Decoding Acetal and UHMW: Which Material Reigns Supreme?

Choosing the suitable material for your product can distinguish between good and great. There’s often confusion about choosing between UHMW and Acetal when it comes to high-performance polymer resins. Both are strong and work well in wearable applications, but their differences matter when you consider your application.

In this article, we will describe the differences between these two plastics, UHMW and Acetal, So read on:

Acetal plastic: Everything you need to know:

Polyoxymethylene (POM), also known as Acetal, polyacetal, and polyformaldehyde, is an industrial thermoplastic used to make precise parts that need to be stiff, have low friction, and keep their shape well.

Copolymer and homopolymer resins are used to make acetal shapes. These resins have a lot of flexibility and are very strong, stiff, and durable. Acetal is known for its low coefficient of friction and its ability to work well in bearings. Acetal is a thermoplastic, as was already said.

Common Characteristics of Acetal Plastic

Excellent wear qualities both when wet and when dry
Good chemical resistance
Strong, rigid, and tough
Excellent mechanical stability
Excellent creep, moisture, and fatigue resistance
Low coefficient of friction
Easily machined and fabricated
Low water absorption
FDA approved
Good electrical properties

Common Applications of Acetal Plastic:

Acetal plastic applies to chemicals, wear, tensile strength, measurement stability, and machining ability.
It also has a low weight and a low coefficient of friction.
As a replacement for metal parts, Acetal has good stiffness, strength, longevity, and lubricity without being reinforced with glass.
Acetal is a stable material perfect for making parts with tight tolerances and electrical insulators.
Acetal can be used to create smaller, lighter, and more flexible designs than those made from other materials.
Acetal is used in many things, like consumer goods, food packaging, car parts, medical devices, and other industrial items.

Advantages of Using Acetal Plastic

Acetal is a thermoplastic that is used in engineering. It has an excellent mix of strength, performance, and workability. Here is a short list of some of the advantages about acetal plastics

When cut or worked, it keeps its shape and doesn’t stretch.
A low friction coefficient makes the material “slippery” and resistant to wear and damage.
Low absorption of water in both wet and dry conditions.
High stiffness and strength at the breaking point.
Fuels and organic solvents do not affect it chemically.
Low amount of smoke.
Smooth finishes on the outside.
Approved by the FDA and is 100% recyclable.
It can be mixed with graphite, rubber, glass-filled materials, nanocomposites, metals, etc. to give the fabric more unique qualities.

Disadvantages of Using Acetal Plastic:

Acetal plastics have some good traits, but they also have some bad ones. Here is a short list of all the things that are bad about acetal plastics:

Acids, bases, and oxidizers that are weak to strong in a chemical sense.
A high percentage of oxygen makes it likely to catch fire quickly (without flame retardants).
It shrinks a lot in the mold.

About UHMW Plastic: Everything You Need to Know:

UHMW, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, is a type of plastic that is very tough and resistant to wear and tear. Polyethylene is a famous industrial plastic. It can be used for a wide range of tasks requiring toughness, low friction, and chemical resistance.

UHMW is a cheap plastic used for everything from hip implants to armor on military vehicles. is a high-performance polymer with unusual surface and chemical qualities. The material is highly resistant to most poisons, microorganisms, and UV light.

Common Characteristics of UHMW Plastic

Here are some common characteristics of UHMW plastic:

Non-toxic
Low coefficient of friction
Corrosion, abrasion, wear, and impact resistance
Deficient water absorption
FDA and USDA approved
Extremely tough and durable
Excellent abrasion resistance
Good chemical resistance
Easy to fabricate

Typical Applications of UHMW Plastic:

UHMW is a great choice for many industrial uses. It reduces noise and shaking, is resistant to chemicals, and is non-toxic. It also has great mechanical qualities even when the temperature is very low.

Chute linings
Chemical tanks
Conveyor guides
Wear pads
Liner for a tunnel, hopper, or the bed of a truck
Worn-out strips and guides
Star wheels and idler sprockets
Belts that move quickly
Packaging machine parts
Machine parts that are used to make food
Dock covers, pile guards, and bumpers

Advantages of Using UHMW Plastic:

Its wear, abrasion, tear, and cut resistance.
Ceramic-filled UHMW is made just for this kind of use, giving it the longest wear life possible.
UHMW is also tough enough to be used for heavy excluding and washing.
UHMW’s coefficient of friction is also relatively low.
UHMW is good or great in most situations, including with many liquids and acids.
UHMW is relatively cheap and readily available.

Disadvantages of using UHMW Plastic:

UHMW can’t be used in many applications because of its low friction temperature.
Because of this, it might not be the best material for making things that need to be very precise.
The temperature limits can also make it hard to work with UHMW.

Comparison Between Product Acetal Plastic Vs. UHMW Plastic

Type	Acetal plastic	UHMW Plastic
Short description	UHMW is used for belt scrapers, chain guides, idler wheels, and sprockets, packaging machinery components, and gears.	UHMW, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, is a type of plastic that is very tough and resistant to wear and tear.
What ingredients used to make this?	Acetal plastic is made of copolymer and homopolymer resins.	UHMW Plastic is made of a thermoplastic with long bands that is semi-crystalline and doesn’t melt.
Applications	UHMW Plastic is made of a thermoplastic with long bands that are semi-crystalline and don’t melt.	Acetal plastic is used for mechanical gears. Electrical components, automotive products, and sports equipment.
Characteristics	A small amount of friction, good wear, high strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability. Deficient moisture and abrasion resistance. A wide range of chemical resistance	UHMW is hard, smooth, and long-lasting, and it has a high tensile strength. UHMW is also very resistant to chemicals that eat away at it, wear, abrasion, contact, water, and cold temperatures.
Others Characteristics	Acetal plastic is better at resisting chemicals, wear, tensile strength, size stability, and being able to be machined.	UHMW is stronger, lasts longer, and wears better than other plastics. And it works better than other materials in tough settings. It won’t break even if it gets hit a lot.
Others Benefits	It’s also not very heavy, and it doesn’t stick to things very much.	It can work at many different temperatures. Most poisons don’t hurt it.

Final words

Acetal and UHMW Plastic are both popular engineering plastics for industrial parts, but they offer different physical properties, making them suitable for various applications. If you don’t know how to choose, contact UVTECO for help. UVTECO is a leading supplier of Acetal plastic, UHMW Plastic, and machining services in China.