TABLE OF CONTENTS The physical properties of polymeric materials are of major importance for some applications, especially those requiring outstanding optical properties or for dynamic applications requiring superior wear and coefficient of friction properties. The physical properties are used to calculate the product weight, which relates to manufacturing costs, injection molding machine melt capacity (machine size), and the product dimensional control (mold shrinkage). Effects of moisture absorption on the mechanical and electrical properties and the selection of the optimum transparency, surface hardness, wear, and coefficient of friction properties for the product applications can also be determined.
The following ASTM physical property tables for polymeric materials have been developed to improve the understanding of the test procedures, to illustrate the significance of the property values reported from these tests, and to allow comparison of the properties between the generic polymeric materials used for product applications.
Table 5.1 shows the most important physical properties of thermoplastic resins, and Table 5.2 shows the physical properties of thermoset plastic materials.
| Thermoplastic Materials | Specific Gravity | 24 hr Water Absorption (%) | Water Absorpt. Saturation (%) | Hardness Shore "A & D" Rockwell -Rc. | Taber Abrasion (mg/1,000 cycles) | Mold Shrinkage MFD (in./in. - mm/mm) | Mold Shrinkage TD (in./in. - mm/mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABS - Unfilled | 1.05 | 0.20 0.45 |
| R 100 |
| 0.004 0.009 |
|
| ABS - High Impact | 1.01 | 0.20 0.45 |
| R 85 |
| 0.004 0.009 |
|
| ABS - Plateable Grade | 1.06 |
|
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