Polysulfone PSU

spore: profile
id: psu
spore_version: 0.2
family: high-performance-polymers
name: Polysulfone
abbreviation: PSU
role: high-performance amorphous thermoplastic (bisphenol-A polysulfone, sold as Udel and Sultron), flown as a sample on MISSE 2
category: polymers
type: high-performance
summary: |
  Polysulfone (PSU) is an amorphous, transparent, high-temperature thermoplastic made by polycondensation of bisphenol A and 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone. Solvay's Udel P-1700 grade, read from a Japanese distributor page, has a deflection temperature under load of 174 degC at 1.8 MPa (ASTM D648), a tensile strength of 70.3 MPa and a flexural modulus of 2690 MPa. Wikipedia gives a glass transition of 190 to 230 degC. In NASA's MISSE 2 PEACE experiment on the ISS, a PSU sample had an atomic oxygen erosion yield of 2.94e-24 cm3/atom, close to the 2.92e-24 cm3/atom predicted by NASA's tool.
best_for: Parts that must hold stiffness and shape at about 170 degC, can be steam-sterilised, and need dimensional stability (174 degC deflection temperature for the P-1700 grade)
weakest_at: Atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit, where the NASA flight sample eroded at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom; and no published glass-transition or radiation data from a manufacturer datasheet in this run
identity:
  formula: Poly(bisphenol-A sulfone), repeat unit C27H22O4S (molar mass 442.5344 g/mole), made of bisphenol A and bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone units
  cas: 25135-51-7
  source: wiki-polysulfone
  where: 'Wikipedia Polysulfone page, table ''Industrially relevant polysulfones'' (CAS 25135-51-7 and the systematic name for PSF); repeat-unit formula and molar mass from NASA/TM-2008-215490 Table IV; process: polycondensation at 130 to 160 degC in a polar aprotic solvent (Wikipedia, Contemporary production methods)'
tags:
  environments:
    - low-earth-orbit
  stresses:
    - atomic-oxygen
  applications:
    - electronics-and-chips
    - structures
properties:
  - benchmark: atomic_oxygen_erosion_yield
    label: Atomic oxygen erosion yield, MISSE 2 PEACE flight sample
    value: 2.94e-24
    unit: cm3/atom
    scope: material
    conditions:
      experiment: MISSE 2 PEACE polymers experiment, outside the ISS airlock
      exposure: low Earth orbit, about four years (duration and fluence as stated in the passport, not re-read in this run)
    method: Measured erosion yield as printed in the MISSE 2 PEACE table of measured atomic oxygen erosion yields
    status: flight
    source: nasa-tm-2008-215490
    where: Table I (MISSE 2 PEACE polymers erosion yield data), row Polysulphone PSU; repeated in the measured-yields table
  - benchmark: atomic_oxygen_erosion_yield
    label: Atomic oxygen erosion yield, predicted by NASA tool
    value: 2.92e-24
    unit: cm3/atom
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: NASA predictive tool using the repeat-unit atom counts and bond types; compared against the MISSE 2 flight value
    method: Predicted value as printed in NASA's measured-yields table, predicted column; a calculated value, not a measurement
    status: calculated
    source: nasa-tm-2008-215490
    where: Table of measured atomic oxygen erosion yields, Predicted column, row Polysulphone PSU
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density
    value: 1.2199
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: density value as printed in the MISSE 2 table, footnoted to reference 12 in NASA's report
    method: Density as printed in NASA's table of density and ash content for the MISSE 2 polymers
    status: ground
    source: nasa-tm-2008-215490
    where: Table II (MISSE 2 PEACE polymers density and fractional ash content), row Polysulphone PSU
  - benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
    label: Glass transition temperature (range)
    value: 190
    value_high: 230
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: general range for polysulfones as stated in the Wikipedia article; no test method given
    method: Range as printed in the Properties section of the Wikipedia article (the article gives no method or grade)
    status: ground
    source: wiki-polysulfone
    where: Properties section, sentence on the glass transition temperature of polysulfones
  - benchmark: heat_deflection_temperature
    label: Deflection temperature under load, Udel P-1700
    value: 174
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
      load: 1.8 MPa
      annealing: none
    method: ASTM D648 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Thermal Properties, Deflection temperature under load (1.8MPa, no annealing treatment)
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, Udel P-1700
    value: 70.3
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
      temperature: not stated on the page
    method: ASTM D638 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Mechanical Properties, Tensile strength
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Tensile modulus, Udel P-1700
    value: 2480
