Common Applications

· Medical — sterilisation trays, instrument handles, dental and surgical devices

· Food service — reusable food trays, piping and fittings for hot drinks

· Laboratory — autoclavable cages, racks, and centrifuge components

· Electronics — high-temperature, transparent housings needing dimensional stability

· Fluid handling — hot water manifolds and filtration components

Machining and Sterilisation Notes

Sulfone polymers machine like polycarbonate but with greater stiffness, so tool pressures and cutting speeds should be moderated to avoid stress whitening. Anneal after heavy machining to remove internal stress — otherwise parts may craze in the autoclave, since the stress-relief and steam cycles act on the same internal structure. Avoid aggressive solvents during cleaning, and never use chlorinated or aromatic solvents on finished parts. NAGOMER machines PPSU and PSU components to drawing with material certification for medical and food programmes.

Cost is the obvious question, and the answer is straightforward. PPSU sits above PSU, which sits well above PC — but the premium buys cycle life. A tray that fails after two hundred autoclave passes costs far more in replacement, reprocessing, and clinical downtime than the material price difference ever saved. Where a device is sterilised only a handful of times, or where transparency is cosmetic rather than functional, PSU or a filled PEI grade may serve just as well. Where the protocol calls for 134°C steam, repeated cycles, and a decade of service, PPSU is the honest answer.

Related reading: Engineering Plastics for Medical Devices, PC vs PMMA comparison, and Engineering Plastic Certifications Explained.