Plastic Material Processing Data Table

Amorphous Thermoplastics Semi-Crystalline Thermoplastics Bio-Based Polymers Density Values (120 materials)

How to use the tables: the values are guide ranges; the final setting should follow the raw material supplier's datasheet. Circumferential speed sets the maximum permissible screw speed for a given screw diameter: speed [rpm] = (circumferential speed [m/min] × 1000) / (π × screw diameter [mm]). Example: a 40 mm screw with an 18 m/min limit → ~143 rpm. In shear-sensitive materials (PC, PMMA, ABS, PVC) exceeding these limits causes thermal damage and burn marks.

Amorphous Thermoplastics

Amorphous materials such as ABS, PC, PMMA and PS — broad softening range, low shrinkage.

Material	Melt Temp. [°C]	Mold Temp. [°C]	Feed Throat Temp. [°C]	Specific Back Pressure [bar]	Circumferential Speed [m/min]	[m/s]	Drying [°C]	Time [h]
ABS	220 – 260	40 – 80	30 – 50	70 – 150	18	0.3	80	2 – 3
CA	175 – 250	25 – 85	40	80 – 100	18	0.3	55 – 85	2.5 – 3.5
CAB	175 – 250	25 – 85	40	80 – 100	36	0.6	55 – 85	2 – 3
CP	195 – 245	40 – 75	40	80 – 100	36	0.6	55 – 85	2 – 3
PA (amorphous)	260 – 300	70 – 100	60 – 80	50 – 100	36	0.6	80 – 90	8 – 12
PC	280 – 320	80 – 110	70 – 90	50 – 150	18	0.3	120	2 – 4
PC/ABS	250 – 290	60 – 90	60 – 80	50 – 150	12	0.2	90 – 110	2 – 4
PEI	340 – 410	135 – 180	100 – 120	40 – 80	30	0.5	150	4 – 6
PES	340 – 390	140 – 180	100 – 120	30 – 80	36	0.6	130 – 150	4 – 6
PMMA	220 – 260	50 – 80	50 – 60	30 – 90	18	0.3	80	3
PPO	270 – 310	70 – 120	60 – 80	30 – 70	18	0.3	110	2
PS	180 – 260	10 – 60	20 – 30	150 – 300	60	1	75	1 – 2
PSU	330 – 385	120 – 160	100 – 120	80 – 120	36	0.6	135 – 163	3 – 4
PVC (rigid)	180 – 210	10 – 50	30 – 50	70 – 200	12	0.2	50 – 65	2
PVC (flexible)	140 – 200	10 – 40	40	70 – 200	18	0.3	Not required	—
SAN	220 – 260	40 – 80	40	30 – 90	18	0.3	80	2 – 3
SB	180 – 270	10 – 60	20 – 30	50 – 100	36	0.6	Not required	—

Semi-Crystalline Thermoplastics

Semi-crystalline materials such as PE, PP, PA, POM, PBT and PEEK — sharp melting point, high shrinkage.