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
    method: ASTM D638 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Mechanical Properties, Tensile Modulus
  - benchmark: flexural_modulus
    label: Flexural modulus, Udel P-1700
    value: 2690
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
    method: ASTM D790 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Mechanical Properties, Flexural modulus
  - benchmark: flexural_strength
    label: Bending strength, Udel P-1700
    value: 106
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
    method: ASTM D790 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page (labelled bending strength)
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Mechanical Properties, Bending strength
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Tensile elongation at break, Udel P-1700
    value: 50
    value_high: 100
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
    method: ASTM D638 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page, given as a range
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Mechanical Properties, Tensile elongation at break
  - benchmark: izod_impact
    label: Notched Izod impact strength, Udel P-1700
    value: 69
    unit: J/m
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
    method: ASTM D256 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Mechanical Properties, Izod impact strength (notched)
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Linear coefficient of thermal expansion (flow), Udel P-1700
    value: 0.000056
    unit: 1/degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
      direction: flow
      unit_in_source: x10^-5/degC
    method: ASTM D696 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page; the printed value 5.6 is multiplied by 10^-5 to give 5.6e-5 per degC
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Thermal Properties, Linear expansion coefficient (flow)
  - benchmark: dielectric_constant
    label: Dielectric constant at 60 Hz, Udel P-1700
    value: 3.03
    unit: '-'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
      frequency: 60 Hz
    method: ASTM D150 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Electrical Properties, Dielectric constant (60Hz)
  - benchmark: dielectric_strength
    label: Dielectric strength, Udel P-1700
    value: 17
    unit: kV/mm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
    method: ASTM D149 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Electrical Properties, Dielectric Strength
  - benchmark: moisture_absorption
    label: Water absorption, 24 h, Udel P-1700
    value: 0.3
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1700
      duration: 24 hours
    method: ASTM D570 as printed on the Solvay distributor data page
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1700
    where: Basic Properties, Water absorption rate (24hr)
  - benchmark: melt_flow_rate
    label: Melt flow rate, Udel P-1710
    value: 7
    unit: g/10 min
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Udel P-1710
      temperature: 343 degC
      load: 2.16 kg
    method: ASTM D1238 as printed on the Solvay Japan data page for P-1710 (a snake_case name is used because no canonical name fits; see gaps)
    status: ground
    source: plabase-p1710
    where: Building Properties, MFR
  - benchmark: autoignition_temperature
    label: Autoignition temperature
    value: 549
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: as printed in the safety data sheet, with the Fahrenheit value 1020 degF
    method: Value from section 9 (physical and chemical properties) of the supplier's safety data sheet; a snake_case name is used because no canonical name fits (see gaps)
    status: ground
    source: sds-sample-materials
    where: Section 9, Autoignition Temperature
corrosion:
  - environment: Low Earth orbit, atomic oxygen (ISS, MISSE 2 PEACE experiment)
    headline: Atomic oxygen erodes PSU at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom, close to the predicted 2.92e-24 cm3/atom.
    effect: 'The MISSE 2 flight sample eroded at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom, which NASA''s predictive tool had estimated at 2.92e-24 cm3/atom. The flight exposure fluence and duration are in the passport file and were not re-read in this run. Other MISSE 2 polymers in the same table: polypropylene 2.68e-24 cm3/atom, polyethylene more than 3.74e-24 cm3/atom, Delrin 9.14e-24 cm3/atom.'
    conditions:
      experiment: MISSE 2 PEACE polymers experiment, ISS
      measurement: erosion yield in cm3/atom as printed
    source: nasa-tm-2008-215490
    where: Table I and the measured-yields table (Predicted and MISSE 2 columns), row Polysulphone PSU
    rating: unknown
  - environment: Steam and autoclave sterilisation
    headline: PSU has high hydrolysis stability and tolerates autoclave and steam sterilisation.
    effect: The Wikipedia article states that the high hydrolysis stability of polysulfone allows its use in medical applications that require autoclave and steam sterilisation. No numeric ageing data are given.
