Glass-fiber reinforcement
Typical intent: Often used to raise stiffness, load capability and dimensional control.
Trade-off: May increase anisotropy, surface texture, tool wear, brittleness and weld-line sensitivity.
RFQ fields: Base polymer, fiber percentage and length, flow direction, critical dimensions, surface need and test method.
Carbon-fiber reinforcement
Typical intent: Can raise stiffness, creep resistance, wear performance and sometimes electrical or thermal conductivity.
Trade-off: Cost, anisotropy, galvanic or conductivity concerns, machining wear and lower elongation may become important.
RFQ fields: Fiber content, conductivity target, load direction, wear pair, dimensional need and grounding strategy.
Mineral, glass-bead or ceramic filling
Typical intent: Can alter shrinkage, stiffness, dimensional stability, density, surface finish and machinability.
Trade-off: Impact performance, toughness, wear behavior and processing window may change.
RFQ fields: Filler type and content, shrinkage or CTE target, surface finish, tolerances, weight and process.
Wear and friction modification
Typical intent: PTFE, graphite, silicone, aramid or other additives can tune sliding behavior and wear.
Trade-off: A lower coefficient of friction does not automatically mean lower wear or higher load capacity for every mating pair.
RFQ fields: Counterface, speed, load, lubrication, temperature, duty cycle, environment and acceptable wear rate.
Conductive, static-dissipative or EMI modification
Typical intent: Carbon-based, metallic or other conductive systems can create controlled electrical behavior.
Trade-off: Mechanical properties, color, surface resistivity uniformity, contamination and processing may change.
RFQ fields: Target test method and range, humidity, part geometry, grounding, cleanliness, color and compliance.
Flame-retardant and low-smoke modification
Typical intent: Formulations can be designed toward specific flame, smoke and toxicity test requirements.
Trade-off: Ratings depend on grade, color, thickness and test method; impact, electrical and processing behavior can shift.
RFQ fields: Exact standard, rating, thickness, color, end-use environment, traceability and certificate need.
Impact toughening
Typical intent: Elastomeric or blend modification can improve impact and crack resistance.
Trade-off: Stiffness, heat resistance, chemical resistance, transparency and dimensional behavior may decrease.
RFQ fields: Impact method and temperature, stiffness floor, chemical contact, color, surface and process.
Heat, UV, hydrolysis or oxidation stabilization
Typical intent: Stabilizer packages can extend performance under targeted aging conditions.
Trade-off: The package is condition-specific and may affect color, regulatory status, bonding or long-term property balance.
RFQ fields: Exposure spectrum, time, temperature, humidity, water or steam, load, color and acceptance test.
Polymer blends and alloys
Typical intent: Blending can combine processability, impact, heat, dimensional or cost characteristics.
Trade-off: Compatibility, phase morphology, recycling stream, chemical resistance and lot consistency require control.
RFQ fields: Target property balance, current material, process, recycled-content rules, color and validation plan.
Recycled, bio-attributed or detectable compounds
Typical intent: Special formulations can address circularity, carbon accounting, metal/X-ray detection or food-line contamination control.
Trade-off: Traceability, lot variation, regulatory evidence, appearance and mechanical performance require explicit acceptance criteria.
RFQ fields: Chain-of-custody or recycled-content evidence, detection method, regulatory scope, lot controls and test plan.
