Properties in Balance
Choosing the correct material may involve tradeoffs in performance, as illustrated in the following chart.
The key is to determine and prioritize your part’s most critical performance characteristics.
An improvement in… | Usually improves… | But sacrifices… |
---|---|---|
Abrasion resistance | Hardness/Elongation | Resilience |
Impact resistance | Elongation | Modulus |
Creep resistance | Resilience | Flex resistance |
Oil resistance | Tear resistance | Low temperature flex |
Resilience | Creep resistance | Tear resistance |
Tensile strength | Modulus | Elongation |
Vibration damping | Impact resistance | Structural integrity |