    conditions:
      basis: qualitative statement; no temperature, time or cycle count given
    source: wiki-polysulfone
    where: Medical applications paragraph
    rating: unknown
  - environment: Heating in air, thermal decomposition
    headline: Heating decomposes PSU into irritating gases, mainly CO, CO2 and sulfur oxides, but the decomposition temperature is not reported.
    effect: The supplier's safety data sheet says thermal decomposition gives irritating gases and vapours, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and sulfur oxides. It lists the decomposition temperature as no data available. Its autoignition temperature is 549 degC.
    conditions:
      basis: section 10 and section 9 of the pellet safety data sheet
    source: sds-sample-materials
    where: Section 9 (Decomposition Temperature, Autoignition Temperature) and Section 10 (Hazardous Decomposition Products)
    rating: unknown
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: 'Supplier safety data sheet for polysulfone pellets (approx. M.W. 60000, revision 19-Dec-2025): not considered hazardous under the US OSHA Hazard Communication Standard 2024; no label elements required.'
      ghs: []
      source: sds-sample-materials
      where: Section 2 (Classification)
    - text: 'Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials SDS for Sultron PSU (SDS-2100): GHS classification ''None'' and hazard statements ''None''. The same document warns that dust is flammable and can be explosive when finely divided and suspended in air.'
      ghs: []
      source: sds-mcam-sultron
      where: Section 2 (GHS Classifications) and Section 7 (dust statements)
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Atomic oxygen erosion of exposed surfaces in low Earth orbit
      trigger: Long exposure to atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit
      consequence: The MISSE 2 flight sample eroded at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom. Erosion thins exposed surfaces over time; NASA gives no lifetime figure for this part.
      source: nasa-tm-2008-215490
      where: Table I
  side_effects:
    - text: Thermal decomposition releases irritating gases and vapours, including carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur oxides.
      affects: Operators and the local air in a fire or overheating event
      source: sds-sample-materials
      where: Section 5 and Section 10 (Hazardous Decomposition Products)
  handling:
    - text: Keep containers tightly closed in a dry, cool and well-ventilated place. Keep away from strong oxidizing agents.
      source: sds-sample-materials
      where: Section 7 (Storage) and Section 10 (Incompatible Materials)
    - text: Avoid dust formation, and control ignition sources where dust may be present.
      source: sds-mcam-sultron
      where: Section 7
  mitigations:
    - text: Ensure adequate ventilation and wear personal protective equipment when handling pellets or dust.
      source: sds-sample-materials
      where: Section 7 (Handling) and Section 8 (Personal protection)
uses:
  - application: electronics-and-chips
    device: Electrical equipment and automobile fuses
    example: Wikipedia lists Udel (a DCDPS-derived polysulfone) for plumbing pipes, printer cartridges and automobile fuses; the article also says polysulfones are used for electrical equipment.
    source: wiki-polysulfone
    where: Lead section and Applications (Udel paragraph)
  - application: structures
    device: Vehicle construction parts
    example: Wikipedia says polysulfones are used for electrical equipment, vehicle construction and medical technology, and that they are used in the automotive and electronic industries.
    source: wiki-polysulfone
    where: Lead section and Applications
supply:
  - subject: Sulfur (feedstock for bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone and the sulfone group)
    producers:
      - country: China
        share_percent: 22.6
        year: 2025
      - country: United States
        share_percent: 9.6
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 8.9
        year: 2025
      - country: Canada
        share_percent: 6
        year: 2025
    critical_lists:
      - list: USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals
        listed: false
    recycling: Not stated in the USGS sulfur summary read for this profile.
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-sulfur
    where: 'World Production and Reserves table, production in thousand metric tons, 2025e (world total 84,000 thousand t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom). Import sources (2021-24) for elemental sulfur: Canada 53%.'
gaps:
  - No manufacturer datasheet with glass-transition or continuous-service-temperature values was read; the Solvay design guide and gamma-irradiation bulletin returned HTML, not PDF.
  - PubChem GHS classification could not be read (the site returned a verification page); hazard statements come from two SDSs and a supplier note.
  - No UV, thermal-cycling or radiation ageing number was read from a fetched page. The Norrman and Krebs photodegradation paper and the nanodiamond radiation paper (RSC, 403 on fetch) were not read.
