The main materials used in these representative home appliances arePP,PSandABS. Boldly stated,PP,PSandABSare used in large components such as the cabinet, while engineering plastics headed byPOMplay an active role in internal mechanical components. Rapidly growing liquid crystal displays (LCDs) use PI in their orientation films, PVA in their polarization films, and MMA in their light-guide panels.

The main material for media such as CDs and DVDs is transparentPC.POMand the advanced engineering plastic known asLCPare used in optical pickups and drive mechanisms for DVD player due to precise movement requirements.

Home telephones and fax machines are incorporating more and more functions, while cellular telephones continue to become smaller, lighter, and thinner.ABSand impact-resistantPSare used in the housings of home telephones and fax machines, whilePOM, among other materials, is used in internal mechanical components.

Cellphone housings are one-tenth the weight they used to be, andPC,PC/ABSalloy (a mixture of the two polymers), modified PPE, PPS andLCPare competing fiercely to further reduce weight and size and improve impact strength. Hard-to-break plastics such asPCand PES are also substituting inorganic glass in substrate materials.

Plastics play a leading role in lighting applications as they enable design freedom in terms of color and shape and they are also low-cost. Plastics headed byPMMA, and includingPCandPS, play active roles as they are transparent and can be easily colored, are light stable, and durable.PBTis used in bases for fluorescent lighting, whilePVCis employed in cords, sockets and plugs.

The emphasis has been ?smaller and lighter? for these products and plastics are employed to realize these goals. External parts such as cabinets utilize impact-resistantPSandABSwhile mechanical parts such as gears and pulleys usePOMandPBT, and structural parts such as chassis employ plastics such as modifiedPPEand glass fiber-reinforcedPC.

Not only function but also design and color have become important attributes for wall clocks and table clocks as they pursue harmony with the rest of the interior.ABSandPSare adopted for external parts due to the ability to freely design with them and color them, and because they exhibit excellent impact resistance and chemical resistance. For internal mechanical parts,POMis one resin that is used in gears and cams.

TransparentPMMAis employed in lenses used in spectacles, while fiber-reinforced plastics and PAR are used in the frames. The reason is that they realize lightweight and durable spectacles with a high degree of design and color freedom. TransparentPMMAand PAR are used as contact lens materials.

POM is the main material used in wristwatch movements. This is because it is fatigue-resistant and oil-resistant, and it has excellent stiffness.LCPis used in ultra-precise gears.PA-based elastomers andPC/ABSalloys whose hardness does not change through summer and winter are used in watchstraps.

Decorative boards that employ melamine, unsaturated polyester, and diaryl phthalate plastics are used in interior walls and room dividers. Wallpaper employingPVCsheet, and polyolefin fiber wall cloth, curtains, and blinds play active roles as interior decoration materials.

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The tilt mechanism that also raises and lowers blinds adoptsPOMon account of its mechanical strength and excellent anti-wear properties.

Urethane foam is used as a sofa material, while well-knownPVCleather is generally used as the covering material.

These days, cameras are undergoing a digital boom but even with conventional film types, some lightweight versions employ modifiedPPEin their chassis andLCPin shutter components, while lenses employPMMA. For digital cameras, use of plastics gets real serious. The body is molded fromPC, the lenses fromPMMA, and the lens holder fromPC.POMplays an active role in mechanical parts such as cams. Single-use cameras preloaded with film are almost 100% plastic. The body isABS, and mechanical parts employABSandPOM.

PS,PPandABSare used in air conditioner cabinets. Accompanying improvements in external appearance to blend in with interiors, technologies to create comfortable living spaces, deodorize, and dustproof are in the spotlight, and new plastic applications are anticipated related to this.

Accompanying heightened interest in health, the health products sector is enjoying rapid growth. One such product is the foot massager, and the parts that massage the soles of the feet and stimulate them, the mechanisms that rotate these parts, and other mechanical parts that require wear resistance employ plastics such asPOMandPBT.

Melamine and polyester decorative boards are used in the surfaces of furniture such as tables. This is because they can express wood grain finishes, they have high surface hardness, and they are heat- and chemical-resistant.

Many trendy table clothes, meanwhile, employPVC.