Plastic Properties and Manufacturing Techniques

Plastic Properties

Lightweight: Due to their low density, plastics float and overcome most water resistance.

Insulating Capacity: Plastics offer excellent thermal and electrical insulation, making them ideal for plates and electrical conductivity applications.

Chemical Resistance: Plastics can withstand various environmental conditions without alteration.

Versatility: The properties of plastics can be modified, offering a wide range of possibilities.

Manufacturing Ease: Plastics are easy to model and can adopt various shapes.

Sustainable Practices and Environmental Impact

Reduce: Purchase or consume products only when strictly necessary.

Reuse: Give products new life by offering them new possibilities for use.

Recycle: Transform unusable objects into new materials.

Sustainable Development: Apply new scientific, technological, and social forms to prevent environmental degradation.

Resource Depletion: Environmental issues include the loss of forests and animal extinctions.

Environmental Pollution: Water and soil pollution stems from urban and agricultural discharges.

Inequality in Distribution: Industrialized nations consume a disproportionate amount of global resources.

Waste Generation: Excessive consumption leads to enormous amounts of waste.

Recycling Benefits: Recycling reduces the exploitation of natural resources, minimizes waste volume, lowers collection costs, and facilitates material recovery. Scrap metal, paper, plastic, and glass are collected and reused.

Thermoplastic Manufacturing Techniques

Injection Molding: Plastic is melted into a paste and then pushed by a piston into a mold.

Blow Molding: Plastic is placed in a mold and hot air pressure is applied until the plastic conforms to the mold's shape.

Extrusion: Plastic paste generated in a cylinder is pushed by a piston and passes through a die.

Vacuum Molding: A thin plastic sheet is gripped at the sides, a mold is placed below, and a vacuum is applied to draw the plastic onto the mold.

Thermoset Manufacturing Techniques

Compression Molding: Plastic granules are placed into a mold and heated until they achieve their final form.

Impregnation with Resins: Resins are spread over a mold, and fiberglass or carbon fiber pieces are added.

Common Plastics and Their Applications

• Polyethylenes: Bags
• Unsaturated Polyesters: Bottles
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): Electrical insulation
• Polystyrenes: Disposable tableware
• Polypropylenes: Syringes
• Polyamides: Strings, ropes
• Polycarbonates: Windshields
• Methacrylates: Automotive windshields
• Teflon: Electrical insulation
• Phenols: Electrical switches
• Amines: Pins
• Polyester Resins: Storage tanks
• Rubber (Tires): Tires
• Neoprene: Belts
• Polyurethanes: Artificial leather