There's a plastic to meet every standard and use for electrical applications. The next time you need a stable, impact-resistant, easy-to-process, safe material, think performance plastics. From wire insulation to circuit-breaker housings, high-performance polymers deliver reliable, nonconductive protection across the electrical and electronics industry.
Applications
- Wire and cable insulation
- Plenum-rated wire and cable jacketing
- Arc shields
- Test boards
- Circuit boards, wiring boards
- Connectors — data, automotive, telecommunications, fiber optic
- High-voltage circuit-breaker housings
- Aircraft electrical insulators
- Radar gun lenses
- Electronic test sockets and fixtures
- Conduits
Advantages May Include
- Strong, high impact resistant
- Thermoformable
- Nonconductive; resistant to electricity
- Can be made static dissipative or fully conductive
- Inherently good insulator
- Chemical, UV, abrasion resistant
- Temperature resistant
- Hydrolytic stability
- Low flammability and smoke generation
- High creep resistant
Materials
- Ethylene-Chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE)
- Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE)
- Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP)
- Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)
- Polyamide-Imide (PAI)
- Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)
- Polyetherimide (PEI)
- Polyethersulfone (PES)
- Polyimide (PI)
- Polyphenylene Ether, Modified (PPE)
- Polyphenylene Oxide (modified PPO)
- Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)
- Styrene Maleic Anhydride-Polycarbonate (SMA-PC)
- Thermoplastic Polyesters — PBT, PTMT, PET
- Thermoset Industrial Laminates — Epoxy, Melamine, Silicone, Polyester
- Thermosets (Phenolics) Paper and Cotton Grades
- Vulcanized Fibre
Sustainability Advantages of Performance Plastics
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) made with performance plastics dramatically outperform incandescent lighting:
75%
Less energy used
25x
Longer lifespan
Source: energy.gov/eere/ssl/led-adoption-report
150x
Average smartphone users reach for their phones up to 150 times each day — driving demand for durable electronics with extra longevity and sustainable value.
Source: eastman.com
20%+
Using recycled plastic in an electrical/electronic product could reduce the environmental impact of a single product by more than 20%.
Source: circulareconomy.europa.eu
6 Hours
Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60W light bulb for 6 hours.
Source: repository.upenn.edu
75%
of consumers say they would pay more for devices made with sustainable materials.
Source: eastman.com
Recycling Europe's E-Waste Plastics
2.5 Million
Metric tons of CO₂ reduced per year
If all waste electrical and electronic equipment plastics in Europe were recycled, estimated CO₂ emission reductions would top 2.5 million metric tons per year. | Source: circulareconomy.europa.eu
Covering electrical wires in plastic ensures electrons flowing through them won't pass through your body on contact — critical protection given how little current is dangerous versus what reaches a home:
.05 amps
Can cause heart attack, skin damage & high risk of death
200 amps
Service rating to a typical U.S. home
Source: quora.com/Why-do-electrical-wires-have-plastic-coverings
iapd
the performance plastics association
Sustainability
Champions
Champions