Top 10 Heat-Resistant Plastics: Properties, Applications & Selection Guide

What Are Heat-Resistant Plastics?

Heat-resistant plastics are special plastics that stay strong when it gets hot. They do not melt or break like other plastics when the temperature goes up. These plastics can work in places where it is very hot.

At Istar Machining, we use these tough plastics to make parts that need to stay strong in high heat. Our CNC machining service can make custom parts from these special plastics.

Why Heat-Resistant Plastics Matter

Heat-resistant plastics are important because they:

• Stay strong when hot
• Do not melt like other plastics
• Can replace metal parts
• Are more light weight
• Do not rust or corrode
• Save money in many jobs

How We Picked The Top 10

We picked these plastics based on:

• How hot they can get before they get soft
• How long they stay strong in heat
• How hard they are to break
• If they can stand up to chemicals
• What jobs they are good for

Top 10 Heat-Resistant Plastics

1. PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone)

PEEK is a super strong plastic that can take a lot of heat!

• Max Heat: 250°C for short time, 170°C all the time
• Good Things: Very strong, does not break down with chemicals, safe for medical use
• Where It’s Used: Planes, medical parts, oil rigs

Our CNC prototype machining team at Istar Machining uses PEEK to make parts that need to be strong and heat-safe.

2. PEI (ULTEM®)

PEI is a see-through plastic that does not burn easy!

• Max Heat: 217°C for short time, 170°C all the time
• Good Things: Good with electricity, does not burn well, you can see through it
• Where It’s Used: Circuit boards, 3D printing, boxes for cleaning things

3. PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide)

PPS is a tough plastic that stays strong when wet!

• Max Heat: 260°C for short time, 200°C all the time
• Good Things: Does not get weak when wet, does not creep (get longer slowly)
• Where It’s Used: Car parts, pumps for chemicals, plugs for electricity

4. PTFE (Teflon®)

PTFE is slippery and does not stick to things!

• Max Heat: 260°C for short time, 230°C all the time
• Good Things: Very slippery, does not react with other things
• Where It’s Used: Non-stick pans, seals, wire covers

At Istar Machining, we work with PTFE using our precision CNC machining to make parts that need to be slippery and heat-safe.

5. PI (Polyimide – Vespel®, Kapton®)

PI can take extreme heat and is used in space!

• Max Heat: 500°C for short time, 260°C all the time
• Good Things: Very stable in heat, does not give off gas
• Where It’s Used: Rocket parts, computer chip covers, very cold seals

6. LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer – Vectra®)

LCP is good for tiny parts in electronics!

• Max Heat: 310°C for short time, 200°C all the time
• Good Things: Does not warp, helps stop EMI (bad signals)
• Where It’s Used: Small electronics, microwave parts

7. PSU (Polysulfone – Udel®)

PSU is good for medical tools that need to be clean!

• Max Heat: 180°C all the time
• Good Things: Can be made clean with steam
• Where It’s Used: Medical tools, food machines, water filters

8. PAI (Torlon® – Polyamide-imide)

PAI is hard to wear out and can take high heat!

• Max Heat: 275°C for short time, 220°C all the time
• Good Things: Does not wear out, stays strong when pressed
• Where It’s Used: Valves, washers, tools for computer chips

9. PBI (Celazole® – Polybenzimidazole)

PBI can take the most heat of any plastic!

• Max Heat: 760°C for short time, 400°C all the time
• Good Things: Best with high heat (does not melt)
• Where It’s Used: Fire fighter clothes, hot oven parts

10. PES (Polyethersulfone – Radel®)

PES is clear and good for medical items!

• Max Heat: 200°C all the time
• Good Things: Clear, does not get weak when wet
• Where It’s Used: Lab tools that need to be clean, plane inside parts

Compare The Plastics

Here is an easy chart to help you pick the right plastic:

How Different Jobs Use These Plastics

Cars

• PPS for brake parts
• PEEK for fuel system parts

Planes

• PI for thin covers
• PEI for engine cases

Electronics

• LCP for plugs
• PEI for circuit boards

Our CNC plastic team at Istar Machining can help make parts for all these jobs.

Medical

• PSU for tools that need cleaning
• PEEK for parts that go in the body

Big Machines

• PAI for chemical valves
• PI for hot water part

How to Pick the Right Plastic

Step 1: How hot will it get?

Think about the most hot it will get and for how long.

Step 2: Will it have stress?

Some parts need to hold weight or not bend.

Step 3: Will it touch chemicals?

Some plastics are better with oils or acids.

Step 4: Does it need special OK?

Some jobs need FDA or UL or ISO to say it’s OK.

Pro Tip: Ask experts like Istar Machining

We can help you pick the right plastic for your job.

Real World Examples

1. PEEK in Planes: Used in big planes to make parts that are 40% lighter than metal.
2. PEI in Space: Used to make test parts for space that do not warp (less than 0.1%).
3. PTFE in Computer Chips: Used to cover tools that touch hot computer parts.
4. PAI in Car Engines: Makes fuel parts last 2 times longer.

Costs and Market

• Cost Range: From $5/kg (PTFE) to $500/kg (PBI).
• Growth: Use of these plastics in cars will grow 6.8% each year from 2023-2030.
• Problems: 22% of breaks happen when the wrong plastic is used for the heat.

How Istar Machining Can Help

At Istar Machining, we are experts at making parts from these heat-strong plastics. We use CNC plastic machining to make exact parts that fit your needs.

We can help you:

• Pick the right plastic
• Make test parts
• Make lots of parts
• Make sure parts meet all rules

Conclusion

Heat-resistant plastics are very important for many jobs. From PEEK to PBI, each has special strengths that make it good for different uses.

No one plastic is best for all hot jobs. You need to match the plastic to what you need it to do.

If you need help with heat-resistant plastic parts, talk to Istar Machining. We are experts at CNC machining service and can help you make the perfect parts.

Questions People Ask