What is Acetal and What Are Its Common Uses?

Acetal which is also referred as polyoxymethylene (POM) is one of the finest thermoplastics used for engineering precision parts that need low friction, high stiffness and amazing stability. Like most of the common chemicals, even this one is produced by different companies and is sold in various names as per the manufacturing group.

There are two important characteristics of this polymer and they are strength and rigidity. This is something that has made it a promising tool for applications involving bearings, lock systems, gear wheels and fasteners. You can find acetal abundantly in the automotive and electronic manufacturing industries. In general, its name denotes a plastic or copolymer that is used for improving the efficiency of systems.

Acetal

The Concept Behind Formation of Acetal

Initially, these polymers were never commercialized because of their improper stability. However, in the mid-1920s a chemist rediscovered the properties of the group and invested a functional structure that gives a new direction to the polymer. Soon, many researchers around the world started synthesizing acetal to analyze its thermal stability. Later in the same year, Dal Nagore realized that combining acetic anhydride along with heat-resistant polymers would create a form of a homopolymer. This brought POM to a much stable and made it a processable plastic.   

Followed by this, various industries replicated the theory of Dal Nagore and this led to the worldwide production of acetal, something that can be seen across varied sectors.

Know the Properties of Acetal

As stated before, the material is primarily used for its strength and hardness. The colour happens to be white because of its crystalline state, still, there are many companies who process it into various shades of colour. The melting point of POM is high and it is able to manage a great amount of frictional pressure without altering its structure. This itself explained why it is composed of both a copolymer and homopolymer.

The copolymer in the structure is usually made of two units namely: butanediol and ethylene glycol, these two-form cyclic ether as a result of which the O-link present in the compound does not take the shape of POM, rather it becomes a component of ether and this remains stable for the process of hydrolysis. With this, the chain cleavage of the material is decreased and this leaves no room or any oxidative reactions that would break down the compound. Despite the process, acetal can be susceptible to oxidation and to overcome that they are coated with antioxidants to prevent the formation of rusts.

Some of the key advantages of POM that you should look after are:

• Lower Friction Coefficient
• Exceptional conductor of electricity
• Superior resistance against heat
• Features dielectric properties and
• Water absorption rate is lower compared to alternatives

The Different Applications of Acetal

Today, acetal has found its importance in several sectors and is being industrialized as an essential commodity by reputable companies around the globe. You can find them in electrical, mechanical, automotive and medical. 

Some of these applications are briefly explained below:

• Electrical: For electrical components, acetal is used in the making of telephone, connectors and insulators to aid in effective operations and that too for a long period of time.   
• Mechanical: The chains, nuts, screws and sliding components can be revamped with the use of this material. This is the reason why more and more industries prefer to use POM based fasteners compared to traditional ones.
• Automotive: The windows to door lock systems and fuel circulating units each and every component of the car hold the presence of POM and that is what makes it more important than ever.