While you might be under the impression that plastic is just plastic, there are many different types of plastics created from many different types of polymers. Thermoplastic, for example, is a polymer that is easy to mold when it is heated to a specific temperature. This type of plastic is used for virtually all of the plastic packaging we see on store shelves, from the clamshells that hold strawberries to the blister packs that hold individual tablets of cold medicine to packages of batteries. But many more items are created using different thermoplastic polymers.
If you have ever sat in an airplane or put a DVD into a DVD player, you have come into contact with one type of thermoplastic commonly known as acrylic or PMMA, which stands for Poly(methyl methacrylate). Other names for this type of plastic include Lucite and also Plexiglas, which are actually brand names. It is used to make the windows of aircraft and to make DVDs and CDs impact resistant. PMMA also is used in dental fillings and bone cement, among its medical uses. PMMA is transparent and quite strong, so it can be used in place of glass, such as in the huge aquarium enclosures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other similar facilities.
Nylon is so commonly used that most people can probably think of at least one item made from this synthetic polymer, which is a type of thermoplastic. Created by a chemist named Wallace Carothers at the DuPont Experimental Station in the 1930s, one of nylon's first uses occurred in World War II when silk was not readily available to make parachutes. Nylon was easy to mass-produce, durable and resistant to mold and insects. Nylon is also far less expensive to produce than silk, which is certainly a consideration. After the war, the use of nylon continued to increase, and it is used to make thousands of products including rope, women's stockings, clothing, tents, carpeting, music strings and much more.
Teflon is yet another type of thermoplastic and certainly one that is commonly known as the substance that keeps food from sticking to our cooking pots and pans. This synthetic polymer also goes by the scientific name of Polytetrafluroethylene or PTFE. Like nylon, this fluoropolymer was invented at DuPont albeit accidentally. Scientist Roy Plunkett discovered Teflon while trying to make a new type of refrigerant. This was in 1938, but it wasn't actually used in cookware until the 1950s. It's used for more than cooking; however, it also is used to make gears, bearings, fuel lines, computer mice and items made out of Gore-Tex.
When you think of PVC, you probably think about those white pipes, and it's true that nearly half of the world's pipes are made from this thermoplastic, Poly(vinyl chloride). Cheap to make and fairly durable, PVC is used in the production of hundreds of plastic items. In addition to pipes, consider the portion of the scientific name that also is quite familiar - vinyl. Many products are made from vinyl, specifically vinyl chloride or PVC. This includes everything from food storage containers to kiddie pools to stickers. PVC is water resistant and durable, so it is a handy material to you for vinyl house siding, mattress covers and shower curtains, as well.
In addition to the aforementioned thermoplastics, there are also polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Polystyrene is what is used to make Styrofoam for containers and packing materials. Polyethylene is used to make bottles and containers to hold different kinds of toxic chemicals as well as gasoline. So your gas "can" typically is made out of this plastic, as well as bottles that hold bleach, laundry detergent, drain cleaner and more. Finally, there is polypropylene, which is used to make heat-resistant plastic containers that can be placed both in the dishwasher as well as the microwave.
If you have ever sat in an airplane or put a DVD into a DVD player, you have come into contact with one type of thermoplastic commonly known as acrylic or PMMA, which stands for Poly(methyl methacrylate). Other names for this type of plastic include Lucite and also Plexiglas, which are actually brand names. It is used to make the windows of aircraft and to make DVDs and CDs impact resistant. PMMA also is used in dental fillings and bone cement, among its medical uses. PMMA is transparent and quite strong, so it can be used in place of glass, such as in the huge aquarium enclosures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other similar facilities.
Nylon is so commonly used that most people can probably think of at least one item made from this synthetic polymer, which is a type of thermoplastic. Created by a chemist named Wallace Carothers at the DuPont Experimental Station in the 1930s, one of nylon's first uses occurred in World War II when silk was not readily available to make parachutes. Nylon was easy to mass-produce, durable and resistant to mold and insects. Nylon is also far less expensive to produce than silk, which is certainly a consideration. After the war, the use of nylon continued to increase, and it is used to make thousands of products including rope, women's stockings, clothing, tents, carpeting, music strings and much more.
Teflon is yet another type of thermoplastic and certainly one that is commonly known as the substance that keeps food from sticking to our cooking pots and pans. This synthetic polymer also goes by the scientific name of Polytetrafluroethylene or PTFE. Like nylon, this fluoropolymer was invented at DuPont albeit accidentally. Scientist Roy Plunkett discovered Teflon while trying to make a new type of refrigerant. This was in 1938, but it wasn't actually used in cookware until the 1950s. It's used for more than cooking; however, it also is used to make gears, bearings, fuel lines, computer mice and items made out of Gore-Tex.
When you think of PVC, you probably think about those white pipes, and it's true that nearly half of the world's pipes are made from this thermoplastic, Poly(vinyl chloride). Cheap to make and fairly durable, PVC is used in the production of hundreds of plastic items. In addition to pipes, consider the portion of the scientific name that also is quite familiar - vinyl. Many products are made from vinyl, specifically vinyl chloride or PVC. This includes everything from food storage containers to kiddie pools to stickers. PVC is water resistant and durable, so it is a handy material to you for vinyl house siding, mattress covers and shower curtains, as well.
In addition to the aforementioned thermoplastics, there are also polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Polystyrene is what is used to make Styrofoam for containers and packing materials. Polyethylene is used to make bottles and containers to hold different kinds of toxic chemicals as well as gasoline. So your gas "can" typically is made out of this plastic, as well as bottles that hold bleach, laundry detergent, drain cleaner and more. Finally, there is polypropylene, which is used to make heat-resistant plastic containers that can be placed both in the dishwasher as well as the microwave.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell enjoys writing about how stuff is made. To get further details about plastic thermoforming or to find out more about industrial thermoform packaging, please check out the Indepak.com site today.
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