PBI – Celazole

Celazole* PBI is the highest performance engineering thermoplastic available today. It offers the highest heat resistance and mechanical property retention over 400F of any unfilled plastic (see Figures 26 & 27). It has better wear resistance and load carrying capabilities at extreme temperatures than any other reinforced or unreinforced engineering plastic.

Properties include:

• Highest mechanical properties of any plastic above 400F (204C)  
• Highest heat deflection temperature 800F (427C), with a continuous service capability of 750F (399C) in inert environments, or 650F (343C) in air with short term exposure potential to 1,000F (538C)  
• Lowest coefficient of thermal expansion and highest compressive strength of all unfilled plastics

As an unreinforced material, Celazole PBI is very “clean” in terms of ionic impurity and it does not outgas (except water). These characteristics make this material very attractive to semiconductor manufacturers for vacuum chamber applications. Celazole PBI has excellent ultrasonic transparency which makes it an ideal choice for parts such as probe tip lenses in ultrasonic measuring equipment.

Celazole PBI is also an excellent thermal insulator. Other plastics in melt do not stick to PBI. These characteristics make it ideal for contact seals and insulator bushings in plastic production and molding equipment.