Plastic is obviously and important substance in our lives. Many different packages contain plastic or a mix of plastic and other materials. Many products we use also are made partly or entirely out of plastics. Of course, there are many different types of plastic and each has different uses and capabilities.
A plastic is a mix of organic solids in general that can be formed into a specific shape. The solid objects could be a blend of synthetic or even be entirely synthetic and naturally occurring or semi-synthetic polymers. Extracted from petrochemicals, the majority of plastics are created out of synthetic polymers.
Plastics are classified in several different ways and this includes the polymerization process by which the plastic is created, the processibility of the plastic and the general chemical nature of the plastic. When it comes to the processibility, plastic is divided into two categories - thermoplastic or thermoset plastic.
Both of these types of plastic have the word thermo which means that heat is applied to transform these plastics into products or packages. With a thermoplastic, the plastic item in question can be recycled, melted down and molded into a new product again and again. With thermoset plastics, this is not the case, and when these plastics are heated, they undergo a chemical change that means they cannot be melted down and reused. While these plastics technically cannot be melted down and reformed, some can be used again for other purposes. For instance, vulcanized rubber used for tires can be shredded and used to help produce asphalt.
Beyond those two basic classifications, plastics are furthered classified by their physical properties, which might include factors such as density, resistance to chemicals, glass transition temperature and tensile strength. The latter of which is the maximum amount of stress that the plastic can withstand when you are stretching it without breaking. The glass transition temperature is basically the temperature at which a substance moves from a hard state into a molten state, where it can be molded.
Density in many ways refers to the overall strength, although technically this means the mass per unit volume. Take for instance polypropylene, which is used to make products such as yogurt cups. This has a lower density than acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, which is used to create products such as Lego bricks, some auto parts and a few musical instruments.
Another classification mentioned above was resistance to chemicals and this can be highly important. Consider for a moment that bottle of bleach that you keep by your washing machine. It is contained in a type of thermoplastic that is highly resistant to chemicals. In this case, the plastic is resistant to the bleach; otherwise, the bleach could leech through the plastic. While bleach is a helpful product, it also can burn the skin and eyes and is a poison so it needs to be contained safely. Other items don't need to be this resistant to chemicals, such as your yogurt cup or the container that holds blueberries.
A plastic is a mix of organic solids in general that can be formed into a specific shape. The solid objects could be a blend of synthetic or even be entirely synthetic and naturally occurring or semi-synthetic polymers. Extracted from petrochemicals, the majority of plastics are created out of synthetic polymers.
Plastics are classified in several different ways and this includes the polymerization process by which the plastic is created, the processibility of the plastic and the general chemical nature of the plastic. When it comes to the processibility, plastic is divided into two categories - thermoplastic or thermoset plastic.
Both of these types of plastic have the word thermo which means that heat is applied to transform these plastics into products or packages. With a thermoplastic, the plastic item in question can be recycled, melted down and molded into a new product again and again. With thermoset plastics, this is not the case, and when these plastics are heated, they undergo a chemical change that means they cannot be melted down and reused. While these plastics technically cannot be melted down and reformed, some can be used again for other purposes. For instance, vulcanized rubber used for tires can be shredded and used to help produce asphalt.
Beyond those two basic classifications, plastics are furthered classified by their physical properties, which might include factors such as density, resistance to chemicals, glass transition temperature and tensile strength. The latter of which is the maximum amount of stress that the plastic can withstand when you are stretching it without breaking. The glass transition temperature is basically the temperature at which a substance moves from a hard state into a molten state, where it can be molded.
Density in many ways refers to the overall strength, although technically this means the mass per unit volume. Take for instance polypropylene, which is used to make products such as yogurt cups. This has a lower density than acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, which is used to create products such as Lego bricks, some auto parts and a few musical instruments.
Another classification mentioned above was resistance to chemicals and this can be highly important. Consider for a moment that bottle of bleach that you keep by your washing machine. It is contained in a type of thermoplastic that is highly resistant to chemicals. In this case, the plastic is resistant to the bleach; otherwise, the bleach could leech through the plastic. While bleach is a helpful product, it also can burn the skin and eyes and is a poison so it needs to be contained safely. Other items don't need to be this resistant to chemicals, such as your yogurt cup or the container that holds blueberries.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell enjoys writing about how stuff is made. For further information about plastic thermoforming or to find out more about retail product packaging solutions, please check out the Indepak.com website today.
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