Precision machining plastic with excellent dimensional stability.
Natural (White) Acetal Rod is a POM-C acetal copolymer engineering plastic with excellent machinability, low moisture absorption, good wear characteristics and reliable dimensional stability. It is commonly machined into bushes, bearings, rollers, gears, spacers, guides and other close-tolerance mechanical components.
Not sure which material or size you need?
Tell us what you're making and what the component needs to do. We can help you choose the right material or provide a quote.
Everything you need to choose with confidence.
Is Natural Acetal Rod right for my application?
Natural Acetal Rod is a strong choice where you need an engineering plastic that machines cleanly and maintains consistent dimensions.
It is particularly suitable for precision-machined parts where stiffness, strength, low moisture absorption, good wear behaviour and dimensional stability are important.
The natural colour can also be useful where a non-black material is preferred for appearance, inspection or application-specific requirements.
Key properties and benefits
- Excellent machinability — suitable for turning, milling, drilling, boring and threading.
- High dimensional stability — useful for close-tolerance components.
- Low moisture absorption compared with materials such as nylon.
- Good wear and sliding behaviour for moving mechanical components.
- Good strength and rigidity for general engineering applications.
- Good chemical resistance in many industrial environments.
Common applications
- Bushes and bushings
- Bearings and bearing components
- Gears and sprockets
- Rollers and wheels
- Spacers
- Guides and wear components
- Jigs and fixtures
- Valve and pump components
- Precision-machined parts
- Industrial equipment components
Is Natural Acetal suitable for food-contact applications?
Natural Acetal is commonly available in grades used for food-processing and food-contact applications because of its machinability, low moisture absorption and natural appearance.
Food-contact compliance depends on the specific material grade and the regulatory requirement for the application. Where compliance documentation or certification is required, confirm the supplied grade and required standard before ordering.
Review the product data sheet available near the price where technical or compliance requirements are important.
Machining Natural Acetal Rod
Acetal turns and mills cleanly and can produce accurate finished components with good surface quality.
Rod is supplied as semi-finished machining stock and may be slightly oversized, so allow sufficient material for machining to the required finished diameter where tight tolerances are needed.
Natural vs Black Acetal — which should I choose?
Natural and Black Acetal Rod can both be supplied as POM-C acetal copolymer, so colour alone does not necessarily indicate a major difference in the underlying engineering performance.
Choose Natural / White Acetal where a natural appearance is preferred, where colour visibility is useful, or where an application calls for a natural grade.
Choose Black Acetal where a black finished component is preferred for appearance, identification or application requirements.
Where certification, additives or a specific grade are important, confirm the required material specification rather than selecting by colour alone.
Where does POM-C shine compared with POM-H / Delrin®?
This Natural Acetal Rod is POM-C acetal copolymer. POM-C is often chosen where a balanced combination of machinability, dimensional stability, chemical resistance and wet-environment performance is important.
- Better hydrolysis and hot-water resistance
- Broader chemical resistance
- Lower tendency toward centreline porosity
- Excellent dimensional stability
- Low moisture absorption
- Excellent machinability
POM-H / acetal homopolymer, including grades sold under the Delrin® brand, can provide higher stiffness, hardness and mechanical strength in some applications.
| Consideration | POM-C | POM-H |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical resistance | Generally broader | Generally more limited |
| Hydrolysis / hot-water resistance | Generally better | Generally lower |
| Centreline porosity | Lower tendency | Higher tendency in some stock shapes |
| Stiffness / hardness | Very good | Generally higher |
| Machinability | Excellent | Excellent |
Available sizes and rod tolerance
Natural Acetal Rod is available from 6mm through to 300mm diameter in 1000mm lengths.
Rod is supplied as semi-finished machining stock and may be slightly oversized rather than supplied as an exact finished diameter.