Just about every product has some amount of plastic on it or in it, but it is important to note that there are many different types of plastics and each has its own special uses. Plastics are substances that are created using polymers that are either synthetic or partly synthetic. Plastics are identified by a special resin code that explains which polymers were used to create the plastic. Here are a few more important bits of information about the plastics we use.
While plastic-type substances made from rubber and organic polymers were used centuries ago, the first man-made plastic was patented in 1856 by Alexander Parkes, who called his invention Parkesine and it was created using cellulose. The first plastic created using a synthetic polymer was called Bakelite, and early products created from Bakelite are highly collectible.
When you hear the words vulcanization, you might believe these words refer to something having to do with Star Trek, but actually this is a process where rubber is converted into a highly durable material. Many products are made using this process, most notably perhaps are tires. The Goodyear Tire Company, which was founded in 1898, was named after one of the pioneers of vulcanization, Charles Goodyear. But vulcanization is also used to create products such as bowling balls, although these days, the balls are usually made out of polyester.
In addition to being made of various polymers, plastics are often divided in these two categories: thermoset plastic and thermoplastic. Thermoset plastics are quite resistant to heat and are less expensive than thermoplastic, which is easy to melt and mold. Thermoset plastic cannot be recycled, but it's quite strong and is used in automobiles as well as computers and appliances.
Millions of products are created using thermoplastics, which can be recycled over and over again. Food, beverages, medicines, toys and much more are made out this type of plastic, and even though it costs a bit more than thermoset plastic, it does have plenty of advantages. If you've ever dropped a plastic soda bottle on a hard surface, you've demonstrated one excellent property - thermoplastic is highly impact resistant. Many types of thermoplastic also are chemical resistant which means you can safely store potentially hazardous chemicals in thermoplastic bottles.
Obviously, recyclability is one of the biggest advantages thermoplastic has over thermoset. Most thermoplastics can be recycled many times, which in theory reduces the burden on our landfills. It also can reduce energy use in general because recycling plastic does not require as much energy as creating a plastic product from scratch.
While plastic-type substances made from rubber and organic polymers were used centuries ago, the first man-made plastic was patented in 1856 by Alexander Parkes, who called his invention Parkesine and it was created using cellulose. The first plastic created using a synthetic polymer was called Bakelite, and early products created from Bakelite are highly collectible.
When you hear the words vulcanization, you might believe these words refer to something having to do with Star Trek, but actually this is a process where rubber is converted into a highly durable material. Many products are made using this process, most notably perhaps are tires. The Goodyear Tire Company, which was founded in 1898, was named after one of the pioneers of vulcanization, Charles Goodyear. But vulcanization is also used to create products such as bowling balls, although these days, the balls are usually made out of polyester.
In addition to being made of various polymers, plastics are often divided in these two categories: thermoset plastic and thermoplastic. Thermoset plastics are quite resistant to heat and are less expensive than thermoplastic, which is easy to melt and mold. Thermoset plastic cannot be recycled, but it's quite strong and is used in automobiles as well as computers and appliances.
Millions of products are created using thermoplastics, which can be recycled over and over again. Food, beverages, medicines, toys and much more are made out this type of plastic, and even though it costs a bit more than thermoset plastic, it does have plenty of advantages. If you've ever dropped a plastic soda bottle on a hard surface, you've demonstrated one excellent property - thermoplastic is highly impact resistant. Many types of thermoplastic also are chemical resistant which means you can safely store potentially hazardous chemicals in thermoplastic bottles.
Obviously, recyclability is one of the biggest advantages thermoplastic has over thermoset. Most thermoplastics can be recycled many times, which in theory reduces the burden on our landfills. It also can reduce energy use in general because recycling plastic does not require as much energy as creating a plastic product from scratch.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell loves blogging about how stuff is made. To get further information about custom plastic packaging solutions or to find out more about thermoform plastics, please visit the Indepak site today.
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