Military Applications Require Plastic Fasteners ...In Some Applications

CONCORD, N.C. - June 7, 2016 - PRLog -- Metal often corrodes, so metal fasteners may not be the best choice for all applications. Enter plastic fasteners.

Hold on. Not all plastic fasteners are right for the job, either.

Let's take a look at two superior options, when it comes to getting the highest performance out of a plastic material that's needed in the military applications: Acetal and DuPont's Acetal resin, called Delrin.

The similarities of Acetal and Delrin.

Both Acetal and Delrin are thermoplastics. Acetal and Delrin are ideal for use in a wide variety of applications that demand sliding actions.

Why choose Delrin or Acetal?

Although Acetal and Delrin are related , there are a few differences that are extremely important to consider, especially in a military environment. Delrin is a homopolymer. Acetal, on the other hand, is a semi-crystalline, non-amorphous thermoplastic. Say that three times fast.

Delrin, the homopolymer Acetal, has a high crystallinity, which is able to improve the mechanical strength and creep resistance of the material. It is also generally resistant to a wider range of solvents and common chemicals than Acetal, which can be helpful in military applications. It is able to avoid corrosion, like rusting and dezincification, which implies it is a good choice for replacing traditional metal components.

There are other considerations that make Delrin a good choice when it comes to the Navy and to the military in general. Delrin has a higher melting point than Acetal at 175 degrees Celsius, while Acetal's melting point is, at the very most, 173 degrees Celsius. Two degrees is not a huge difference, but worth noting.

Delrin AF integrates 10 to 25 percent PTFE fluorocarbon fibers, that are dispersed in the thermoplastic resin, while Acetal does not. This allows the material to retain the dimensional stability, toughness, and overall strength of Acetal, but with the added properties of PTFE, AKA Teflon. With added fluorocarbon fibers, components developed from Delrin can sustain high operating loads at increased speeds with little wear, all thanks to Teflon's solid while still slippery characteristics.

PTFE bearings also require absolutely no lubrication, which reduces the cost and the time related to maintaining equipment. This material boasts one of the highest continual service temperatures among plastic materials.

In addition to Delrin AF, DuPont also provides other thermoplastic materials under the Delrin name that are created with various goals in mind. They include toughened resins, UV resistant grades, and extrusion resins.

Other attributes of Delrin that may be worth considering

Delrin's chemical composition, standard molecular structure, and high degree of crystallinity set it apart from various other materials, but there are several other attributes that allow it to be an especially good choice for military-based applications.|However, there are other attributes that make it an especially fine choice for military applications:

- Can withstand temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius

- High mechanical strength and rigidity

- Unequalled fatigue endurance

- High resistance to repeated impacts over a long period of time

- Can resist moisture, gasolines, solvents and many other neutral chemicals

- Superior dimensional stability

- Natural lubricity

- Shows high resilience

- Effective electrical insulating characteristics

- Ease of manufacture

Summary

Delrin is a high-quality thermoplastic that can excel in a military-based setting, but other Acetal products may be a better choice depending on the particular application. Before choosing a product, a full analysis of the upcoming project is needed.

For more information about plastic fasteners and materials, see http://www.fastenercomponents.com/