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.
In several different ways, plastics are classified and this would include the polymerization process by which the plastic is created, the plastic's processibility and the plastic's chemical nature. Thermoplastic and thermoset plastic are the two categories in which plastic is categorized in terms of processibility.
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.
Physical properties is the next way of classification for plastics beyond those two basic classifications which might include factors such as density, resistance to chemicals, glass transition, temperature and tensile strength. The maximum amount of stress that the plastic can withstand when you are stretching it without breaking is what you call tensile strength. 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.
The overall strength is what we call the density although technically this means the mass per unit volume. A good example would be polypropylene, which is used to make products like yogurt cups. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene has a higher density than this and it is used to create products like 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.
In several different ways, plastics are classified and this would include the polymerization process by which the plastic is created, the plastic's processibility and the plastic's chemical nature. Thermoplastic and thermoset plastic are the two categories in which plastic is categorized in terms of processibility.
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.
Physical properties is the next way of classification for plastics beyond those two basic classifications which might include factors such as density, resistance to chemicals, glass transition, temperature and tensile strength. The maximum amount of stress that the plastic can withstand when you are stretching it without breaking is what you call tensile strength. 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.
The overall strength is what we call the density although technically this means the mass per unit volume. A good example would be polypropylene, which is used to make products like yogurt cups. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene has a higher density than this and it is used to create products like 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 likes blogging about how stuff is made. For further info about plastic thermoforming or to find out more about retail product packaging solutions, please go to the Indepak.com website today.
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