Material	Melt Temp. [°C]	Mold Temp. [°C]	Feed Throat Temp. [°C]	Specific Back Pressure [bar]	Circumferential Speed [m/min]	[m/s]	Drying [°C]	Time [h]
PE-HD	190 – 250	10 – 50	20 – 30	35 – 70	60	1	Not required	—
PE-LD	180 – 250	10 – 50	20 – 30	35 – 70	60	1	Not required	—
PA 6	250 – 280	40 – 100	60 – 80	70 – 120	36	0.6	80	3 – 5
PA 6.6	280 – 300	60 – 100	60 – 80	50 – 150	36	0.6	80	3 – 5
PA 6.10	230 – 280	40 – 60	60 – 80	50 – 150	18	0.3	80 – 110	2 – 4
PA 6.10-GF30	270 – 290	80 – 90	60 – 80	50 – 150	18	0.3	80 – 110	2 – 4
PA 11	210 – 270	30 – 40	60 – 80	50 – 150	36	0.6	80 – 90	4 – 8
PA 11-GF	240 – 270	90 – 100	60 – 80	50 – 150	36	0.6	80 – 90	4 – 8
PA 12	190 – 280	30 – 100	60 – 80	50 – 200	36	0.6	80	4 – 6
PEEK	350 – 400	170 – 200	100 – 120	20 – 50	12	0.2	150	3
LCP (standard grade)	315 – 350	80 – 120	60 – 80	0 – 30	12	0.2	130 – 150	4 – 6
LCP (high-temperature grade)	340 – 410	80 – 120	60 – 80	0 – 30	12	0.2	130 – 150	4 – 6
PBT	250 – 270	40 – 100	80	70 – 120	12	0.2	120	2 – 4
PC/PBT	255 – 270	60 – 80	40 – 60	50 – 100	24	0.4	80 – 105	3 – 4
POM	190 – 225	60 – 120	30 – 40	0 – 20	36	0.6	100	2 – 3
PP	200 – 260	10 – 60	20 – 30	35 – 70	54	0.9	Not required	—
PPS	300 – 340	140 – 150	100 – 120	15 – 30	24	0.4	130 – 150	3 – 4
PPS+GF	330 – 340	140 – 150	100 – 120	15 – 30	24	0.4	130 – 150	2 – 4

Partly or Fully Bio-Based Polymers

PLA, PBS, PHA and bio-based polyamides. CA, CAB, CP, PA 6.10 and PA 11 also appear in the tables above. The temperature and drying values are identical in both tables; the repetition arises because these materials belong both to their own chemical group and to the bio-based group. The back pressure column is intentionally left empty in this table.

Material	Melt Temp. [°C]	Mold Temp. [°C]	Feed Throat Temp. [°C]	Specific Back Pressure [bar]	Circumferential Speed [m/min]	[m/s]	Drying [°C]	Time [h]
PLA (amorphous grade)	170 – 210	20 – 30	20 – 50	—	60	1	43 – 55	4 – 6
PLA (crystallized grade)	170 – 210	90 – 120	20 – 50	—	60	1	65 – 90	4 – 6
PBS	180 – 200	25 – 40	—	—	30	0.5	80	5
PHA/PHB	160 – 175	50 – 65	—	—	12 – ≤24	0.2 – ≤0.4	50	5
CA (bio)	175 – 250	25 – 85	—	—	—	—	55 – 85	2.5 – 3.5
CP (bio)	195 – 245	40 – 75	—	—	—	—	55 – 85	2 – 3
CAB (bio)	175 – 250	25 – 85	—	—	—	—	55 – 85	2 – 3
PTT	250 – 270	80 – 110	80 – 90	—	12	<0.2	120	2 – 4
PA 6.10 (bio)	230 – 280	40 – 60	60 – 80	—	18	0.3	80 – 110	2 – 4
PA 10.10	215 – 290	60 – 100	40 – 60	—	6 – 18	0.1 – 0.3	80 – 100	2 – 6
PA 6.12	230 – 290	30 – 100	40 – 80	—	3 – 12	0.05 – 0.2	80 – 100	2 – 4
PA 11 (bio)	210 – 270	30 – 40	60 – 80	—	—	—	80 – 90	4 – 8
PPA	320 – 345	135 – 180	40 – 80	—	6 – 18	0.1 – 0.3	100 – 120	4 – 6

Density Values — Solid and Melt

For 120 materials and blends: the solid density range, the recommended value for calculations and the density of the melt in front of the screw. The last column shows by what percentage the volume grows from solid to melt — the numerical proof that metering volume must not be calculated with solid density.

