PLASTICS

What are plastics?

Plastics play a big part in our lives. Plastics are materials formed by polymers. The polymers in plastics are
made from long chains of carbon atoms.

Origin of plastics

Synthetic plastics

Natural plastics

Are obtained directly from raw vegetable matenals
— for example, cellulose or latex, or from animal proteins.

Are made from compounds extracted from
petroleum, natural gas and carbon .The mayority of plastics belong to theirs group.

Transformation

It's called polymeration

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During the manufacturing process, we can add matenals such as flbreglass, textile fibres, paper, silica and sawsduct to reduce production costs, and to develop certain characteristics.

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We can incorporate chemrcal additives to increase flexliblity and to strength then the polymers, and we can add pigments to give colour to the plastics.

Properties of plastics

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The properties of plastics depend on their type and on their composition

Strength, elasticity, rigidity and flexibility are characteristics of many (or other materials) plastics, although they vary from one type to another

However, there are other properties that are common to the mayority of decompose by a natural,

• mechanical: malleabrlity, ductility, mechanical resrstance

• acoustic: acoustic insulation

• electrical: electncal rnsulation

• thermal: thermal rnsulat ion

• other properties: low density, impermeability

Properties

Ecological properties

Chemical recycling

Mechanical recycling

Energetic recycling

Floating

Agglutination

Extrution

Separation

Pellesiting

Thermoplastics

Elastomers

Thermostable plastic