Plastic Material Comparisons — 46 Side-by-Side Guides

When two materials both appear to fit an application, the right choice depends on temperature limits, mechanical load, chemical environment, machinability, and budget. Each of the 46 versus pages below includes a full spec table with 8–12 rows of side-by-side data, cost and availability notes, and clear guidance on which material to select for specific use cases. Start with the category that matches your shortlist.

How to navigate: Find the two materials you're comparing, click the link, and read the TL;DR bullets first. The spec table gives you the numbers; the "When to choose X / When to choose Y" sections translate the numbers into decisions. Each page links back to both material hubs and to sibling comparisons.

High-Performance Comparisons

These comparisons involve PEEK, Torlon (PAI), Vespel (PI), PPS, Ultem (PEI), and Polysulfone — materials used in aerospace, medical, oil & gas, and semiconductor applications where operating conditions rule out commodity grades.

Engineering Thermoplastic Comparisons

Acetal, nylon, PET and PETG, and Noryl cover the widest range of industrial machined parts. These comparisons address the most common material selection questions engineers face.

Polyolefin & Commodity Comparisons

UHMW, HDPE, LDPE, polypropylene, PVC, and ABS — the volume materials for liners, tanks, guards, and enclosures. These comparisons clarify the cost-vs-performance tradeoffs within the commodity tier.

Fluoropolymer Comparisons

Thermoset & Laminate Comparisons

Phenolics and glass-epoxy laminates serve overlapping applications in electrical insulation and structural components. These comparisons clarify grade selection within the thermoset family.

About These Comparison Pages

Each versus page is structured the same way so you can get to a decision quickly:

1. TL;DR bullets — 5–7 key differences at a glance
2. Spec table — 8–12 rows of side-by-side property data (temp, strength, modulus, friction, chemical resistance, cost tier)
3. "When to choose X" — 3–4 concrete use cases
4. "When to choose Y" — 3–4 concrete use cases
5. Cost & availability — pricing tier and typical lead times
6. Common alternatives — links to 2–3 related comparisons

If you need to compare a material not listed here, go to that material's hub page — each hub links to all related versus pages from its comparisons spoke.

How Material Category Affects the Comparison

Comparisons within the same category (two engineering thermoplastics, two fluoropolymers, two phenolic grades) are usually cost and performance tradeoffs at similar temperature limits. Comparisons across categories (an engineering thermoplastic against a high-performance grade, or a commodity resin against an engineering grade) are typically temperature or chemical resistance upgrade decisions — you move up a tier because the lower-tier material has a specific failure mode in the application.

For cross-tier decisions, the application guides are often more useful than the versus pages, because they rank four to eight candidates against the application's actual requirements rather than comparing two materials abstractly. The Applications index links to all twelve guides. For within-tier decisions — acetal vs nylon, UHMW vs HDPE, G10 vs cotton phenolic — the versus pages give you exactly the data you need to choose.

All spec values cited in these comparison pages reflect typical values for the grades and forms FedMat stocks. Material properties vary by grade, filler content, and form (extruded vs cast vs compression-molded). Confirm against the specific grade data sheet before design sign-off.