Glossary of Terms

This glossary defines the terms that come up in secondary plastics manufacturing: laser marking and laser welding, surface pretreatment by corona, plasma, flame and UV/ozone, adhesion and bonding, coatings, inkjet printing and product security. Each entry explains what the term means in practice on a plastic part, the numbers and standards that matter (surface energy in dyne/cm, ASTM D3359 ratings, UL 94 classes) and where the full technical treatment lives on this site. The entries are written for engineers and buyers who need a working definition quickly; the linked service pages and articles cover specification, process development and troubleshooting in depth.

Polyester

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways Polyester covers a family including PET and PBT with quite different processing behavior. Grade matters as much...

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Polypropylene

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways PP is often called the “steel” of the plastics industry for how widely it can be modified....

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Laser Plastic Welding

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways The joint forms at the interface between a laser-transparent upper part and an absorbent lower part. Grade...

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Cold Laser Marking

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways Two distinct routes share the name: ultraviolet photochemical marking, and ultrashort-pulse athermal ablation. For plastics the mainstream...

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Laser Marking Nylon and Its Applications

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways Nylon has little inherent near-infrared absorption, so additives do the work. Grade matters as much as polymer...

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Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways Three monomers each contribute a distinct property — chemical resistance, impact strength and rigidity. Grade matters as...

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Polyphenylene Sulfide

Home›TerminologyPPS is a polymer comprising repeating phenylene (aromatic) rings linked by sulfide (–S–) bonds. This rigid molecular backbone grants PPS...

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Thermoplastic Elastomers

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways TPEs behave like rubber but process like thermoplastics, so they can be molded, extruded and reground. No...

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Carbonization

Home›Terminology Key Takeaways Carbonization is the most common laser marking mechanism on plastics, producing dark or black contrast. Absorbed energy...

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