Material	Solid Density [g/cm³]	Recommended	Melt Density [g/cm³]	Solid → Melt Volume Increase
ABS	1.03 – 1.07	1.06	0.88	20%
ABS-GF20	1.18 – 1.2	1.19	0.97	23%
ABS-PA	1.07 – 1.09	1.08	—	—
ABS-PC	1.08 – 1.17	1.13	0.96	18%
ABS-PSU	1.13	1.13	—	—
ASA	1.06 – 1.07	1.06	0.88	21%
ASA-PBT	1.21 – 1.22	1.21	—	—
ASA-PC	1.15	1.15	—	—
ASA-PVC	1.28 – 1.33	1.31	—	—
CA	1.26 – 1.3	1.28	0.98	31%
CAB	1.17 – 1.2	1.19	0.97	22%
CAP	1.2	1.2	—	—
COC	1.02	1.02	—	—
CP	1.19 – 1.23	1.21	—	—
ECTFE	1.68 – 1.7	1.69	—	—
ETFE	1.7 – 1.73	1.71	—	—
EVA	0.92 – 0.95	0.93	0.78	19%
EVAC	0.93 – 0.94	0.94	—	—
FEP (PFEP)	2.12 – 2.17	2.15	—	—
Ionomer	0.94 – 0.97	0.95	—	—
LCP	1.4	1.4	1.09	28%
LCP-GF30	1.6 – 1.61	1.6	1.38	16%
LCP-GF50	1.8	1.8	—	—
MABS	0.97 – 1.09	1.03	—	—
PA 11	1.03 – 1.06	1.04	—	—
PA 12	1.01 – 1.04	1.02	—	—
PA 4.6	1.18	1.18	—	—
PA 4.6-GF30	1.41 – 1.42	1.42	—	—
PA 6	1.12 – 1.15	1.13	0.91	24%
PA 6-GF30	1.35 – 1.38	1.36	1.19	14%
PA 6-GF50	1.56 – 1.58	1.57	1.42	10%
PA 6.10	1.07 – 1.09	1.08	—	—
PA 6.12	1.06 – 1.07	1.06	—	—
PA 6.3 T	1.05 – 1.15	1.12	—	—
PA 6.6	1.13 – 1.16	1.15	0.95	21%
PA 6.6 T	1.18	1.18	—	—
PA 6.6-GF20	1.27 – 1.3	1.28	1.11	16%
PA 6.6-GF30	1.36 – 1.39	1.37	1.14	20%
PA 6.9	1.06 – 1.08	1.07	—	—
PAA	1 – 1.2	1.1	—	—
PAI	1.38 – 1.4	1.39	—	—
PAR	1.21 – 1.22	1.21	—	—
PAS (formerly PASU)	1.36 – 1.37	1.37	—	—
PB	0.91 – 0.92	0.91	—	—
PBT (formerly PBTP)	1.3 – 1.32	1.31	1.12	17%
PBT impact-modified	1.18 – 1.2	1.19	—	—
PBT-GF30	1.51 – 1.53	1.52	1.38	10%
PBT-PC	1.02 – 1.16	1.09	1.04	5%
PC	1.2 – 1.24	1.22	0.98	24%
PC GF10	1.27 – 1.31	1.29	1.05	23%
PC GF20	1.34 – 1.38	1.36	1.14	20%
PC GF30	1.43 – 1.47	1.45	1.22	19%
PC-ABS	1.08 – 1.17	1.12	0.95	18%
PC-PBT	1.02 – 1.16	1.09	1.01	8%
PC-PET	1.22	1.22	—	—
PCTFE	2.1 – 2.12	2.11	—	—
PE-HD	0.94 – 0.96	0.95	0.73	31%
PE-HD-HMW	0.94 – 0.95	0.95	0.73	29%
