Engineering thermoplastics (ETPs) are advanced materials engineered for applications where standard plastics cannot meet performance or durability requirements. They maintain mechanical integrity under demanding conditions, making them ideal for functional components in automotive, electrical, industrial, and consumer applications.
Teknor Apex formulates ETPs using reinforcements, impact modifiers, flame retardants, lubricants, and conductivity additives to meet precise design requirements. This allows engineers to achieve the right balance of performance, manufacturability, and long-term reliability across diverse end-use environments.
What Are Engineering Thermoplastics?
Why Choose Teknor Apex as Your Engineering Thermoplastic Materials Supplier
Teknor Apex is recognized for its engineering-led approach to thermoplastic compounding, combining formulation expertise, application insight, and technical problem-solving to help OEMs and processors meet demanding performance and manufacturing goals.
We work collaboratively to develop custom thermoplastic solutions—not just off-the-shelf materials—tailored to specific mechanical, regulatory, and processing requirements across automotive, electrical, industrial, and consumer applications.
All compounds are produced under ISO-certified quality systems with strict formulation control and global manufacturing consistency, ensuring reliable supply and repeatable performance in critical end-use environments.
Featured Engineering Thermoplastics Brands
Engineering Thermoplastic (ETP) Product Portfolio
Polyamides (Nylon Compounds)
Our comprehensive portfolio spans the spectrum, from workhorse nylons like PA 6 and PA 66 to high-performance semi-aromatics and heat-resistant specialty PPAs. We leverage this depth, combined with innovative modification technologies, to deliver unmatched value to our customers.
Polyesters
Our thermoplastic polyester solutions are based on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and offer excellent mechanical, electrical and thermal performance, as well as chemical resistance. Our portfolio includes glass and mineral reinforced, flame retardant, and impact modified grades, as well as specialty PBT-PET blends and cross-linkable solutions.
Acrylic Compounds for Outdoor Durability
Our custom acrylic compounds are engineered for the outdoors, offering best-in-class weatherability, blush whitening resistance and low heat build pigment technology for dark colors.
Specialty Thermoplastic Blends (PC+ABS, PBT+PP, PA+ABS)
Teknor Apex can combine multiple polymers to achieve hybrid properties not available from a single resin. These blends can be compounded with specialty additives or reinforcements for enhanced end-use performance. Our portfolio of specialty blends includes, but is not limited to: PC+ABS, PC+PBT, PA+ABS, and PP+ABS.
Cross-Linkable Industrial Thermoplastics
Boost the performance of standard engineering thermoplastics like PA 6, PA 66, PPA, and PBT with our unique cross-linking technology. Teknor Apex’s cross-linkable materials are readily processed using standard thermoplastic injection molding equipment and tooling and offer up to 40% cost savings versus exotic resins like PEEK, PPS and LCP.
Sustainable Thermoplastic Solutions
We offer sustainable solutions encompassing recycled, bio-based, and renewable content, alongside biodegradable alternatives. Through close collaboration, we develop custom ETP solutions that deliver sustainable results without compromising performance.
Applications of Engineering Thermoplastics
Engineering thermoplastics are selected when components must deliver strength, durability, heat resistance, and dimensional stability beyond what commodity plastics can provide. Teknor Apex formulates ETPs for demanding applications across multiple industries, helping OEMs and processors meet strict mechanical, regulatory, and environmental requirements.
Key Markets We Serve:
Automotive & Mobility
Used in connectors, housings, structural brackets, cooling system components, gears, and fasteners requiring heat and chemical resistance, dimensional stability, and long-term durability.
Electrical & Electronics
Ideal for switchgear, circuit protection, smart-device housings, plug-and-play connectors, bobbins, and terminal blocks, where insulation performance, flame retardance, and precision molding are critical.
Industrial & Manufacturing Equipment
Applied in mechanical housings, pump components, tool parts, gears, and wear-resistant elements that must withstand high loads, friction, and harsh operating conditions.
Consumer Products & Appliances
Used in power tools, appliance components, durable goods, sporting equipment, and precision mechanisms where toughness, feel, and repeatable performance matter.
Sustainability and Innovation in Thermoplastic Engineering
Sustainable design increasingly depends on advanced materials engineering, and Teknor Apex integrates both to help customers meet performance goals while reducing environmental impact. Our engineering thermoplastics are developed with long-term durability, lightweighting, recyclability, and resource efficiency in mind—supporting OEMs as they shift toward more sustainable product and manufacturing strategies.
Teknor Apex continuously invests in innovative formulations, including recycled-content and bio-based compounds, as well as solutions that extend product life, reduce material usage, and improve energy efficiency during processing. Every development is backed by our global R&D resources and strict formulation control, ensuring that sustainability never compromises performance.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Engineering thermoplastics (ETPs) are polymers formulated from high-performance base resins—such as polyamides (nylons), PBT, polyesters, or specialty blends—combined with additives and reinforcements that tune properties for demanding applications. Teknor Apex compounds ETPs with glass fibers, minerals, impact modifiers, lubricants, flame retardants, and conductive additives to achieve targeted mechanical, thermal, electrical, and processing performance for specific end uses.
Compared to standard commodity plastics, engineering thermoplastics deliver higher strength, stiffness, heat resistance, and chemical durability. They maintain dimensional stability and mechanical performance under load, at elevated temperatures, and in harsh environments, making them suitable for functional components rather than just cosmetic parts. Teknor Apex ETPs are selected when standard PA, PC, PBT, or ABS cannot meet performance, safety, or reliability requirements in automotive, electrical, industrial, or consumer applications.
Industrial-grade engineering thermoplastics offer a combination of mechanical performance, design flexibility, and processing efficiency. They can replace metal or thermoset materials in many applications, enabling weight reduction, part consolidation, corrosion resistance, and lower system cost. Because they are melt-processable, they support high-volume injection molding and extrusion, giving manufacturers a reliable pathway to scale production while maintaining tight tolerances and consistent quality.
Yes—leading thermoplastic suppliers like Teknor Apex provide custom-compounded engineering thermoplastics tailored to specific application requirements. Our teams adjust reinforcement level, impact resistance, friction/wear behavior, flame retardance, color, and processing characteristics to meet defined performance and regulatory targets. Rather than forcing a design to fit a standard material, Teknor Apex works collaboratively with OEMs and processors to engineer compounds around the application, from concept through production.
Most engineering thermoplastics are recyclable, because they can be re-melted and reprocessed—unlike many thermoset or crosslinked materials. This allows for in-process scrap recovery and supports circularity initiatives where feasible. Teknor Apex also develops sustainability-focused solutions, including grades with recycled content, bio-based components, and lightweighting or durability advantages that reduce overall resource use and environmental impact over the product life cycle. Our goal is to help customers combine performance, manufacturability, and sustainability in a single material solution.
