What is Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)?
Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) is a high-performance thermoplastic polymer known for its excellent mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. It is an excellent choice for thin-walled injection moulding.
Advantages of PPS injection moulding
Injection moulding PPS offers several advantages that makes it a preferred choice for manufacturing high-performance parts.
- High Mechanical Strength: PPS exhibits excellent mechanical properties, including high tensile strength, flexural strength and impact resistance. This enables PPS parts to withstand demanding application where strength is crucial.
- Exceptional Heat Resistance: PPS is one of the most popular heat-resistant plastics. Parts made from this resin can withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures without losing its mechanical properties or deforming.
- Good Chemical Resistance: PPS has excellent resistance to a wide range of chemicals, including acids, bases, solvents and hydrocarbons.
- Good Dimensional Stability: PPS parts can maintain their shape and dimensions even when subjected to temperature variations. This makes them suitable for tight tolerance applications.
- Lightweight: PPS has a relatively low density. Given its high mechanical strength, it is an excellent lighter weight alternative to metals.
Disadvantages of PPS injection moulding
While polyphenylene sulfide has many advantages, there are a few disadvantages to consider. It’s important to evaluate these limitations against the specific requirement of the application of your part before selecting PPS as a material choice.
- Cost: PPS resins can be relatively expensive compared to other thermoplastics. This may impact the overall cost-effectiveness of the PPS injection moulding, especially for large-scale production or cost-sensitive applications.
- Abrasive Nature: PPS has a relatively high level of abrasive filler content to enhance its mechanical properties. This abrasive nature nature can cause increased wear on the injection moulding equipment, including the screws, barrels and moulds.
- Limited Colour Options: PPS is inherently dark in colour, typically black or dark brown, which can make it challenging to achieve bright or vibrant colours.
- Inherent Brittleness: This brittleness can be mitigated by incorporating fibers and reinforcements into the material. Note that these fillers make a difference in the strength, surface properties, dimensional stability, electrical properties and overall cost.
What is PPS material used for?
Polyphenylene Sulfide is a versatile material with a wide range of applications across the automotive, medical and many other industries. Some typical applications of PPS include:
- Surgical instruments and medical devices
- Pump and valve components
- Connectors and sockets
Get injection moulding parts in PPS material
At HLH Rapid, we offer an extensive selection of resins to cater to your specific custom injection moulding needs, including Polyphenylene Sulfide. To obtain a quote, simply upload your CAD file HERE and provide us with the details of your project including quantity, material and any surface finish requirements. Our dedicated team will then get back to you with a quote within a day.
