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Guide to Polymer Abbreviations
Last-modified: March 3rd, 1998

Since polymer molecules tend to have long names befitting their size, most polymers are referred to in coversation and in print by their abbreviations, whenever possible. It is much easier to refer to 'ABS' than to 'acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene. or to 'PCTFE' instead of 'polymonochlorotrifluoroethylene'.

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AbbreviationPolymer Name
- A -
ABAacrylonitrile-butadiene acrylate
ABSacrylonitrile-butadiene styrene terpolymer
ACSacrylonitrile-chlorinated polyethylene styrene terpolymer
AMAacrylate maleic anhydride terpolymer
AMMAacrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate
APOamorphous polyolefin
ASacrylonitrile styrene copolymer
ASAacrylonitrile styrene acrylate
- B -
BMC bulk molding compound
BMI bis maleimide
- C -
CA cellulose acetate
CAB cellulose acetate butyrate
CAP cellulose acetate proprionate
CN cellulose nitrate (celluloid)
COC cycloolefin copolymer
COP copolyester thermoplastic elastomer
CPE chlorinated polyethylene
CPVCchlorinated polyvinyl chloride
CTA cellulose triacetate
CTFEchlorotrifluoroethylene
- D -
DAP diallyl phthallate (thermoset)
- E -
EAA ethylene acrylic acid copolymer
EC ethyl cellulose
ECTFEethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene
EMACethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer
EnBAethylene n-butyl acetate
EP epoxy
EPDMethylene propylene diene monomer rubber
EPM ethylene propylene copolymer rubber
EPR ethylene propylene rubber
EPS expandable polystyrene
ETFE ethylene tetrafluoroethylene
EVA ethylene vinyl acetate
E/VAC ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer
EVOH ethylene vinyl alcohol
- F -
FEP fluorinated ethylene propylene
FRP fiber reinforced plastic
- H -
HDPE high density polyethylene
HIPS high impact polystyrene
HMC high strength molding compound
HMWHDPE high molecular weight high density polyethylene
- I -
I ionomer
IPN interpenetrating polymer network
- L -
LCP liquid crystal polymer
LDPE low density polyethylene
LLDPE linear low density polyethylene
LPE linear polyethylene
- M -
MA maleic anhydride
MABS methyl methacrylate/ABS copolymer
MBS methyl methacrylate butadiene styrene terpolymer
MDPE medium density polyethylene
MF melamine formaldehyde
MP melamine phenolic
- N -
NBR nitrile butadiene rubber
- O -
OSA olefin modified styrene acrylonitrile
- P -
P phenolic
PA polyamide (nylon)
PAA poly acetic acid
PAI polyamide-imide
PAEK polyaryletherketone
PAK polyester alkyd
PAL polyanaline
PAN polyacrylonitrile
PARA polyaryl amide
PAS polyarylsulfone
PB polubutylene
PBAN polybutadiene acrylonitrile
PBD polybutadine
PBI polybenzimidazole
PBN polybutylene napthalate
PBS polybutadiene styrene
PBT polybutylene terephthalate
PC polycarbonate
PC/ABS polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blend
PCL polycaprolactone
PCT polycyclohexylene terephthallate
PCT-G glycol modified polycyclohexyl terephthallate
PCTFE polymonochlorotrifluoroethylene
PE polyethylene
PEBA polyether block amide or polyester block amide
PEEK polyetheretherketone
PEI polyetherimide
PEK polyetherketone
PEKEKK polyetherketone etherketone ketone
PEKK polyetherketoneketone
PEN polyethylene napthalene
PEO polyethylene oxide
PES polyethersulfone
PET polyethylene terephthalate
PET-G glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate
PFA perfluoroalkoxy
PI polyimide
PI polyisoprene
PIB polyisobutylene
PIR polyisocyanurate
PMAN polymethactylonitrile
PMMA polymethylmethacrylate (acrylic)
PMP polymethylpentene
PMS paramethylstyrene
PO polyolefin
POM polyoxymethylene (acetal)
PP polypropylene
PPA polyphthalamide
PPC chlorinated polypropylene
PPC polyphthalate carbonate
PPE polyphenylene ether
PPI polymeric polyisocyanate
PPO polyphenylene oxide
PPOX polypropylene oxide
PPS polyphenylene sulfide
PPSU polyphenylene sulfone
PPT polypropylene terephthalate
PS polystyrene
PS-b-PI polystyrene/polyisoprene block copolymer
PSO,PSU polysulfone
PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene
PTMT polytetramethylene terephthalate
PU,PUR polyurethane
PVA polyvinyl alcohol (sometimes polyvinyl acetate)
PVAc polyvinyl acetate
PVB polyvinyl butyryl
PVC polyvinyl chloride
PVCApolyvinyl chloride acetate
PVDA polyvinylidene acetate
PVDC polyvinylidene chloride
PVDF polyvinylidene fluoride
PVF polyvinyl fluoride
PVK polyvinyl carbazole
PVOHpolyvinyl alcohol
PVP polyvinyl pyrrolidone
- S -
SAN styrene acrylonitrile
SB styrene butadiene
SBR styrene butadiene rubber
SBS styrene butadiene styrene block copolymer
SEBS styrene ethylene butylene styrene block copolymer
SI silicone
SIS styrene isoprene styrene block copolymer
SMA styrene maleic anhydride copolymer
SMC sheet molding compound
SMMA styrene methyl methacrylate
SMS styrene/a-methyl styrene
SVA styrene vinyl acrylonitrile
- T -
TEO thermoplastic elastic olefin
TPE thermoplastic elastomer
TPE-O, TPO thermoplastic elastomer - olefinic
TPE-S thermoplastic elastomer - styrenic
TMC thick molding compound
TPU thermoplastic urethane
TVO thermoplastic vulcanites
- U -
UF urea formaldehyde
UHMWPE ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene
ULDPE ultra low density polyethylene
UP,UPE unsaturated polyester (thermoset)
- V -
VA vinyl acetate
VAE vinyl acetate ethylene
VLDPEvery low density polyethylene
- X -
XPS expandable polystyrene


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