Contents
Plastic, stainless steel, ceramics – everyone is familiar with these materials used for the manufacture of household appliances. When describing the advantages of washing machines, consultants often mention polynox, a material little known among consumers. Polynox in the washing machine – what is it and why sellers focus on it.
Polynox, carboran and silitek – what is it?
All of these materials are polymers. They are very similar, but differ in some performance characteristics.
Polynox
In the very name “polynox” buyers hear the “taste” of plastic. And their intuition does not deceive them, this is really one of the polymers – polypropylene. After adding some additives to it, it slightly changes its characteristics and transforms into polynox. This material contains additives that help reduce drum vibration and increase its thermal insulation properties.
In automatic washing machines (SMA), this polymer is used to make the most important structural element – the tank. To date, plastic tanks have become widespread, the reason for this is the advantageous properties of the material. It is cheap, easy to process, and the parts made from it have excellent performance characteristics.
There are other polymers used in the production of CMA. Each manufacturer includes different additives in the plastic composition, so the names of the polymers may vary. So, polynox has a similar analogue – polyplex. He is not afraid of high temperature, corrosion, water, ensures the noiselessness of the device. Polyplex conducts heat well – this saves electricity. But like all plastics, this material is quite fragile.
Carborane
This composite material is Electrolux’s own development. It is more reliable than polyplex. Compared to the latter, carborane is less brittle. It costs 1,5 times more than other polymers.
Benefits of carborane:
- practically does not absorb odors;
- is a dielectric, therefore it is safe;
- withstands mechanical and chemical loads;
- saves energy due to high thermal insulation properties;
- good sound insulator – noise is reduced during the operation of the SMA.
Silitek
This composite material is almost similar to polyox. It is developed by the Candy Hoover Group. Its properties are similar to basalt – a natural stone of volcanic origin, resistant to alkalis and acids, and dolomite – a natural mineral, moisture resistant, but fragile. Silitek is resistant to heat, has good sound absorption. It has excellent thermal insulation properties.
Which is better – plastic or stainless steel?
One of the criteria for choosing an SMA is the material of the tank. This element is considered the most important element in SMA. If problems occur with the tank, they can cause other parts to malfunction. It’s easy to find out what this element is made of – you just need to slightly bend the rubber band of the hatch.
All washers can be divided into two groups, with tanks from:
- polymers;
- of stainless steel.
Metal
Once upon a time, metal enameled tanks were considered very reliable. Now they are not released. They are strong and not subject to corrosion, but make the machine very heavy. In addition, during long-term operation, chips appear on the enameled surface – they are created by small solid objects that fall into the drum. The enamel begins to crumble, the process of corrosion starts, you either have to change the rotten part, or throw away the washer. This state of affairs forced manufacturers to focus on plastic and stainless steel.
Stainless steel
This is the most durable and durable material that is not at all afraid of water. But this option is not without drawbacks. Choosing reliability and long operation, you have to give in something. Stainless steel tanks are expensive, and also increase the noise level of the device. For many, the quiet operation of the washing machine is more important than other parameters, so consumers today are not particularly pursuing the durability that stainless steel promises.
Metal has a high heat dissipation, so hot water in a steel container cools faster than in a plastic one..
The main advantage of stainless steel tanks is durability. To install them, the manufacturer must have good reasons, the most important of which is the highest quality of washing machines. Stainless steel is used only in washing machines designed for many years of work. Stainless steel is often found in Eurosoba, Miele and other leading manufacturers. But most brands use plastic in their models.
Plastic
Cheapness is not the only advantage of plastic. Although this factor is taken into account by manufacturers. Advantages of plastic tanks:
- Reduce vibration levels.
- Water cools down more slowly.
- They do not rust, do not rot – this prolongs their service life.
- They cost less than steel. SMAs cost about 8% less than machines with a steel counterpart.
Plastic elements also have disadvantages:
- Less resistant to mechanical damage. Service masters often face the fact that plastic elements crack due to impacts. This happens most often during self-repair, which is undertaken by users. The most common injuries are holes made with a screwdriver or a heavy object being dropped.
Manufacturers do not stop improving their washing machines, and one of the ways is to improve the characteristics of plastic. Modern polymers are much stronger than their predecessors.
Conclusions
- There is no single answer which material is better. Each buyer chooses the most suitable option. If you need an inexpensive machine, you need to look for an option with plastic. But the price range is very large – among the models with plastic tanks there are many both budget and expensive ones. If the buyer wants to purchase a premium-class CMA, counts on the durable operation of the device and simply prefers metal to plastic, then he should look for a washer with a stainless steel tank.
- None of the materials guarantees high-quality and trouble-free operation. A metal tank is not a guarantee – cars with them can also break down, and this is doubly disappointing, since the cost of such models is quite high.
- Different types of plastic differ in their characteristics – strength, ductility, heat transfer and others.
The main problem with plastic is brittleness and lack of strength. It is in this that he is inferior to steel counterparts. Of the three materials considered, carborane seems to be the most reliable.