Performance plastics are playing a key role in the energy boom, making it easier to reach previously untapped sources of oil and gas to fuel the economy — from downhole heat to Arctic conditions to subsea systems.
Applications
- Piston, chevron and gland seals
- Anti-extrusion rings and back-up rings
- Valve seats
- Packings
- Bushings, bearings
- Lantern rings
- Frac balls
- Labyrinth seals
- Down-hole electrical insulators
- Gaskets
- Lifting systems components (sheaves, rollers, guides)
- Shrouds
- Sight glasses
- Pipe and pipe support systems (saddles, carrier rings), grating/stairs
Advantages May Include
- Reduced weight and lower cost than specialty metals
- Better sealing performance
- Greater design flexibility (readily modified for specific applications)
- Handles harsh environments — downhole heat, Arctic, subsea
- Corrosion resistant
- Improved efficiencies (better sealing, lower friction)
- Easier to machine, ship and install
- Reduce/eliminate lubrication dependency
- Excellent electrical insulation properties
- Static dissipative and conductive grades available
- Less wear on mating parts
Materials
- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
- Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC)
- Nylon (PA)
- Other Fluoropolymer Compounds
- Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
- Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)
- Polyamide-Imide (PAI)
- Polyimide (PI)
- Thermoset Composites (Phenolics)
Sustainability Advantages of Performance Plastics
70%
Unlike steel, performance plastics need no sacrificial cathodic protection and offer weight savings of up to 70%, reducing loads on secondary support structures and boosting operational efficiency.
Source: roechling.com
600%
Nylon sheaves can increase the life of steel cables by up to 600%, resulting in less waste. They're also 1/7 the weight of metal sheaves, requiring less energy for operations.
Source: redwoodplastics.com
Outrigger pads made with performance plastics deliver an exceptional strength-to-weight profile:
1/7 Weight
Of steel
3,000 psi
Load capacity
1,000,000+
Compressive load
Source: redwoodplastics.com
200x
Polycarbonate is 30x stronger than acrylic and more than 200x stronger than glass — ideal for safety partitions and heavy equipment glazing.
Source: piedmontplastics.com
iapd
the performance plastics association
Sustainability
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