For many years, plastic has been used as an insulator for a variety of applications. Since it is a successful insulator, it is not a good conductor of heat.
There’s a reason why plastic cookware is safe to use when stirring your macaroni, or why plastic dishes and bowls don’t get too hot when they’re thrown into the microwave.
Because plastic doesn’t let heat and electricity flow through it with ease, it can be an excellent choice for protecting electrical components and systems.
In this blog we will further explore why plastics are not a good conductor of heat and the potential benefits that come from this fact.
The short answer is no
With very little free electrons, thermal conduction essentially cannot take place with plastic. Heat is generated when molecules vibrate back and forth or collide into each other, transferring thermal energy. Since the molecules inside of plastic are so closely bound together, it requires a lot more energy for them to move and vibrate. This tight bond makes it very difficult for any electricity to flow through.
Different plastics have different thermal conductivity, however
While plastics are not good conductors of heat, there are certain plastics that have higher levels of thermal conductivity than others.
There are a few synthetic polymers that have high conductivity traits and act as electrical conductors, while polyurethane and polystyrene have lower levels of thermal conductivity.
Polyurethane and polystyrene are two of the most common types of plastic used for everyday household items, due to these lower levels.
At Piper Plastics we are proud to have years of experience working with plastics and specialize in the creation of plastisol dip coating and molding that provides the insulating properties you require.
With over 50 years in the plastics business and over 100 years of combined plastisol processing experience, we are the team to call for all your dip molding, dip coating and fluid bed PVC powder coating needs.
We take great pride in our ability to solve your most difficult molding and coating challenges and ask that you give us a call today at 800-966-9919 to get started!
