Plastics are viewed as more sanitary than metals,
and so are commonly used in food and beverage,
medical and pharmaceutical applications. Plastics
typically deliver better chemical resistance and
thermal conductivity. They have the capacity to
be lighter than metal and to act as an electrical
insulator. Popular extruded plastics used for
manifolds include polyoxymethylene, polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride
(CPVC), acrylic, polycarbonate, polyethermide
and polyether ether ketone (PEEK), among
others. Several application-specific factors must
be considered when selecting a plastic manifold
material. Contact Norgren for design and
material selection assistance.
Unlike metal, plastic manifolds can be laminated
in layers. This allows the creation of multiple flow
paths that can curve or turn corners. Laminate
manifold materials include acrylic, polycarbonate
and polyetherimide (PEI).
Acrylic is the least expensive of the three, but
also has the most limited temperature range and
chemical resistance. One advantage of acrylic is
optical clarity, making it useful for applications
where operators need to see the media moving
through the assembly.
Polycarbonate tolerates a broader temperature
range and has better chemical compatibility than
acrylic, but it is less clear, having a blue cast. PEI
is the most expensive, but has the highest heat
and chemical resistance of the three, making
it the plastic of choice for certain challenging
applications.
Manifold Assemblies 07
