high strength polymer to replace aluminum?

[suprathepeg]

I'm looking for a polymer that can be both machined and molded that can be used to replace an aluminum part.

I'm looking for a non absorbant material that will display the strength and rigidity of aluminum but be significantly lighter. It needs to be resistant to fairly high temperature and not become brittle @ -50 celcius.

I'm a real noob to polymers so any suggestions would be great! I've heard that there may be some phenolics that would be good but I'm not really familiar...

 

[patprimmer]

Phenolics are fairly brittle even at room temperature.

We need a lot more information to even hazard a guess.

Most polymers that are commercially moulded can also be machined.

You need to describe the application and environment of use and real data re load, time and temperature.

With this lack of detail and circumstances it sounds very much like an exam question.


Regards
Pat
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[suprathepeg]

Hmm I'm not sure how to give you more detail. I want to use it to make a rifle stock.

 

[patprimmer]

Depending on design, glass filled impact modified nylon 6.6

If the impact is not high and the design good, unmodified nylon 6.6 should do better.

tendency to break from real world impacts vs Izod test results depends a lot on glass fibre orientation which might be very different between parts machind from block and mouldings.

Mould will be several tens of thousands of dollars.

There has been a rifle wth a nylon stock available for many years called the Remington Nylon 66

Regards
Pat
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[Pud]

I have a rifle with one of these stocks on it.

http://www.getgrip.com/main/overview/overmolded.html

It's a GF nylon inner overmoulded with an elastomer.

Fairly high temp? Machine gun?

Cheers

Harry

http://www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

 

[suprathepeg]

So I have decided to go with long strand glass filled nyon 6 6. The question now is how much glass. I am thinking that 60% is the best option. Is there anyway to compare 60% vs 30% for deflection and rigidity?

 

[patprimmer]

Yes look up the data sheets for HDT or heat deflection temperature. You can refer to Ticona or RTP or Matwebs web sites just as easily as we can

Regards
Pat
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