Extreme Composite Plastics
ECP is an emerging material in the thermoforming industry which consists of polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber and a reinforcing filler. Traditionally ECP has been a difficult material to form and fabricate, but today the material is far more tolerant and with the latest technologies in adhesion, there are now glues available and techniques like ultrasonic welding that make ECP a force to be reckoned with. ECP is a great all-rounder material and its composite structure gives it unique and advantageous properties. For instance compared to Acrylic capped ABS, ECP has:
• Higher heat resistance
• Better scratch resistance in most instances
• Higher stress and crack resistance
• Much better vibration absorption
• Much better squeak and rattle absorption
• Better low temperature impact strength and comparable regular impact strength
• Half the collinear thermal expansion
• Lower moisture absorption
Applications
ECP can be used on a range of applications but in particular components used in the transport industries. This can include parts for cars, trains, buses, trucks, recreational vehicles, surf skis and the list goes on. Any component that needs to be strong and may be subjected to impact in a range of different conditions, ECP could be a suitable exterior material for your transport application.
Colours shown above are just representations of a particular colour and aren’t necessarily the finished plastic colour. Lighting conditions, monitor calibration and variances in the plastic colour processing can impact the colour of a given material. For more information on colour availability please contact us.
|
Thickness
|
Ava.
|
Thickness
|
Ava.
|
Thickness
|
Ava.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0.5MM
|
4.5MM
|
 |
18MM
|
||
|
1MM
|
6MM
|
|
20MM
|
||
|
1.5MM
|
8MM
|
|
25MM
|
||
|
2MM
|
|
10MM
|
|
30MM
|
|
|
3MM
|
|
12MM
|
40MM
|
||
|
4MM
|
|
15MM
|
Please note that different materials have varying tolerances when it comes to thickness. A product should facilitate material variances +-0.2mm
|
Property
|
Value
|
Unit
|
|---|---|---|
|
Mechanical
|
||
|
Tensile Strength
|
57
|
MPa
|
|
Flexural Strength
|
28
|
MPa
|
|
Shear Strength
|
N/A
|
MPa
|
|
Impact Strength
|
0.395
|
J/m
|
|
Hardness
|
R49-R95
|
M or R
|
|
Thermal
|
||
|
Working Temperature
|
125
|
°C
|
|
Vacuum Forming Temperature
|
160
|
°C
|
|
Thermal Expansion
|
3.32
|
10^-5/°C
|
|
Vicat Softening Temperature
|
133-150
|
°C
|
|
Miscellaneous
|
||
|
Specific Gravity
|
0.98
|
g/cm³
|
|
Water Absorption
|
0.01-0.05
|
% in 24 hr
|
|
Light Transmission
|
N/A
|
%
|
|
Dielectric Strength
|
550-701
|
Volts/Mil
|
|
Surface Energy
|
31
|
Dynes/cm
|
The information in the above data table is provided for educational purposes only in good faith and should only be used as a guide. As sheet material comes in a wide variety of grades, colours, textures and can contain different chemical properties, the figures only represent a typical insight into the specifications of the material. Information has been collated from a variety of sources. For more information on these figures and other properties please contact us.