Plastic is a lightweight, durable, inexpensive and easy-to-modify material. It is made up of polymers
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule, or macromolecule, composed of many repeated subunits. Due to their broad range of properties, both synthetic and natural polymers play essential and ubiquitous roles in everyday life. Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene to natural …
Ethylene
Ethylene is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C₂H₄ or H₂C=CH₂. It is a colorless flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene.
What elements compose plastic?
Answer (1 of 3): Plastics are made from monomers (which is basically a fancy word for polymer building block). There are actually two ways monomers can be polymerized (converted into a polymer or plastic). The first is addition polymerization. In this case the monomer will have a double bond. Ex...
What is the chemical makeup of plastic?
Plastic is an organic substance consisting of large molecules called polymers. It is distilled from wood, coal, oil and even natural gas by chemicals such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon. Other chemicals present in plastic may include chlorine, sulfur, silicone and fluorine.
What is the chemical composition of plastic?
The chemical composition of plastics includes chains of carbon, oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen. In 1284 naturally made plastic compounds from horn and tortoiseshell were identified
What is the classification of plastic?
Plastics can be broadly classified as standard plastics, commodity plastics, engineering plastics, and high-performance plastics. Important classes of plastics exist under each of these categories. For example, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride can all be categorized as commodity plastics.
What are plastics?
One of the major innovations of the 20th century was the introduction and development of plastic materials and their use in many applications, both industrial and everyday, that previously relied on traditional materials such as metal, glass or ceramics.
Classification of plastic materials
In general, plastic materials can be divided into thermoplastics and thermosets. When heated, thermoplastic components can be repeatedly molded and deformed, whereas thermoset materials cannot be remolded after formation.
Polymer Testing
Testing plays a key role in the life cycle of a polymer, from raw material through compound to final product.
Where does plastic come from?
Plastics come from materials discovered in nature, such as oil, natural gas, coal, minerals and plants. It was nature that formed the plastic initially. It was in the 1800s when scarce materials were replaced, such as ivory and tortoiseshell. Plastic can either be ‘synthetic’ or ‘biobased’. Synthetic plastics come from crude oil, natural gas or coal. Biobased plastics come from renewable products, namely starch, carbohydrates, vegetable fats and oils, bacteria, and other biological substances.
Why is plastic synthetic?
The vast majority of plastic in use today is synthetic because of the felicitation of manufacturing methods included in crude oil processing. Although, the flourishing demand for limited oil reserves is maintaining a requirement for newer plastics from renewable resources such as waste biomass or animal waste products from the industry.
How does polymerization occur?
It occurs when chemically the monomers bond and form chains. There are two different mechanisms for polymerisation: Addition polymerisation, where the added polymerisation reaction is when one monomer associates to the next one (dimer) and dimer to the next one (trimer) and goes on. It happens by setting up a catalyst, a peroxide. The whole approach is known as chain-growth polymers as it includes one monomer unit at a time. Examples of additional polymers are polystyrene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride. On the other side, Condensation polymerisation consists of connecting two or more different monomers by the obliteration of small molecules such as water. It also needs a catalyst for the reaction to take place between adjacent monomers. This is known as step-growth because one could add an existing chain to a different chain—examples of condensation: polyester and nylon.
What is plastic?
Plastics are molecular compounds. Plastic material has very good elasticity and expansion properties.
Composition of plastic
In the world today there are many types of plastic, and each type of plastic has main and secondary components. Main ingredients include organic polymers, combined with carbon, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen …
Common types of plastic
Based on the differentiation of plastics, thermoplastics are classified into three main categories: thermoplastics, thermoplastics and elastomers.
Plastic application
In everyday life, plastic is used for many different purposes. And almost all products, applications, are made of plastic.
What are Plastics?
Plastics used for industrial work come from petrochemicals. Plastic refers to its ability to deform without breaking. The polymer used in making a plastics are usually a combination of additives, colorants, plasticizers, stabilizers, fillers, and reinforcements. These additives affect the chemical composition, properties, and mechanical properties of plastics and affect its cost.
What is the majority of plastic?
About vast majority of plastics are 92% thermoplastics. To make unit cells a group of atoms is used called ‘Monomers’.Upon the combination of monomers, we get polymers or plastics. All the monomers contain double bonds between carbon atoms such that the carbon atoms can subsequently react to form polymers.
What are the two types of plastics?
The two types of plastics are Thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers.
What is the difference between semicrystalline and crystalline materials?
On the other hand, semicrystalline materials exhibit crystalline regions, called crystallites, within an amorphous matrix. The chemical structure of the plastics can change, with the use of copolymers, and the chemical binding of different elements ...
What is the term for a polymer that is meltable?
When the linking of these atoms results in long chains, like pearls on a string of pearls, the polymer is termed as ‘Thermoplastic’. Thermoplastics are meltable. All thermoplastics have repeating units,i.e. the smallest identical section of the chain. About vast majority of plastics are 92% thermoplastics.
What are the atoms that make up plastic?
