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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Troubador" data-source="post: 3384123" data-attributes="member: 109211">As usual it is easy to fall into the trap of talking about these materials as if there is only a choice of one or the other.Like extra-low dispersion glass there are many different types. For example magnesium alloys with different blends of aluminium, manganese, zinc, silicon, copper and more exotic stuff like zirconium and rare-earths. Polycarbonate can be reinforced with different percentages of glass or carbon-fibre and mixed with other plastics such as ABS, Polyester and Acrylic. There are hundreds of blends with end uses such as flame retardant, food contact, optical, weather resistant, headlamps, medical, architectural, and many more.Some of these materials will be more suitable than others, some more expensive, some more economical.Apart from a vague idea born out of impressions gained decades ago that metals are more robust than plastics I wouldn't know which is really better and I suspect that some fibre reinforced plastics are tougher than is generally thought.Lee</blockquote>