PE-HD-UHMW	0.93 – 0.94	0.94	0.74	26%
PE-LD	0.92 – 0.94	0.92	0.7	31%
PE-LLD	0.92 – 0.94	0.93	0.7	32%
PE-MD	0.93 – 0.94	0.93	0.72	29%
PEC	1.19 – 1.21	1.2	—	—
PEEK	1.32	1.32	—	—
PEI	1.27 – 1.29	1.28	1.2	7%
PEK	1.24 – 1.3	1.25	—	—
PES (PESU)	1.36 – 1.38	1.37	1.18	16%
PET (PETP)	1.37 – 1.38	1.38	1	38%
PET-A	1.33 – 1.35	1.34	—	—
PET-C	1.4	1.4	—	—
PET-G	1.23 – 1.26	1.25	—	—
PET-GF25	1.54 – 1.55	1.55	1.46	6%
PET-LCP	1.4	1.4	—	—
PET-PS	1.37	1.37	—	—
PFA	2.12 – 2.17	2.15	—	—
PI	1.43	1.43	—	—
PIB	0.91 – 0.93	0.92	—	—
PMMA	1.17 – 1.2	1.18	0.94	26%
PMMI	1.08 – 1.1	1.09	—	—
PMP	0.83 – 0.84	0.83	—	—
POM	1.41 – 1.42	1.42	1.15	23%
POM-GF30	1.63 – 1.63	1.63	—	—
PP	0.91 – 0.92	0.91	0.71	28%
PP-Block	0.91 – 0.91	0.91	0.72	26%
PP-GF20	1.04 – 1.05	1.05	0.86	21%
PP-GF30	1.13 – 1.13	1.13	0.96	18%
PP-Mineral20	1.04 – 1.06	1.05	0.86	21%
PP-Talc20	1.05 – 1.1	1.06	0.83	27%
PP-Talc30	1.13 – 1.15	1.15	0.94	23%
PP-Talc40	1.21 – 1.26	1.26	0.98	28%
PPA	1.43	1.43	—	—
PPE	1.06 – 1.08	1.07	—	—
PPE-PA66	1.09 – 1.1	1.1	0.92	19%
PPE-PS	1.06	1.06	—	—
PPE-SB	1.04 – 1.06	1.05	—	—
PPO	1.06 – 1.08	1.07	0.9	19%
PPO-GF30	1.28 – 1.3	1.29	1.15	13%
PPS	1.34 – 1.35	1.35	1.05	28%
PPS-GF40	1.71 – 1.72	1.71	1.49	15%
PPSU	1.35 – 1.37	1.36	—	—
PS	1.04 – 1.05	1.04	0.92	14%
PSU	1.24 – 1.25	1.25	1.1	13%
PSU-GF30	1.47 – 1.48	1.47	1.34	10%
PTFE	2.15 – 2.2	2.17	—	—
PVC-C	1.55	1.55	—	—
PVC-P	1.29 – 1.35	1.32	1.02	29%
PVC-U	1.36 – 1.39	1.39	1.12	24%
PVDF	1.7 – 1.71	1.71	—	—
PVF	1.38 – 1.57	1.48	—	—
PVK	1.19	1.19	—	—
SAN	1.07 – 1.08	1.08	0.9	19%
SAN GF30	1.3 – 1.3	1.3	1.13	15%
SB	1.02 – 1.07	1.04	0.9	17%
SBS (TPE-S)	1.01 – 1.02	1.02	—	—
TPE-A (PEBA)	1.01	1.01	0.83	22%
TPE-E (TEE)	1.16 – 1.2	1.2	0.83	45%
TPE-O (TPO)	0.9	0.9	—	—
TPE-S (TPS)	1.01 – 1.03	1.02	0.99	3%
TPE-U (TPU)	1.2 – 1.22	1.21	1	21%
TPU-GF20	1.34 – 1.36	1.35	1.09	24%

