What is plastic made of

Amorphous polymers are often transparent and, therefore, are used as food wrap, headlights, and contact lenses. These materials also tend to have lower melting points. If the arrangement is in a distinct pattern, the polymer is said to be crystalline. The higher the degree of crystallinity, the less light passes through.

Such materials are either translucent or opaque. This quality depends on the degree of crystallization and the presence of additives.

Crystalline polymers have greater strength and tend to have higher melting points. Polymers seem to have a limitless range of characteristics along with properties that allow them to be dyed in an endless array of colors. Their properties can be enhanced by additives. Being able to design or engineer polymers for specific applications makes plastics unique materials. Although each polymer has unique characteristics, most polymers have some general properties:.

The raw material for manufacturing plastic products is called a resin. These resins are often used in packaging. Katz, David A. Once that catalyst is added, the plastic polymer exists in a powdered form known colloquially as fluff.

The fluff is fed through a heated extruder, where it melts down and forms a long, workable pipe. Once the pipe cools completely, the plastic is cut into smaller pellets once more. At this point, the heating, cooling, and manipulation has made the plastic workable enough that it can be melted and molded into any number of other products.

According to Plastics Europe , however, not all plastic polymers behave this way. There are two main kinds of plastics that come out of the plastic-making process: thermoplastics , which can be melted, molded, and cooled until they harden, and thermosets, which are not meltable once they have been cooled. Thermoset plastics are generally stored in their liquid form and packaged in a way that stops air from hitting them.

Interest in making plastics arose in the s to replace scarce materials such as ivory and tortoise shell. The first synthetic plastics were derived from cellulose, a substance found in plants and trees.

Cellulose was heated with chemicals and resulted in a new material that was extremely durable. The chemistry of plastics can be complex, but the basics are straightforward. Think back to your high school science lessons about atoms and molecules groups of atoms. Home About Contact Blog. Email: info creativemechanisms. Call Now: What is a Plastic? How are Plastics Created?

How are Plastics Identified? They are classified in several ways: Thermoplastics or Thermosets Amorphous or Semi-Crystaline Homopolymers or Copolymers Categorization as either a thermoplastic or a thermoset has to do with the way the plastic, once created, responds to heat. Here are a few characteristics to think about: Homopolymers are stiffer. Homopolymers have higher room temperature impact strength. Homopolymers have higher tensile strength. Homopolymers have a slightly higher operation temperature.

Homopolymers are slightly harder and more slippery. Copolymers have better dimensional stability. Copolymers are more resistant to chemicals. Copolymers are less porous when extruded. Subscribe To Blog Notifications. Take Your Product Development Process to the Next Level Companies that develop a product on a consistent basis are under tremendous pressure to: Create Innovative designs Properly engineer the designs for production Be successful in very short timeframes Our expertise and unique collaborative process alleviates your stress and helps take your Design, Engineering and Prototyping process to the next level.

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