Every industry, from health care to renewable energy, has felt the impact of thermoplastics — plastic material that is pliable above certain temperatures, capable of being molded and re-shaped, but that can also solidify when cooled. The material is now found in just about every product imaginable. And yet, that hasn’t always been the case.

Following is just a sampling of how thermoplastics have changed a handful of industries.

Characteristics

Thermoplastic is often considered a suitable replacement for other materials such as glass, metal and wood in the manufacture of a number of products. What makes thermoplastics a suitable substitute for these materials is that thermoplastics are high strength, lightweight, durable, resilient, recyclable, temperature resistant, pliable, fire and impact resistant and inexpensive, particularly when used to produce parts in high volumes.

Alone or together, these characteristics make thermoplastics ideal for use in industries such as electronics, transportation, automotive, appliances, aerospace and communications to name just a few.

Wind Turbines

As wind turbines have grown considerably in popularity in recent years, the demand for lightweight wind turbine blades becomes of critical importance. Thermoplastics make it possible to create longer blades — ranging up to 80 meters in length in some cases — that also possess higher material strength, all while maintaining a lightweight design.

Using thermoplastics to produce wind turbine blades means that the previously expensive process is now considerably less expensive. It used to be that epoxies were used in the manufacture of most wind turbine blades and they required expensive additional equipment such as ovens. Thermoplastics don’t require extra equipment, thereby making the process faster and cheaper.

Using thermoplastic foams and composites to produce wind turbine blades means that the blades can be lighter — which has implications for transporting, installing, disassembling and disposing of the blades.

Likewise, the lighter weight design also has implications for how much energy is expended when the blades are in motion. By reducing the weight of the wind turbines, their service life has been increased and drag is decreased.

Thermoplastics have altered how wind turbine blades are maintained as well. Simply melting down the blades and reforming or repairing them onsite means that the blades are fixed and back up and running in less time than ever before.

Additionally, there are greater end-of-life possibilities for wind turbines made from thermoplastics because the material is recyclable and thus can be melted down and shaped into something else instead of taking up valuable landfill real estate.

Automotive

Thermoplastics are found in nearly every component of a vehicle. Why? Because the material is lightweight, durable, and, most of all, comparatively inexpensive when used to produce high-volume parts.

Only very recently have thermoplastics been incorporated into the design of vehicles. Particularly, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (made from thermoplastics) has made the mass production of lightweight vehicles possible. Combined with fibers, the thermoplastics make automobile parts that are high-strength, rigid and low-weight.

Considering that thermoplastics used in the design of automobiles have made them more lightweight, they are, consequently, more fuel efficient, thereby lowering the automobile’s environmental impact.

Traditionally, metal has been used in the construction of automobiles. However, thermoplastics have opened up a new world for automotive design. Because the material is pliable, the material is responsible for never-before-seen molded parts and shapes that were impossible to create using metal alone.

Medical

Like automobiles, thermoplastics can be found in just about every device found in the medical industry. Thermoplastics have changed the face of the medical industry and have proven ideal for prosthetics, mobility aids and surgical instruments to name just a few applications.

They are both soft enough to use in proximity to the skin of a patient while being durable enough to withstand repeated use and damage.

In terms of design, thermoplastics can be molded into just about any shape, which makes the material ideal for use in prosthetic design.

Resources

Automotive IQ—The Future of Thermoplastics in the Automotive Industry: Part 1 of 5

Azo Materials—Why Thermoplastic Materials are Important

Engineering360— 10 Kinds of Thermoplastics and What You Can Do With Them

Plastics Technology—Thermoplastics in Expanded Automotive Applications

Science Daily—Lightweight Rotor Blades Made from Plastic Foams for Offshore Wind Turbines

Star Thermoplastics—Transportation

To contact the author of this article, email mdonlon@globalspec.com