How to use it: part weight and shot weight are calculated with solid density; the volume and fill level in front of the screw are calculated with melt density — mixing the two misstates the fill level by up to 20%. Our shot weight and screw capacity calculators make this distinction automatically. Note how density rises in filled rows such as GF20/GF30; for intermediate ratios, the filler model in the calculator derives the value with the rule of mixtures.

For PAA and PB the source gives a melt density above the solid value (physically impossible), so no melt value is shown; the solid density values are valid.

Back pressure. The values in the table are specific (melt) pressure. On the machine, back pressure is usually set as hydraulic pressure, and depending on the machine's intensification ratio the hydraulic value is roughly one tenth of the specific pressure; do not enter the table figure directly as the hydraulic setting. For the difference between the two bases, material bands and the setting sequence, see: how to set back pressure. The back pressure column is left empty in the bio-based table: the suppliers of these materials either publish no back pressure value at all or give it on different bases (one specific, another hydraulic). Publishing two bases side by side in the same column leads to a tenfold wrong setting. For these materials, take the back pressure from the datasheet of the grade you use; if the datasheet does not state the basis, start from a low value. No supplier data could be found to support the bands given for PS and PVC; for PVC the literature says back pressure should be kept to a minimum (risk of thermal degradation and HCl). Lower the back pressure for heat-sensitive (PVC, POM) and fiber-reinforced grades; raise it for color dispersion and melt homogeneity, at the cost of a longer plasticizing time.
Drying. The values assume a dry air (desiccant) dryer and a dew point of −30 °C or lower; with a hot air dryer the times become noticeably longer. Time alone is not sufficient; what matters is the residual moisture actually reached. PE and PP normally require no drying; talc-filled grades should be dried according to supplier data. For transparent (amorphous) polyamide the drying temperature must not exceed 90 °C; above it the pellets yellow and the transparency of the material cannot be recovered.
Mold temperature. For semi-crystalline materials the mold surface temperature should be chosen above the glass transition temperature and above the service temperature of the part; a mold below this leaves the part incompletely crystallized, and its dimensions keep shifting after it leaves the press. Where the supplier gives separate mold temperatures for unreinforced and glass-fiber grades, we opened a separate row in the table (PA 6.10, PA 11); a single row cannot show both correctly. The same applies to amorphous and crystallized grades of PLA. Glass-fiber grades of LCP and PPS follow the temperature band of their base resin.
A band is not a single setting. For materials with many grades (PA 12, LCP, HIPS, PE-LD, PVC) the range in the table covers the whole family; the window of an individual grade is roughly 40–50 °C wide within it. Example: the PA 12 family spans 180–290 °C, but a low-viscosity grade is limited to 180–220 °C, and 280 °C means degradation for that grade. Check the datasheet of your grade before using the upper end of the band.
Residence time in PVC. Rigid PVC melt releases hydrogen chloride when it stands still; this gas attacks the screw, barrel and mold and is a respiratory hazard. Supplier guides forbid the melt from standing idle for more than 15 minutes; for longer stops the unit should be retracted and purged into the air or cleaned. The shot weight is kept between 50–80% of the barrel capacity. The upper limit for melt temperature is approximately 210 °C.
Which column rests on what? Most of the values in the melt temperature, mold temperature and drying columns have been compared with the raw material supplier's technical datasheet, and conflicting rows were corrected to the datasheet. The feed throat temperature and screw circumferential speed columns, however, are mostly handbook values: feed throat temperature is a machine setting, so raw material suppliers generally do not publish it, and only some of them give circumferential speed. Use these two columns as starting values; if a critical decision depends on them, consult your machine manufacturer's manual. In the specific back pressure column, cells are left empty for materials where no value is published.
Source. The values are taken from an injection molding processing handbook and were compared in 2026-09 with the technical datasheets of raw material suppliers (INEOS Styrolution, Röhm, Solvay/Syensqo, Victrex, Evonik, Celanese, Toray, DIC, SABIC, BASF, Covestro, LANXESS, EMS-Grivory, Borealis); in conflicting rows the supplier datasheet was taken as authoritative. The final setting must always follow the technical datasheet of the grade you use. "—" means not specified by the supplier.

Dryers →

Dry air dryers to reach the drying values in the table.

Mold Temperature Control Units →

To hold the values in the mold temperature column steady.

Troubleshooting Guide →

Cause analysis and solution steps for 33 molding defects.