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Material comparison

PET vs PBT: Polyester Resins for Connectors and Structural Parts

PBT is the default for many electrical connectors. PET appears where clarity, barrier, or specific electrical specs matter.

Material comparison

Polyesters with different moisture stories

Dry both correctly. Moisture shows up as splay and property drift.

PBT balances stiffness, electrical properties, and moldability for connectors.

PET can be chosen for packaging adjacent parts or when a PET grade matches an existing validation.

Resin choice

Typical versus Typical at a glance

Use this routing before you lock the BOM. NetProto molds both once the resin is specified on the quote.

Typical PET

  • Used in packaging and bottle adjacent molded parts
  • Moisture sensitive before molding
  • Can be clear in specialty grades

Typical PBT

  • Standard for electrical connectors and housings
  • Good surface for low profile connectors
  • Glass filled grades for structural brackets

Decision table

Where each resin usually wins

Qualitative tradeoffs for molded parts. Confirm shrink, fill, and tooling details on the material guide.

FactorPETPBT
MoistureMust be dried aggressivelyMust be dried aggressively
ElectricalGrade specificCommon in connectors
HeatModerateModerate to higher with fill
ApplicationsPackaging, structural PET partsConnectors, E/E housings

Before you quote

Send this context with your CAD

The instant quote uses your material choice for fill, gate, and steel assumptions.

  • Connector standard or creep requirement

  • Reflow or assembly temperature

  • Glass fill level

  • Color and laser mark need

Material guides

Full property pages

These library pages carry datasheets, DFM notes, and quote checklists.

PET

Open the PET molding guide.

PET

PBT

Open the PBT molding guide.

PBT

Continue exploring

Related comparisons

Open a sibling guide or jump to the full material library.

FAQ

Common questions

Are PET bottle grades used for structural parts?

Structural molded PET uses injection molding grades, not bottle resin. Specify the molding grade on the PO.

Next step

Quote both options with the same CAD

Upload once, switch resin in the quote flow, and compare piece price on the same tool. NetProto manufacturing is ISO 9001 certified.