Other crystalline thermoplastics

Abstract

The materials covered in this chapter are the crystalline members of the so-called ‘engineering thermoplastics’. They are rigid and robust, but somewhat more expensive than the commodity plastics, PE, PP, PS and PVC. Polyamides and saturated polyesters are used principally in fibres production, but plastics applications are important; indeed, some materials have been developed specifically for plastics uses, notably polyamide 11, polyamide 12 and poly(butylene terephthalate). Polyacetals find application as plastics only.