Materials We Use

Why Choose National Plastics and Seals?

Since 1985, National Plastics and Seals has been a leading provider of precision machined plastic products and components. We are a customer-focusedColor acrylic plastic distributor of plastic sheet, rod, and tube profiles, rubber products, heat shrink tubing, for customers in a wide range of industries. As a premier distributor and custom fabricator of plastic sheet, rod, and tube products, we are capable of producing a variety of standard and custom plastic products tailored to the particular needs of your application.

We pride ourselves on supplying outstanding products with exceptional quality and reliability at competitive prices. Our experts provide comprehensive technical support and customer service throughout the fabrication and distribution process, so you can rest assured that you will have the product you need when you need it, within your budget.

Discover Our Range of Products

At National Plastics and Seals, our specialty is matching the right products and materials with the specific needs of your application. Our experts will work closely with your team to ascertain which products are ideal for your specific operation. Decades of hands-on experience allow us to devise solutions to unique challenges that frustrate other suppliers. 

Our Most Popular Materials

We are pleased to offer an extensive selection of plastic sheet, rod, and tube materials and use in-house machining and fabrication equipment to tailor components to your needs. Below are some of the most popular materials we use to create superior quality components for our customers:

  • Acrylic: A smooth, highly transparent material, acrylic can withstand both indoor and outdoor conditions, which makes it ideal for windows, signage, and displays.
  • Polycarbonate: Tougher than acrylic, polycarbonate is highly resistant to impacts and extreme temperatures. This makes it perfect for use in signage, bullet-resistant glass, display cases, industrial windows, and machine guards.
  • Acetal: Acetal plastic is rigid, strong, machinable, and wear-resistant. It maintains its shape under stress and has an extremely low friction coefficient, which makes it useful for engineering and mechanical components like gears, bearings, and valves. 
  • Nylon: Also called polyamide is valued for its wear resistance, strength, and low friction. It is often used to replace metal and rubber hardware in general purpose applications, such as wear pads, bushings, and bearings.
  • PEEK: Short for polyetheretherketone, PEEK offers exceptional structural integrity, tensile strength, compressive strength, and temperature resistance. It is used in high-temperature valve seals, bearings, and bushings, as well as a variety of high-performance aerospace and sealing components.
  • Expanded PVC: Expanded PVC, or PVCX, is an expanded PVC foam valued for its lightweight and durability. It is available in a wide range of colors, which makes it the material of choice for merchandising, signage, and digital printing.
  • PTFE: PTFE, exhibits exceptional non-stick and low friction properties. It is weatherproof, resistant to high temperatures, chemically inert, and an excellent electrical insulator. These properties make it ideal for a variety of valves, seals, and insulators.
  • Polyethylene: A highly versatile polymer, polyethylene (PE) comes in a variety of formulations, including popular high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), Ultra-High Molecular Weight (UHMW) polyethylene. Depending on the grade and density, polyethylene exhibits tensile strength, chemical resistance, low friction, and electrical insulative properties. It is used in everything from grocery bags to chemical storage tanks.
  • PEI: Polyetherimide (PEI), also known as Ultem®, is an engineering plastic with exceptional mechanical strength, excellent electrical insulating properties, and resistance to a variety of chemicals. It is typically used in high-performance applications in aerospace, medical, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries. Its excellent electrical insulating properties over a wide range of temperatures allow it to be used for high-voltage circuit-breaker housings as well as for jet and automobile engine components.
  • PET: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is an extremely wear-resistant, low-friction thermoplastic made from polyester. Its strength, stiffness, and low coefficient of friction make it ideal for food molds, valve bodies, and conveyor equipment.

Other Materials We Offer

In addition to our most popular materials above, we offer a comprehensive selection of materials to meet virtually any need. Our additional products include:

  • Fiberglass: These materials have good tensile strength and good impact strength. Standard fiberglass is used for a wide variety of lightweight structural applications like handrails and platforms. Electrical grade fiberglass is excellent for electrical enclosures, electrical switch gears, transformers, and barriers.
  • Fluoropolymers: These materials are tough yet easy to machine. Fluoropolymers generally offer good weather resistance. Uses include wear strips, wire coatings, valves, and liners. These can include:
    • Teflon® PTFE
    • PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)
    • ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene)
    • PFA (perfluoroalkoxy fluorocarbon)
    • CTFE (chlorotrifluoroethylene)
    • PVDF (Kynar®)
    • ECTFE (Halar®)
    • FEP (fluorinated ethylene-propylene)
    • Rulon®
  • Polyolefin Heat Shrink: Our polyolefin shrink tubing offers flexible and abrasion-resistant protection with a conveniently low shrink temperature.
  • Polypropylene: A type of polyolefin, polypropylene is a hard non-toxic plastic that is highly resistant to chemicals and microbial growth. It is typically used in process piping and plumbing fixtures.
  • Insulation Sleeving: We offer a variety of temperature-resistant thermal protective sleeves for pipes, hoses, wires, and cable arrays. Our insulation sleeving is specifically engineered to withstand long-term exposure to high temperatures. 
  • PPS: Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is a  highly machinable and water-resistant polymer with similar mechanical strength and chemical resistance to PEI. It is often used in automotive equipment, chemical manufacturing, and electronics.
  • PAI: Polyamide-imide (PAI), or Torlon®, is valued for its exceptional rigidity, structural strength, and temperature resistance. Its exceptional strength makes it ideal for high-performance applications where extreme wear is common. 
  • Polysulfone: Family of high-performance thermoplastics.  Valued for their high-temperature resistance. Polysulfone is often used in the food-service industry.
  • ABS: Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is a highly machinable impact-resistant thermoplastic valued for its low cost and notable toughness. It is often used in household appliances, children’s toys, power tools, and protective face shields.
  • Phenolic: Phenolic is highly versatile and easy to form. It is often incorporated into composite materials to create a variety of products, from countertops to friction linings and specialty coatings. 
  • Polyimide: This material offers a wide range of properties as well as temperatures. Common applications include gasketing for electronics, thermal fixtures, valve seats, and wear pads. This includes:
    • Kapton®
    • Vespel®
  • Epoxy: Epoxy is a popular resin with exceptional strength, adhesion, heat resistance, and chemical resistance. 
  • Silicone: Valued for its outstanding temperature resistance, silicone is also resistant to water, UV radiation, and electrical current. It is often used for sealing hardware and electrical insulators.
  • PVC/ CPVC:  Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most popular plastics on the market. It is very resistant to chemicals and corrosion and is used in pipes, cable and wire arrays, and roofing materials, among many other applications.

Characteristics Of Our Materials

Surface Finish:

  • Smooth
  • Smooth on One Side, Adhesive-Ready on Other Side
  • Textured on Both Sides
  • Textured on One Side
  • Pebble Finish on Both Sides
  • Pebble Finish on One Side
  • Rough

Color: Opaque materials block the passage of light. Translucent materials allow the passage of light, but not necessarily a clear view of what lies beyond. Clear materials allow view of what lies beyond without obstruction or haziness.

Tolerance: Standard: Material is manufactured to a nominal dimension according to commonly accepted tolerances. Example: 1/4″ Diameter ±.002″.

Ground: Material is ground to closer tolerances to the nominal dimension than standard. Example: 1/4″ Diameter ±.001″.

Specifications Met: 3A Sanitary Standards (3A) Compliant | Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS) | American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) | Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Compliant | Military Specifications (MIL) | National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Compliant | Underwriters Laboratories (UL) | U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Compliant | United States Pharmaceutical (USP) |

Industries We Serve

At National Plastic and Seals, we are committed to providing our customers with superior plastic products for every occasion. We continuously expand our selection of products to better serve our customers in every industry. 

Industries we serve include, but are not limited to: 

Aerospace

  • Aerospace: Weight and strength are critical considerations for aerospace applications. When used as a lightweight alternative to traditional metal components, plastic parts reduce airplane weight, thereby reducing fuel consumption and improving efficiency and maneuverability.
  • Agriculture: Chemicals and corrosion are common issues in the agricultural sector. For longer service life, reduced wear, and greater reliability, many agricultural equipment manufacturers incorporate plastics into their designs. Not only do they last longer, but plastic components are also lighter than common steel and aluminum components, which enhances equipment efficiency. 
  • Automotive: Similar to aerospace and agricultural applications, automotive equipment benefits from the lightweight strength of plastics. With less weight to propel, vehicles with more plastic exhibit better fuel efficiency overall.
  • Food and Beverage: Durable plastics that are resistant to chemicals and microbial growth are often incorporated into a variety of food and beverage applications, including ovens, conveyors, refrigerators, packaging equipment, and more. In addition, rubber seals, gaskets, and o-rings are used to prevent leaks and cross-contamination consistent with FDA guidelines. 
  • Medical: A variety of medical-grade plastics are designed to withstand sterilization, wear, heat, and chemicals to operate reliably when exposed to regular cleaning cycles and consistent use.

Superior Quality Plastic and Rubber Components from National Plastics and Seals, Inc.

At National Plastics and Seals, our customers enjoy the benefits of both in-house fabrication and comprehensive distribution of plastic sheet, rod, and tube products. We are committed to providing our customers with superior products on time and within your budget.

To learn more about our extensive selection of plastic materials and solutions, contact us today to request a quote for your next project.