Polysulfone (PSU)
PSU is a thermoplastic, further classified as a sulfone plastic.
The properties of PSU include three common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare PSU to: sulfone plastics (top), all thermoplastics (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Compressive (Crushing) Strength
95 to 180 MPa 14 to 26 x 103 psi
Elongation at Break
2.0 to 52 %
Flexural Modulus
2.7 to 14 GPa 0.39 to 2.0 x 106 psi
Flexural Strength
110 to 200 MPa 15 to 29 x 103 psi
Impact Strength: Notched Izod
59 to 100 J/m 1.1 to 1.9 ft-lb/in
Rockwell M Hardness
69 to 95
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
70 to 140 MPa 10 to 20 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Heat Deflection Temperature At 1.82 MPa (264 psi)
180 to 200 °C 360 to 390 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
910 to 1000 J/kg-K 0.22 to 0.24 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Expansion
25 to 57 µm/m-K
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Density
1.2 to 1.6 g/cm3 78 to 97 lb/ft3
Water Absorption At Saturation
0.4 to 0.6 %
Common Calculations
Strength to Weight: Axial
16 to 25 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
30 to 40 points
Followup Questions
Further Reading
Reinforced Plastics Durability, Geoffrey Pritchard (editor), 1999
SPI Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., 5th ed., Michael L. Berins (editor), 2000
Modern Plastics Handbook, Charles A. Harper (editor), 1999
Plastics Materials, 7th ed., J. A. Brydson, 1999