1.6 Plastic Flashcards
What can plastic be made of?
- Natural plastics
- Synthetic plastics
What are Natural plastics?
Natural plastics include Amber, white is fossilised tree resin, and Latex, which is a form of rubber.
What are Synthetic plastics?
Synthetic plastics are chemically manufactured from carbon-based materials such as crude oil, coal and gas
How are plastics produced?
Polymerisation
What’s polymerisation?
Polymerisation occurs when monomers join together to form long chains of molecules called polymers.
What two groups are plastics classified into?
- Thermoplastics
- Thermosetting plastics
What are thermoplastics?
- Plastic that can be heated and reshaped many times.
- They will soften when heated and can be shaped when hot.
- The plastic will harden when cooled, but can be reshaped because there are no links between the polymer chains.
What are thermosetting plastics?
- Plastics that can be heated and shaped once
- If reheated they cannot soften as polymer chains are interlinked
- Separate polymers are joined in order to form a huge polymer
What is ABS (acrylonitrile butadienestyrene)?
- A strong, tough thermoplastic that scratches easily
- Available in a wide range of colours
What can ABS (acrylontrile butadienestyrene) be used in?
Used to make mechanical parts including links, cams and wheels
What is Nylon (Polyamide)?
- A hard, tough, rigid thermoplastic
- Chemical, wear and friction resistant
What can Nylon (Polyamide) be used in?
Used to make mechanical parts including gear wheels and bearings.
What is Acrylic (Polymethyl methacrylate)?
- A glass-clear or opaque thermoplastic
- Available in a wide range of colours
- Food safe, impact resistant and a good electrical insulator
What can Acrylic (Polymethyl methacrylate) be used in?
Used to make illuminated signs, watch and clock glasses, and furniture.
What is PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)?
- A soft and flexible thermoplastic
- Available in a wide range of colours
- A good electrical insulator
What can PVC (polyvinyl chloride) be used in?
Used to make table top coverings, electrical wiring insulation, vinyl wall and floor coverings.
What is Polystyrene (high impact polystyrene)?
- A hard and inexpensive thermoplastic
- Available in a wide range of colours
What can Polystyrene (high impact polystyrene) be used in?
- Good for vacuum forming
- Used to make model cars and airplanes
- In the form of foam it’s used for packaging and insulation
What are the five types of thermoplastics?
- ABS
- Nylon
- Acrylic
- PVC
- Polystyrene
What’s the mneumonic for the types of thermoplastics?
Pretentious Annoying Newborns Always Poop.
What are the four types of thermosetting plastics?
- Epoxy Resin
- Melamine Formaldehyde
- Polyester Resin
- Urea Formaldehyde
How do you remember the four types of thermosetting plastics?
- Mr Resin and Mrs Formaldehyde were married
- Mr Resin cheated and had two sons: Epoxy and Polyester
- Mrs Formaldehyde remarried and had two daughters: Melamine and Urea
What is epoxy resin?
A thermosetting plastic that cures when mixed with a catalyst/hardener.
What can epoxy resin be used in?
Used to make coatings, adhesives and composite materials such as fibre glass.
What is melamine formaldehyde?
A hard, flexible food safe thermosetting plastic with good heat resistance.
What can melamine formaldehyde be used in?
Used to make kitchenware and ashtrays
What is polyester resin?
- A hard, brittle thermosetting plastic with good heat and ultraviolet light resistance
- A good electrical insulator
What can polyester resin be used in?
Used to make glass re-enforced plastic boats, car bodies, surf boards
What is Urea Formaldehyde?
- A hard thermosetting plastic with solvent resistance and good electrical properties
- Available in a wide range of colours
What can urea formaldehyde be used in?
- Used to make castings for electrical appliances such as radios and desk lamps
- Resins are used to make adhesives, finishes and MDF
What is plastic recycling?
Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material into useful products, sometimes completely different from their original state.
What’s an example of plastic recycling?
Melting down soft drink bottles then casting them as plastic chairs and tables.
What’s the resin identification code for PET?
1
What’s the resin identification code for HDPE?
2
What’s the resin identification code for PVC?
3
What’s the resin identification code for LDPE?
4
What’s the resin identification code for PP?
5
What’s the resin identification code for PS?
6
What’s the resin identification code for OTHERS such as ABS?
7
Why is reusing plastic preferable to recycling plastic?
It uses less energy and fewer resources.
What are the two types of degradable plastic?
- Biodegradable plastics
- photodegradable plastics
What are degradable plastics?
Degradable plastics are plastics that will be reduced by degrading under certain conditions.
What are biodegradable plastics?
Biodegradable plastics contain a small percentage of non oil-based material such as corn starch.
What are photodegradable plastics?
Photodegradable plastics break down when exposed to sunlight.
How are non-degradable plastics degraded?
- incinerated which releases chlorine
- dumped in a landfill which pollutes the water supply
