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PP vs PE: What Is the Difference & Which Should You Choose?

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PP offers superior rigidity and heat resistance (mp ~160°C) with good chemical resistance and low cost, making it ideal for chemical tanks, flanges, and pump/valve parts. PE is softer, handles extreme cold better (down to -100°C), and has a low friction coefficient; UHMW-PE delivers 7x the wear resistance of carbon steel, suiting conveyor rails and wear liners. Select PP for rigidity/heat and PE for wear/low-temperature performance.
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Related to PP vs PE: What Is the Difference & Which Should You Choose?

In low-load, mid-to-high-speed environments with abrasive particle erosion, this is indeed the case. The wear resistance of UHMW-PE can reach approximately 7 times that of carbon steel. It features a low coefficient of friction, non-stick properties, and low operating noise. However, its rigidity and load-bearing capacity are far inferior to steel, classifying it as a wear-resistant but non-load-bearing material. Structural support is required during design to compensate for stiffness.

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Yes. Acrylic is one of the few plastics that can achieve a mirror finish directly through cutting. We use single-crystal diamond tools for precision machining, followed by flame polishing or diamond grinding. Surface roughness is consistently controlled within Ra0.4μm, delivering a high-gloss appearance free of scratches or defects, resembling a mirror. No secondary coating is required. For batch production, identical parameters are used to ensure consistent mirror finish quality.

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Appearance quality is a core strength. We use a three-stage control process: during machining, sharp tools with high RPM and shallow cuts prevent tool marks and roughness; between processes, all parts are film-wrapped and transferred in individual stations to avoid stacking scratches; before shipping, each piece is inspected under standard light sources against strict criteria for glossy, scratch-free, and blemish-free finishes. Batch consistency is guaranteed by fixed parameters and fixtures, not manual picking.

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Temperature and cost guide selection. PEI offers long-term service up to 170°C (Tg 217°C), inherent flame retardancy, and lower cost than PEEK, ideal for aerospace interiors, electrical insulation, and medical device structural parts. PEEK withstands long-term temperatures up to 250°C with better chemical and wear resistance, suitable for high-heat, corrosive, or implant-grade applications. For temperatures below 170°C, PEI is usually more economical.

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The criteria for judgment are consistent: high gloss, high-shine surface, no scratches, and no defects. The difference lies in the process—aluminum parts rely on anodizing and polishing, while plastic parts use diamond cutting and flame polishing or mechanical polishing. When aluminum and plastic parts are mixed in the same batch, we standardize color swatches and gloss samples to avoid visual discrepancies between the two materials on the same product.

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