Plating Hybrid & Exotic Materials

Plating hybrid materials provides a range of applications since it combines the strongest traits from various materials, whether a combination of plastics, powdered metals, glass, carbon fiber, or others.


Hybrid & Exotic Materials

As examples, SAT successfully plates:

  • Glass filled PEEK, Ultem, Nylon, and many others
  • Carbon Fiber filled PEEK, Ultem, Nylon, etc
  • Metallic powers materials mixed with polymers and injection molded

Hybrid Materials can be created to specially cater to differing situations in which a single polymer couldn’t fully handle alone. Along with their flexible capabilities, Hybrid Materials are also incredibly dynamic.

They can be created to specially cater to differing situations in which a single polymer couldn’t fully handle alone. Along with their dynamic potential for the properties of the material, Hybrid Materials also boast a wide array of aesthetic options due to their ability to be dyed different colors.


A Closer Look At Hybrid & Exotic Materials

Hybrid Materials are materials created from combining multiple components into a single substrate, allowing for the creation of materials with dynamic properties that can boast a multitude of uses depending on the application in which they would be used.  Hybrid Materials are ideal for situations where a component will be exposed to extreme environments – either extreme cold, extreme heat, or the conditions found outside Earth’s atmosphere.

These are a situations where the properties of a single polymer simply wouldn’t suffice.  This dynamicity makes Hybrid Material one of the most useful and resilient forms of polymers.

An important factor to note when discussing a Hybrid Material is the fact that it doesn’t have one single, consistent form.  Since they are a combination of multiple types of materials, Hybrid Materials differ from application to application. Because of this, they are specialized and created for a specific use rather than having a multitude of differing applications.  This means that Hybrid Materials are specialized for a specific job, which also means specific information for their use is needed in order to maximize the usefulness and potential of polymers. This is done so they can be catered for each specific application they’re created for.

Since Hybrid Materials are highly specialized, they’re also able to take on a multitude of properties from their base polymers.  For example, when PEEK is combined with Carbon Fiber, it combines the strength and the heat resistance of Carbon Fiber with the resistance to moisture absorption and strength that PEEK naturally has.  This creates a superior substrate that combines the strengths of both materials, creating a product that can meet extreme requirements.

Hybrid Materials can also bring cost savings when a less expensive material is mixed into a the pure resin.  An example of this is seen when adding glass to Ultem.