  - The bisphenol A monomer hazard is from the Wikipedia infobox (H360, H317, H318, H335, H411), not from a regulatory database; it is not a hazard of the polymer itself.
  - Supply of bisphenol A and bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone was not read; sulfur is the only feedstock with shares in this profile.
  - 'Snake-case names used because no canonical name fits: melt_flow_rate and autoignition_temperature.'
  - Flight numbers (fluence, duration, solar exposure) are in the passport and were not re-read here, so they are not used as properties.
  - Critical-mineral list status for sulfur was not checked in this run.
sources:
  nasa-tm-2008-215490:
    title: Atomic Oxygen Erosion Yield Predictive Tool for Spacecraft Polymers in Low Earth Orbit (NASA/TM-2008-215490)
    id: NASA/TM-2008-215490 (Banks, Backus and de Groh, December 2008)
    url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20090011780
    year: 2008
    kind: report
    license: public domain (NASA)
  wiki-polysulfone:
    title: Polysulfone, Wikipedia
    id: Wikipedia article 'Polysulfone'
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysulfone
    year: 2026
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0
  wiki-bpa:
    title: Bisphenol A, Wikipedia (infobox GHS hazard codes and CAS)
    id: CAS 80-05-7
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A
    year: 2026
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0
  plabase-p1700:
    title: Udel P-1700 PSU data sheet (Solvay Specialty Polymers Japan), plabase
    id: plabase item page, grade P-1700
    url: https://en.plabase.com/plastic/items/5bc6e496b5ccf44098401a70
    year: 2026
    kind: datasheet
    license: distributor data page, linked not reproduced
  plabase-p1710:
    title: Udel P-1710 PSU data sheet (Solvay Specialty Polymers Japan), plabase
    id: plabase item page, grade P-1710
    url: https://en.plabase.com/plastic/items/5bc6e496b5ccf44098401abc
    year: 2026
    kind: datasheet
    license: distributor data page, linked not reproduced
  sds-sample-materials:
    title: 'Safety Data Sheet: Polysulfone resin, pellets, approx. M.W. 60000 (Sample Materials)'
    id: revision 19-Dec-2025, revision 5; CAS 25135-51-7
    url: https://www.samaterials.com/tds/sc/1778832982-LE3643.pdf
    year: 2025
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier document, linked not reproduced
  sds-mcam-sultron:
    title: 'Safety Data Sheet: Sultron PSU (Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, SDS-2100)'
    id: SDS-2100, revised November 22
    url: https://www.mcam.com/mam/29946/MCAM-SULTRON-PSU-EN-SDS-2100-220819.pdf
    year: 2022
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier document, linked not reproduced
  usgs-mcs2026-sulfur:
    title: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Sulfur
    id: USGS MCS 2026, February 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-sulfur.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-20'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 17
  unreachable: 3
  caveats: 2
  note: Written by an AI assistant on 2026-10-20 from pages fetched in this run. Solvay design guide and gamma bulletin were not PDFs; PubChem and the RSC nanodiamond paper were blocked.
story:
  recipe:
    line: PSU is made by polycondensation of bisphenol A with bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone in a polar aprotic solvent at 130 to 160 degC, with sodium chloride removed as a by-product. The repeat unit is C27H22O4S.
    parts:
      - name: Carbon
        symbol: C
        atoms: 27
        atomic_weight: 12.011
        role: Forms the aromatic rings and the isopropylidene group of the bisphenol A unit and the sulfone-linked phenylene rings.
      - name: Hydrogen
        symbol: H
        atoms: 22
        atomic_weight: 1.008
        role: Completes the aromatic rings and the methyl groups.
      - name: Oxygen
        symbol: O
        atoms: 4
        atomic_weight: 15.999
        role: Two ether oxygens from bisphenol A and the two oxygens of the sulfone group.
      - name: Sulfur
        symbol: S
        atoms: 1
        atomic_weight: 32.06
        role: Sulfone group, which gives the polymer its high glass transition and hydrolysis stability.