Plastics are mostly carbon-based atoms. Silicones are an exception since they based on the silicon atom. The carbon atom is capable of linking to other atoms with up to four chemical bonds. In plastics, the carbon atoms also link to hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, or sulfur. When the linking of these atoms results in long chains, like pearls on a string of pearls, the polymer is termed as ‘Thermoplastic’. Thermoplastics are meltable. All thermoplastics have repeating units,i.e. the smallest identical section of the chain. About vast majority of plastics are 92% thermoplastics.
How does crystallizability affect plastics?
The chemical structure of the plastics can change, with the use of copolymers, and the chemical binding of different elements and compounds and on the other hand, the use of crystallizability can change the processing, aesthetic, and performance properties of plastics.
What is a thermoplastic made of?
Plastarch: biodegradable and heat-resistant thermoplastic composed of modified corn starch.
How much plastic is produced in the world?
Worldwide, about 50 kg of plastic is produced annually per person, with production doubling every ten years. The world's first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented in New York in 1907, by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics".
What is biodegradable plastic?
Main article: Biodegradable plastic. Biodegradable plastics are plastics that degrade (break down) upon exposure to sunlight or ultra-violet radiation; water or dampness; bacteria; enzymes; or wind abrasion. Attack by insects, such as waxworms and mealworms, can also be considered as forms of biodegradation.
How does plastic decompose?
Polymers' marine degradation takes much longer as a result of the saline environment and cooling effect of the sea, contributing to the persistence of plastic debris in certain environments. Recent studies have shown, however, that plastics in the ocean decompose faster than had been previously thought, due to exposure to the sun, rain, and other environmental conditions , resulting in the release of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A. However, due to the increased volume of plastics in the ocean, decomposition has slowed down. The Marine Conservancy has predicted the decomposition rates of several plastic products: It is estimated that a foam plastic cup will take 50 years, a plastic beverage holder will take 400 years, a disposable diaper will take 450 years, and fishing line will take 600 years to degrade.
How are polymers formed?
The vast majority of these polymers are formed from chains of carbon atoms, with or without the attachment of oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur atoms. These chains comprise many repeating units formed from monomers. Each polymer chain consists of several thousand repeating units. The backbone is the part of the chain that is on the main path, linking together a large number of repeat units. To customize the properties of a plastic, different molecular groups called side chains hang from this backbone; they are usually hung from the monomers before the monomers themselves are linked together to form the polymer chain. The structure of these side chains influences the properties of the polymer.
What are household items made of?
Household items made of various types of plastic. Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, plus a wide range of other properties, ...
How to compound thermosetting plastic?
Molten plastic is viscous and exhibits laminar flow, leading to poor mixing. Compounding is therefore done using extrusion equipment, which is able to supply the necessary heat and mixing to give a properly dispersed product.
Why is it important to know the different types of plastic?
Having knowledge of the different types of plastic is critical to understanding the complexity of recycling, upcycling and the health factors associated with plastic. But the key word there is “complexity.” It’s a huge topic, so this article is just a starting point, meant to be a basic introduction for those that have little to no knowledge, not a comprehensive look for those already in the know.
What is the most common plastic in the world?
Collectively, Polyethylene is the most common plastics in the world, but it’s classified into three types: High-Density, Low-Density and Linear Low-Density. High-Density Polyethylene is strong and resistant to moisture and chemicals, which makes it ideal for cartons, containers, pipes and other building materials.
What is the most common PET product?
Beverage bottles are among the most common PET products.
Why is plastic used in construction?
This hard and rigid plastic is resistant to chemicals and weathering, making it desired for building and construction applications; while the fact that it doesn’t conduct electricity makes it common for high-tech applications, such as wires and cable. It’s also widely used in medical applications because it’s impermeable to germs, is easily disinfected and provides single-use applications that reduce infections in healthcare. On the flip side, we must note that PVC is the most dangerous plastic to human health, known to leach dangerous toxins throughout its entire lifecycle (eg: lead, dioxins, vinyl chloride).
What is the most durable plastic?
5) Polypropylene (PP) This is one of the most durable types of plastic. It is more heat resistant than some others, which makes it ideal for such things as food packaging and food storage that’s made to hold hot items or be heated itself.
Is plastic a complex material?
Plastic is a complex material, just as its production, distribution and consumption are. We encourage you to dive in deeper in order to understand all these complexities, such as plastic properties, recyclability, health hazards and alternatives, including the pros and cons of bioplastics.
Is plastic all the same?
In our continuing effort to provide educational resources on plastic pollution and sustainability, we thought we would address one of the most common questions we receive: Isn’t plastic all the same? In short … no.
What Is Plastic?
- One of the major innovations of the 20th century was the introduction and development of plastic materials and their use in many applications, both industrial and everyday, that previously relied on traditional materials such as metal, glass or ceramics. Plastic is a lightweight, durable, inexpensive and easy-to-modify material. It is made up of po...
Composition of Plastic
Common Types of Plastic
Plastic Application