Impact Resistance & High-Toughness Applications

Engineering plastics engineered for extreme durability and energy absorption. These stock shapes are formulated to prevent catastrophic failure in environments subject to heavy vibration, mechanical shock, or repeated impact, ensuring component longevity where brittle materials would shatter.

Key Highlights

Energy Dissipation

Ideal for safety-critical components, such as valve seats or gear teeth, that must withstand sudden pressure spikes or "hammering" effects.

Fatigue Resistance

Specifically designed to withstand millions of cycles of repeated loading without the propagation of stress cracks.

Low-Temperature Ductility

Materials like PEEK (Neat) and PVDF Flex maintain their impact strength even in sub-zero environments where other plastics become glass-brittle.

Vibration Damping

High internal damping characteristics help to attenuate mechanical noise and protect sensitive internal components from harmonic fatigue.

Exceptional Fracture Toughness

Unlike glass-filled grades that can snap under sudden stress, these materials deform elastically or plastically to absorb energy.

Technical data

Grade Selection

Material Grade	Elongation at Break (%)	Notched Izod Impact (ft-lb/in)	Engineering Reality
PEEK (Neat)	15% – 25%	1.5 – 2.2	High toughness but limited stretch.
PPS-Impact Modified	10% – 15%	1.2 – 1.8	Modest stretch; prevents brittle fracture.
Delrin 100AF	15% – 20%	0.7 – 0.9	Stiff but highly fatigue resistant.
PVDF Flex	50% – 100%+	3.0 – 4.0	Truly compliant; high ductility.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does adding glass fiber make a material less impact-resistant?

Glass fibers increase stiffness (modulus) but act as "stress concentrators." When a part is hit suddenly, the energy cannot be absorbed by the resin and instead causes cracks to propagate along the fibers. For high-impact parts, unfilled (Neat) or rubber-modified grades are superior.

How does temperature affect impact strength?

Most plastics become more brittle as they get colder. However, PEEK (Neat) and PVDF Flex remain remarkably tough even at cryogenic temperatures, making them suitable for liquid nitrogen handling or space exploration.

What is the difference between Toughness and Hardness?

Hardness is resistance to surface scratching or indentation.

Toughness is the ability to absorb energy before breaking. A material can be very hard (like PPS-GF40) but not very tough.

When is PPS Unfilled better than standard PPS?

If your part is subject to drop tests, high-frequency vibration, or sudden torque spikes, standard PPS will likely fail via brittle fracture. The unfilled version uses internal "tougheners" to stop cracks from spreading.