ABSTRACT
Polyacetal or polyoxymethylene (POM) is a semicrystalline, engineering thermoplastic resin. POM is characterized by the recurring formaldehyde group (CH2O) in its backbone, and exceptional creep resistance, toughness, and fatigue strength. The original work on the polymerization and structure of polyacetal was started by the German chemist, Hermann Staudinger (1953 Nobel Laureate), in his research on the theory of giant molecules [1], but the inability to handle the thermal instability of POM proved to be a barrier. Polyacetal was commercially introduced by DuPont in 1960. DuPont’s polyacetal is a homopolymer that is known by the trade name, Delrin. Celanese Corp. introduced the polyacetal copolymer in 1962 under the trade name, Celcon. Celcon polyacetal resin is a copolymer of formaldehyde and small amounts of either ethylene oxide or 1,3-dioxolene. The major global producers [2,3] of polyacetal are (2008)
1. Ticona (Hoechst Celanese)(Celcon)—41% 2. DuPont (Delrin)—19% 3. Mitsubishi Chemical Company-13% 4. BASF (Ultraform®) 5. Asahi Kasei (Japan) 6. Korea Engineering Plastics Co. (KEPITAL) 7. KTP Industries Inc./Toray of Japan (KOCETAL, 1998)
The current global production capacity for polyacetal is about 1.3 billion pounds per year, and the consumption level is about 1.01 billion pounds per year. The projected AAGR for the polyacetal resin market is about 5%. The major polyacetal resin consuming regions globally are China, Western Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Polyacetal, as an engineering thermoplastic resin, is a cost-effective substitute for traditional metals such as aluminum, steel, etc. and other plastics. Polyacetal
engineering resin’s application span a diversity of areas such as automotive, medical/dental [4-7], household appliances, electrical/electronics (switchgears), computer housings, plumbing/irrigation, etc.
