheated and blown to produce these very tough and lightweight bottles. This is just one example of the durability of this line of plastic materials.
There are also a few grades of Polyester that are just being released. A new laminated composite version is made of polyester woven cloth, it is then saturated with polyester resin and put into a high pressure press. The result is a very high compression strength material that is replacing bronze bushings and wear bearings. This composite material, called WearTech, is a thermoset composite matrix which excels in handling high side loads, exceeding the load capabilities of other popular bushing materials.
PET Sheets and PET Rods can be used for all types of applications. PET Sheet is available in .375″ (3/8″) – 4.0″ in Natural (White) and Black in 24″ X 48″ sheet. The PET Rod is stocked in .375″ – 6.0″ diameter in Natural (White) and Black, and in 120″ lengths rod. Common trade names for PET materials are: Ertalyte®, Tecapet®, Vivak®, Dacron® (fiber), Mylar® (film), Celanex® and many more.
For more information on any of these Polyester based materials, use the contact below.
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