Material Selection Tools

Select engineering plastics based on operating temperature, mechanical loads, wear resistance, electrical requirements, chemical exposure, and application conditions.Use seven steps to define your material requirements and narrow the candidate range among PEEK, PPS, PEI, PI, and PAI for further material and grade evaluation.

Material Selection First Block
5 materials covered 7-step guided flow Free engineering prescreen
STEP 01

What are you designing?

Choose the closest application. It narrows the candidate set and shows typical materials; it is a prescreen, not a final material approval.

Not sure which requirement matters most?

Describe your application in plain language. A rules-based prescreen reads the description for operating conditions, so you can start from something concrete rather than a blank form.

Keyword rules, not AI — refine the results before finalizing.
Inferred from your description

These settings have been applied. Review each step and adjust anything that does not match the real service conditions.

Supply of materials

Engineering Plastic Materials Covered by This Tool

Great Plastics first release covers five high-performance engineering plastics that we supply and machine: PEEK, PPS, PEI, PI, and PAI.

PEEK

High-temperature strength with broad chemical resistance

PPS

High-temperature strength with broad chemical resistance

PEI

Stiff, transparent amber, excellent electrical insulation

PI

Extreme heat resistance for the most demanding thermal environments

PAI

Highest strength and stiffness of the group, excellent wear

Selection

How to Choose an Engineering Plastic

We look at seven core factors when narrowing down engineering plastic options. We use them to understand the application requirements and reduce the number of materials that need further evaluation.

Operating temperature

Define continuous working temperature & short-time peak temperature. Continuous temperature is the primary selection criterion; peak temperature applies only to transient conditions.

Mechanical load

Strength prevents failure, stiffness controls deflection. PAI excels in both; PEEK delivers superior impact toughness.

Wear and friction

Sliding contact performance is critical. PAI and PI feature low wear under dry running; PEEK requires wear-modified formulations.

Chemical exposure

Resistance varies with concentration, temperature and stress. PPS offers wide chemical compatibility; PAI is susceptible to hydrolysis in hot water/steam.

Electrical requirements

PEI, PPS and PI maintain stable insulation at high temperatures. Static-dissipative / conductive versions require filled grades, not unfilled stock.

Dimensional stability

Creep, thermal expansion and moisture absorption cause dimensional shift. PAI & PI are benchmark materials for tight tolerance applications.

Machining and part form

Stock availability and machinability differ by material. PEI and PEEK machine cleanly; PPS tends to be brittle at sharp corners.

Cost and supply

Raw material cost ranking: PPS < PEI < PEEK < PAI < PI. Select the lowest-cost material that satisfies all performance requirements.

Need Help Selecting a Material?

Send your drawing, application and operating conditions. Our engineers review the material against the real service environment, confirm grade availability and return a machinability and cost check with the quote.

FAQ

Material Selection FAQs

For continuous service above 250°C, PI is the reference (about 300°C), with PAI around 260°C and PEEK around 250°C. Between 200–250°C, PEEK and PAI are the practical choices; PPS covers up to about 200°C. Always confirm with the grade datasheet — fillers and crystallinity change the real rating.

PAI and PI give the lowest wear, especially in dry running, and are first choice for bushings and bearings. Unfilled PEEK is good; wear-modified PEEK (PTFE/carbon/graphite filled) reaches very low wear with lower friction. PPS should be run lubricated — it is not a dry-sliding material.

Both run continuously around 250–260°C. Choose PAI when load, stiffness and wear dominate — it is the strongest and stiffest of the five materials. Choose PEEK when impact toughness, chemical resistance (including hot water) and broad processing options matter more. PAI hydrolyzes in hot water and steam; PEEK does not.

No. Temperature sets the candidate ceiling, but wear, chemical exposure, dimensional stability and part form often remove materials that otherwise pass. A 260°C-rated PAI part fails quickly in hot water; a 170°C-rated PEI part may be the best choice if insulation and machinability dominate and temperature stays low. Evaluate the full envelope.

Yes, significantly. Glass- and carbon-filled grades wear tooling faster and leave different surface finishes than unfilled grades. PPS is brittle at sharp internal corners; PAI is stiff and can chip on exit cuts; annealed or post-conditioned stock holds tight tolerances better. Tell the machining team the grade — not just the polymer family.

No. Compatibility depends on concentration, temperature, exposure time, stress level and the specific formulation. A material that resists an oil at 100°C may fail at 200°C under stress. Treat this tool’s ratings as a prescreen and verify the shortlist against the actual service environment — we will confirm it during RFQ review.