Materials for Design

POM (Polyoxymethylene)

The first thing to understand here is that there is a much simpler, shorter description for polyoxymethylenes: acetals. The second thing is that, unlike other plastics that end in ‘ene’, for example polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene, acetals are engineering polymers, which means that they are a material with superior characteristics, particularly in the areas of strength and toughness, to the point where they are seen as an alternative to Nylon. Nylon is often used as an alternative to metals, so you get the point.

This strength and toughness means that one of the applications of acetals that you are likely to encounter on a daily basis is their use as clips, the kind that you find on all sorts of bags and rucksack ...