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The World of Plastics

Applied Tech. Ed. I

Teacher EducationRed River College

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Topics

• Introduction to Plastics

• Raw Materials to Plastics

• The Finished Products

• Special Applications

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Introduction to Plastics

• What products in your class are made out of 

plastic?

• The automobile could not be nearly as efficient

with out the use of plastics.

• What are some of the different characteristics

of the various plastics found in a car?

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Raw Materials to Plastics

• Celluloid was the first plastic to be made.

• 1860 Alexander Parkes produced celluloid

and patented the product in 1865.

• In 1870 John Hyatt worked out the Parkes’

technical difficulties without any theoretical

understanding.

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Raw Materials to Plastics cont… 

• In 1920 a German chemist Hermann Staudinger

developed a theory dealing with the chemical nature of 

a whole group of substances, natural and synthetic. Hecalled them “macromolecules” Today we call them

polymers.

• In 1953 he received the Nobel Prize for his discovery.

• Staudinger provided the foundation for the world of 

plastics as we know it today.

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Raw Materials to Plastics cont… 

• Plastics were produced from natural raw materials.

Protein from milk was used to make artificial

horn.• Using Rennin, the enzyme obtained from the

stomach of a calf, the casein was precipitated,

washed, dried and ground. It was then processed

coloured and harden to form buttons.

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Plastics as a Concept

• Plastics in the broadest sense include organic

materials which are based on Polymers which

are produced by the conversion of naturalproducts by synthesis from primary chemicals

coming from oil, gas or coal.

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Plastic Materials

• Composite Materials

 –  Consist of a continuous matrix , often a resin

surrounding a fibrous reinforcing structure. –  Typically glass, carbon, boron fibres in the form of 

continuous filament reinforce woven fabrics.

• Fishing rods

• Racquets

• Hockey stick shafts

• Canoes & boats

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Polymeric Materials

• Polymers are classified according to their origin andmethod of synthesis.

• Natural Products

 –  Cellulose (wood, cotton) horn, rosins, raw rubber –  Vulcanized rubber, vulcanized fibre, celluloid 

• Synthetic Polymers 

 –  Thermoplastics moldable without undergoing significant

change. –  Thermosetting plastics are rigid and the molecules are

cross-linked in three dimensions.

 –  Elastomers have fewer linkages than thermosets and arerubbery.

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Identification Tests

• Transparency

• Density

• Thermal Behaviour

• Flammability

• Fracture type

• Solubility• Heat conductivity

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Thermosetting Plastics

Common Name Old Generic Name New Name Applications

Phenolics

(Bakelite)

Phenol formaldehyde Poly (phenol

methanol)

pan handles,

insulation foams

Urea

Melamine

Urea formaldehyde

Melamine formaldehyde

Poly (carbamide

melamine

methanol

Light switches

Cups, counter

laminates

Polyester

Epoxy

Polyester

epoxy

Car bodies, canoes

Electrical casting,

adhesives, coatings

Polyurethane Polyurethane flexible Upholstery foam,

skateboard wheels

Neoprene rubber polychloroprene Poly(2-chlorobuta-

1,3-diene)

Wetsuits, inner tubes

food processing seals

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ThermoplasticsCommon Name Old Name New Name Applications

Polyethylene

High-density

Polyethylene

HDPE

Poly(ethene)

High-density

Washing-up bowls

Milk-bottle crates

Low-density LDPE Low-density Carrier bags

PVC Polyvinyl chloride Poly(chlorothene) Floor covering

Shower curtainsrain guttering

ABS Acrylonitrile

butadiene styrene

Poly(propenenitril

e0 buta-1,3-diene

Suitcases

Acrylic (Lucite) polymethylmethac

rylate

Poly(methyl 2-

methylpropenoate)

Car rear lights

Cellulose acetate Cellulose acetate Poly(cellulose

ethanoate)

Photographic film

eyeglass frames

PET polyethylenetereph

thalate

Poly(ethene

polyester benzene-1dicarboxylate)

Soft drink bottles

draughtsman’sdrawing film

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How can you implement the

Coding System? 

 Application: 

• The Plastics Coding System is designed to be easyto read at a glance and distinguishable from othermarks put on rigid plastic containers bymanufacturers for use in processing andidentification.

• The system uses a triangular-shaped symbolcomposed of three arrows, with a number in thecentre indicating the material from which thebottle is made, as follows:

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Recycling?? Coding System

PETE HDPE V

LDPE PP PS OTHER

1 = Polyethylene Terephthalate 2 = High Density Polyethylene 3 = Vinyl

4 = Low Density Polyethylene 5 = Polypropylene 6 = Polystyrene

7 = OTHER - all other resins and multi-materials

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Recycling Links

• Virtual Recycling Link  

• Plastic Recycling 

• The Green Pages