Technical Comparison of Polyurethanes to PBT

Martello Limited ThinRim® resins could be suitable for the manufacture of prototype or production parts that need to simulate PBT, however, there are a few differences that should be noted.

1. PBT has a higher flexural modulus than our PU resins, i.e. it is a very stiff material. As a result, the impact resistance of PBT seems to be no higher than that of our polyurethanes (resins usually have a lower impact strength than most thermoplastics, and exhibit brittle failure if over-stressed).

2. Although the quoted heat distortion temperature for PBT under a 1.8 MPa load is surprisingly low (only 55°C), the melting temperature and HDT under lighter loads are very high (over 150°C). Please note that our polyurethanes have heat distortion temperatures of approximately 85°C and go very soft above this temperature.

3. Polyurethanes are thermoset materials and cannot be heat staked or ultra-sonically welded, unlike thermoplastics.

If the above issues are not critical to your designs, then our polyurethanes may suitable for producing parts for testing/production.

www.martello.co.uk