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      level: 0
      verdict: Not classified hazardous
      lead: Polysulfone pellets are not classified as hazardous by two supplier safety data sheets. The monomer bisphenol A is a different matter.
      points:
        - label: The pellets
          line: The Sample Materials sheet (revised December 2025) says the product is not considered hazardous under US OSHA rules. The Sultron sheet lists no GHS classification.
        - label: Dust
          line: Avoid dust. The Sultron sheet warns that dust can be flammable and explosive when finely divided and suspended in air.
        - label: Monomer
          line: Bisphenol A, a feedstock, carries hazard codes H317, H318, H335, H360 and H411 with the signal word Danger (Wikipedia infobox). Residual monomer in a finished part is not measured here.
    - title: If the polymer overheats
      lead: Decomposition products are irritating and the decomposition temperature is not reported.
      points:
        - label: Gases
          line: Heating gives off carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and sulfur oxides.
        - label: Ignition
          line: The autoignition temperature is 549 degC.
    - title: Handling and storage
      points:
        - label: Storage
          line: Keep the container closed in a dry, cool, well-ventilated place, away from strong oxidizing agents.
        - label: Cleaning
          line: Avoid creating dust, and control ignition sources where dust may be present.
  why: Polysulfone is an amorphous thermoplastic with a repeat unit of C27H22O4S, made from bisphenol A and a sulfone monomer. Its backbone of aromatic rings and sulfone links gives high stiffness and a high softening range. In NASA's MISSE 2 experiment, one of the polymers flown on the ISS, it was exposed to atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit and eroded at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom, close to the prediction. It was chosen for this profile because it sits in the high-performance thermoplastic group alongside PEI and PEEK, and because it has a flight record.
  uses:
    - where: Electrical equipment and fuses
      line: Wikipedia lists Udel, a polysulfone made from the same sulfone monomer, for printer cartridges and automobile fuses, and says polysulfones are used for electrical equipment.
    - where: Vehicle construction
      line: The same article says polysulfones are used for vehicle construction and in the automotive and electronic industries. It does not name a space application.
  can_do:
    - label: Heat
      benchmark: heat_deflection_temperature
      value: 174 degC
      line: The Udel P-1700 grade has a deflection temperature under load of 174 degC at 1.8 MPa, with no annealing, by ASTM D648.
    - label: Glass transition
      benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
      value: 190 to 230 degC
      line: Wikipedia gives the glass transition of polysulfones as between 190 and 230 degC, with no test method.
    - label: Strength
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
      value: 70.3 MPa
      line: The P-1700 grade has a tensile strength of 70.3 MPa and a flexural modulus of 2690 MPa, both by ASTM methods.
    - label: Space exposure
      benchmark: atomic_oxygen_erosion_yield
      value: 2.94e-24 cm3/atom
      line: The MISSE 2 flight sample eroded at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom, which is a flight result, not a ground test.
  compare: Among the polymers in NASA's MISSE 2 table, PSU eroded at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom. Polypropylene eroded less, at 2.68e-24 cm3/atom, while polyethylene eroded more, at more than 3.74e-24 cm3/atom, and Delrin eroded at 9.14e-24 cm3/atom. The other rows compare PSU's 174 degC deflection temperature with the Udel grade figures and its glass transition range, which come from separate datasheets and are not directly comparable with the flight data.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Atomic oxygen erosion yield
      benchmark: atomic_oxygen_erosion_yield
    - label: Deflection temperature under load
      benchmark: heat_deflection_temperature
    - label: Glass transition
      benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
  handling:
    - The pellets are not classified as hazardous by the supplier's sheet. Keep dust down.
    - Store closed, dry and cool, away from strong oxidizing agents.
    - Overheating releases carbon monoxide and sulfur oxides; ventilate.
  good_for:
    - Steam sterilisation and autoclaving, as stated in the Wikipedia article on hydrolysis stability.
    - Stiff parts that hold shape near 170 degC, with a deflection temperature of 174 degC for the P-1700 grade.
  watch_out:
    - Atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit erodes it at 2.94e-24 cm3/atom, so exposed surfaces need protection.
    - Its monomer bisphenol A is classed as a reproductive toxicant (H360) by the Wikipedia infobox.
  verdict: PSU is a stiff, heat-resistant and sterilisable thermoplastic with a flight record of moderate atomic oxygen erosion. For space use, it needs protection, and the monomer hazard needs managing in production.