What are polymers?

Polymers are indispensable in modern industrial applications today. Their variable molecular structure and the resulting freedom of design make polymers essential for lightweight, durable, and functionally optimized products.

According to the definition of polymers, these are materials that consist of many repeating chemical building blocks (monomers) – hence the name from the Greek “poly” (many) and “meros” (part). Due to their special physical-chemical and mechanical-thermal properties, they clearly differ from traditional material classes such as metals, ceramics, or glass.

Relevance for modern industries

Polymers contribute to the high functionality and durability of end products and are used in packaging, electrical engineering, household appliances, vehicle production, medical devices, construction, and consumer goods, among other areas.

The main advantages:

• Lightweight and versatile: Polymers have a density of between approximately 0.8 and 2.2 g/cm³, which is significantly lower than that of metals or ceramics, and can be processed flexibly.
• Mechanical resistance: Polymers often offer high toughness and fracture resistance—ideal for applications involving drop or impact loads.
• Chemical and environmental resistance: Many polymers are resistant to corrosion from chemicals and function as excellent electrical or thermal insulators—for example, in cable sheathing or household handles.
• Insulating properties: Polymers insulate both thermal and electrical energy—an advantage in electrical engineering as well as in packaging and insulation materials.

Significance for material development and innovative strength:

Polymers form the basis for numerous innovative applications, e.g., in lightweight aircraft components, medical implants, or highly insulating packaging. In many cases, they replace metals in automotive engineering because they offer greater design freedom and thus enable the manufacture of complex geometries. Additives, fillers, and coating technologies enable additional functionalities, such as improved electrical conductivity or increased thermal conductivity.

Through targeted modification, polymers open up the possibility of developing tailor-made materials—from dimensionally stable thermosets and flexible elastomers to high-performance adhesives and versatile thermoplastics.

Thermosets offer outstanding dimensional stability and heat resistance, making them the first choice for durable, heavy-duty applications—even though their brittle structure does not allow for subsequent deformation. This makes them superior to thermoplastics in terms of heat resistance, dimensional stability, chemical resistance, and fatigue strength.

They are therefore the best option for heat-resistant, dimensionally stable applications—whether in the kitchen, in components for electronics and electrical engineering, in machine components, or in vehicle and aircraft construction.

Elastomers, on the other hand, offer maximum flexibility: they can be stretched like rubber, absorb shocks, and reliably return to their original shape. The particular advantage of elastomers lies in their combination of flexibility, shock absorption, and resilience, which cannot be achieved in this form with either thermoplastics or thermosets.

They are indispensable for flexible, cushioning, or sealing components—such as tires, gaskets, hoses, vibration and noise dampers, and many medical products.

Polymer-based adhesives open up new design possibilities because they bond materials permanently and securely—regardless of whether they are thermoplastic, thermosetting, or elastomeric. They adhere reliably to metals, glass, ceramics, and a wide variety of plastics.

They enable even stress distribution across the entire joining surface, are lightweight, allow different materials to be joined, and provide a seal against moisture, dust, and chemicals—making them indispensable in the automotive and aviation industries, in packaging, and in electronics, among other areas.

Thermoplastics score points for their versatility and efficiency: they can be molded into any shape, recycled multiple times, and range from lightweight and flexible to high-strength and heat-resistant.

They are particularly advantageous in mass production and prototyping and are used in packaging, automotive components, electronics, electrical engineering, and medical technology, among other areas.

The demands placed on new and innovative plastics, which cannot be met by their very nature, continue to rise. By adding certain mineral fillers, the behavior of the plastic can be modified and customized to suit specific customer requirements.

A clever combination of polymer and fillers often offers a technically and economically sensible solution in a wide range of modern applications. Customized plastics are used in a demanding range of tasks.

Further information on the individual polymers and how the use of our fillers positively influences their properties can be found on the respective product pages.