Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is a rigid and lightweight thermoplastic copolymer with some flexibility and resistance to impact absorption.

There are several degrees of ABS that give it a wide range of functions and applications.

ABS coloration and high-gloss finish are also characteristics that make this plastic widely present in our day-to-day life.

In Leirivedante ABS is used in the manufacture of some rigid profiles.

The ethylene propylene diene monomer (M-class) rubber (EPDM), a type of synthetic rubber, is an elastomer which is characterized by the wide range of applications.

The main properties of the EPDM are its outstanding heat, ozone and weather resistance, and the good flexibility at low temperatures. It has also a good resistance to some chemical agents and has also good electrical insulating properties.

In the manufacturing of EPDM there are various parameters, that can be changed, originating several commercial grades. As result of the EPDM production versatility, can be manufactured products with quite different hardnesses and densities.

Among the EPDM products, is commonly made the distinction between two types: compact EPDM and cellular EPDM.

A polyamide (PA) is a polymer containing monomers of amides joined by peptide bonds. The polyamide is one of the polymers with greater resistance to the heat and fire. The polyamides like nylon, aramids, began to be used as synthetic fiber but later began to be used in the common manufacturing of plastics.

Characteristically polyamides have a high fatigue resistance, a low coefficient of friction, a good impact resistance and a good weather resistance.

In Leirivedante, the polyamides are used to the manufacturing of products designed for the car industry.

Polyethylene (PE) is a polymer which is obtained through the polymerization of the ethylene. It’s a very common polymer. There are two large groups of PE, LDPE – low density polyethylene and HDPE – high density polyethylene. The polyethylene is available in the market with a wide range of flexibilities and other properties, depending of its production process. Generally, the polyethylene is chemically very resistance, impermeable and has a low density.

PE is used in Leirivedante to manufacture several types of products.

The polypropylene (PP) is an polymer obtained from the propylene and is easily recyclable. Its features are very similar to the polyethylene features. However, the PP has generally better resistance, greater hardness and greater thermal stability.

Polypropylene is one of the lightest plastics available with a density of 0.905 g/cm².

In Leirivedante the polypropylene is found mostly in the technical profiles/seals.

The polystyrene (PS) is a homopolymer that results from the polymerization of the monomer styrene.

It is an amorphous, glassy polymer that is generally rigid.

High impact polystyrene grades (HIPS) are produced by adding rubber or butadiene copolymer which increases the hardness and impact strength of the polymer.

In Leirivedante, the polystyrene is used to produce certain rigid profiles whose applications require it.

The Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the plastics mostly used in the world, due to the great diversity of properties that can it can present, namely, to be able to present a very flexible hardness, to a completely rigid hardness, as well as to its very competitive price.

Most of the products manufactured in Leirivedante have PVC.

The addition of nitrile rubber allows improvement of some properties less positives of the PVC such as acid and base resistance, combustible resistance, oil and solvents resistance, and flexibility at low temperature.

The thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are a family of engineering materials composed by a mix of plastic and rubber. There are six main thermoplastic elastomer groups commercially available. The thermoplastic elastomers have been replacing the rubbers in many applications, mostly in the automotive industry.

Generically, the TPE products exhibit a good weather, chemical, UV and ozone resistance.

In Leirivedante this raw material is used mainly in technical seals. However, there are flexible seals and tubes manufactured with this material too.

The thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) it’s a type of polyurethanes.

The thermoplastic polyurethane is characterized by the high abrasion resistance, to the oxygen, to the ozone, to the lower temperatures and to the elasticity.

This features made the thermoplastic polyurethane an engineering plastic, it is therefore used in special applications.

In Leirivedante, the TPU is used in products with particular applications.