Plastics are man-made materials that can be shaped into almost any form. They are one of the most useful materials ever created. Our homes, schools, and businesses are filled with plastic products. Imagine cars without synthetic bumpers, dashboards, steering wheels and switches; medicine without plastic hypodermic syringes and artificial hip joints. And what about telecommunications, dependent on plastic telephones, circuit boards and cable insulation. Our entertainment and leisure relies on the unique combination of characteristics offered by plastics in sports equipment and clothing, CDs, video and audio tape, television and cinema.
Most plastics are lightweight, flexible, durable and often colorful. They are resistant to chemicals, have hygienic surfaces, and provide insulation from electricity or heat. There are many types of plastics, each exhibiting some of these properties and characteristics. They also
The industry of plastics is continually developing or modifying materials to further extend the incredible range of plastics already meeting our needs and enhancing the world's technological progress. However, as useful as they are, plastics do have drawbacks. The biggest problem is that most plastics take a very long time to decompose (break down into simple compounds). Deciding how to dispose of plastic wastes has become a major environmental concern, for consumers of plastic product as well as those who produce it.
Generally, plastics can be classified as either thermoplastics or thermosetting plastics. The difference between the two types is due to their chemical structure, i.e. the way the large chains of molecules are constructed. When heated, the long chains of polymers in thermoplastics are able to move apart and if put under pressure they can slide past each other. This is why thermoplastics can be shaped. Thermosett
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