Polyacetal, also known as POM (Polyoxymethylene), is a strong, rigid, and versatile plastic. It is a thermoplastic polymer made from formaldehyde. Polyacetal has a number of useful properties. It is highly resistant to wear and tear, even under heavy loads, making it perfect for mechanical parts. It also has low moisture absorption, excellent chemical resistance, and can withstand a wide range of temperatures. Polyacetal is durable, rigid, and provides great dimensional stability, which makes it suitable for producing parts with tight tolerances.
Polyacetal is widely used across various industries, including automotive, electrical, and plumbing. It is commonly found in parts like gears, bearings, and car components due to its strength and durability. Additionally, it is used in food processing equipment and other applications where safety and hygiene are important, as it is non-toxic and resists bacterial growth.
Polyacetal comes in different forms, including sheets, rods, tube, strip. This versatility allows it to be shaped into various sizes and configurations to meet specific needs in different applications.
Properties & Grades
POM-H is a homopolymer made by polymerizing pure formaldehyde, resulting in a highly crystalline structure with repeating -CHāO- units. This grade offers superior mechanical strength, rigidity, hardness, and excellent wear resistance. It exhibits low friction, good fatigue endurance, and dimensional stability, making it ideal for precision parts like gears and bearings. However, it has slightly lower chemical and thermal stability than copolymer grades. POM-H is best suited for dry environments or where mechanical load is critical. It complies with ASTM D4181 and is widely used in automotive, mechanical, and industrial components requiring high stiffness and performance under stress.
POM-C is a copolymer produced from formaldehyde and a comonomer such as ethylene oxide, resulting in a less crystalline but more chemically stable structure. The polymer chain includes -CHāO- units with randomly distributed comonomer units, improving resistance to acids, alkalis, and hydrolysis. POM-C offers better impact strength, toughness, and long-term thermal stability than homopolymers, though with slightly lower mechanical strength. It is suitable for applications involving moisture, chemicals, or food contact. Compliant with ASTM D5770, POM-C is preferred in the medical, food processing, and fluid handling industries, where both durability and chemical resistance are essential.
Reinforced POM grades are either POM-H or POM-C resins enhanced with materials like glass fiber (10ā30%) or carbon fiber to improve mechanical and thermal properties. The base polymer retains its chemical structure (-CHāO- units or copolymerized chains), while reinforcement increases stiffness, heat deflection temperature, and dimensional stability. These grades show reduced creep, higher strength under load, and improved wear performance. Depending on the filler, they may also offer enhanced electrical or thermal conductivity. Reinforced grades are commonly used in structural or load-bearing components in automotive, industrial, and electronics applications.
Applications
They are a base material in applications that do not require any formability beyond minimal bending and/or roll-forming.
- Automotive Industry
- Electrical & Electronics
- Medical
- Food Processing
- Plumbing and Fluid Handling