Rigid Rod.

Cheap and durable, plastic has an amazing track record in replacing a wide range of metals.
However, it falls short in applications requiring a combination of high strength and stiff ness.

For example, under heavy loads plastic without enough stiffness bends. To compensate for
this problem, material processors often add glass and carbon fibers—an expensive, additional
manufacturing step—to stiffen plastic.

Polymers where developed that are more than four times stiffer than conventional plastic materials. Called Poly-X™ Self-Reinforced Polymers (SRPs), these inexpensive, durable materials could replace structural materials—including certain types of aluminum and stainless steel—particularly in automotive, aerospace, and defense applications. They also could substitute for expensive fiber- re i n f o rced composites.