Plastic molecules are made of long chains of repeating units called monomers. The atoms that make up a plastic’s monomers and the arrangement of the monomers within the molecule both determine many of the plastic’s properties. Plastics are one of the classification of polymers .If a polymer is shaped into hard and tough utility articles by the application of heat and pressure ,it is used as “plastic”.
Synthetic polymers are often referred to as "plastics", such as the well-known polyethylene and nylon. However, most of them can be classified in at least three main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers. Man-made polymers are used in a bewildering array of applications: food packaging, films, fibers, tubing, pipes, etc. The personal care industry also uses polymers to aid in texture of products, binding etc. Examples
A non-exhaustive list of these ubiquitous materials includes: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polyamide (PA) polybutadiene poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) polycarbonate poly(ether sulphone) (PES, PES/PEES) polyethylene (PE) poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polyimide polypropylene (PP ) polystyrene (PS) styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) polyurethane (PU) polyvinylchloride (PVC) SOME COMMONLY USED SYNTHETIC PLASTICS
After the First World War, improvements in chemical technology led to an explosion in new forms of plastics. Among the earliest examples in the wave of new plastics were "polystyrene" (PS) and "polyvinyl chloride" (PVC), developed by the I.G. Farben company of Germany. POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely-used plastic. In terms of revenue generated, it is one of the most valuable products of the chemical industry. Globally, over 50% of PVC manufactured is used in
References: 1. Processes and Materials of Manufacture by R.A. LINDBERG 2. SEMINAR TOPIC FROM :: www.edufive.com/seminartopics.html 3. www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia 4. www.me.sc.edu