Friday, September 16, 2016

By Thomas Powell


Plastics refer to a wide collection of materials, both semi-synthetic and synthetic organic compounds, which are moldable and malleable into solid items. Typically, plastics are organic polymer containing high molecular masses, but they may contain other substances too. Most are synthetic derivatives from petrochemicals, but some are natural partially. Plastics manufacturing is relatively cheap and easy. Additionally, the substances are impervious and versatile.

The many advantages that plastics present to manufacturers have seen them being adopted in the production of a huge and growing number of products. Their use ranges from the production of the simplest of household products to spaceships and rockets. Most traditional materials that dominated the manufacturing industry such as leather, metal, paper, ceramic, glass, bone, wood, horn, and stone are continuously being replaced.

In highly developed nations, plastics are used to make about a third of all packaging materials while another third makes building materials. Other industries that make heavy use of the material are furniture, automobile, and toys. The extent of use of plastic varies a lot in developed, developing, and underdeveloped nations. However, developing nations are picking up the speed, closing the gap with their developed counterparts. The medical field also finds huge use for this material.

The types of plastic materials in existence are many and they are used to make various commodities. Common examples of plastics include polyethylene, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, high impact polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonates, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyamides, low-density polyethylene, and polyurethanes. Polyester is used to make textiles and fiber while bottles for microwavable packaging, plastic films, carbonated drinks, and peanut butter jars are made out of polyethylene terephthalate.

A wide variety of inexpensive products is made out of polyethylene. For example, polyethylene is utilized to manufacture shopping bags and plastic bottles. Shower curtains, plumbing pipes, flooring, guttering, and window frames are manufactured from polyvinyl chloride. Polyvinylidene chloride is used to make most of the food packaging materials on the market. Polycarbonate is used in the making of riot shields, eyeglasses, compact discs, lenses, traffic lights, and security windows. Some plastics are useful in the making of multiple classes of products.

The organic chemistry of a polymer making up a plastic is based upon when defining the properties of the materials. Some of the properties used in description include heat resistance, oxidation, density, hardness, ionizing radiation, and organic solvents. Plastic materials can be made electrically conductive, but their conductivity is much lower in comparison to that of their metal counterparts.

Pure plastics are only toxic to a very low level. This is because they are biochemically inert and they do not dissolve in water. The large molecular weights are responsible for biochemical inertness. Toxicity in products manufactured from plastic usually results from the additives added into the material. The leaching activity of the additives are responsible for toxicity.

As a result of toxicity, some countries enforce certain laws on the kind of additives that can be added in certain products. Plastic materials also degrade at a very low rate. Their chemical composition makes them resistant to most natural degradation processes.




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