PLASTICS

INTRODUCTION
PLASTICS compromise an important group of
material construction. Plastics exhibit a number of
outstanding characteristics:

1. Lightness in weight (generally half as light

as aluminum).
2. High dielectric strength (electrical
insulation).
3. Low heat conductivity (heat insulation).
4. Special properties towards lights
(colorability)
5. Extremely resistant toward chemicals.
6. Metal inserts maybe molded into the plastic
(since plastics are inert toward such
materials).
7. Many high-quality products can be
PLASTIC is a polymeric material (usually organic)
of high molecular weight which can be be shaped
by flow. It refers to the final product, with fillers,
plasticizers, pigments, and stabilizers included (as
opposed to the resin). Most plastics are synthetic
organic compounds which derive their coherence
and strength from large chain-linked
macromolecules formed from one or more single
molecules (monomers) to a macromolecule
(polymer) by a chemical reaction, this is called as
polymerization.

 Most organic plastics contain binder, which

imparts the plastic properties to the
composition.
 Many plastics contain a filler, an inert
extender that adds hardness, strength, and
CLASSIFICATION OF
ORGANIC PLASTICS
A. THERMOPLASTICS
These are organic plastics, either natural or synthetic,
which remain permanently soft at elevated temperatures.
Upon cooling, they again become hard. These materials
can be shaped and reshaped any number of times by
repeated heating and cooling. Natural thermoplastics
include asphalts, bitumen, pitches, and resin.
B. Thermosetting Plastics
Thermosetting plastics are organic plastics that were
originally soft or soften at once upon heating, but upon
further heating, they harden permanently. Thermosetting
plastics are hardened by chemical changes due to heat, a
catalyst, or to both. Thermosetting plastics remain
hardened without cooling and do not soften appreciably
when reheated. The most common thermosetting plastic
is polyester.
C. Chemically Setting Plastics
These are those that harden by the addition of a
suitable chemical to the composition just before molding
or by subsequent chemical treatment following
fabrication.
 PLASTIC BINDER

THERMOPLASTICS THERMOSETTING CHEMICALLY SETITNG

PLASTICS PLASTICS

NATURAL SYNTHEHIC

RESIN ASPHALTIC CELLULOSE ADDITION CONDENSATION ADDITION CONDENSATION

BINDERS BINDERS DERIVATIVES POLYMERIDES POLYMERIDES POLYMERIDE POLYMERIDE

1. Rosin 1. Asphalts 1. Pyroxilin 1. Vinyl chloride 1. Glycol-modified 1. Polyvinyl 1. Phenolformaldehyde 1. Harvel resins
2. Copals 2. Bitumens 2. Cellulose 2. Chlorovinyl 2. Acid-catalyzed 2. Cast phenolics 2. Cold
3. Gilsonite 3. Benzyl 3. Vinyl acetate 3. Polyamide 3. Transparent molded 3. Casein
4. Glance 4. Ethyl 4. Vinyl ethers phenolics
Pitch 5. Carboxymethyl 5. Styrences 4. Resorcinol
5. Pitches 6. Hydroxyyethyl 6. Acrylics 5. Acroite
7. Butyrate 7. Acrolein 6. Phenolfurfural
8. Methyl 7. Urea
8. Casein
9. Solfonamide
10. Polyester
TYPES OF PLASTICS
 Polymerization and Condensation
Polymerization involves unsaturated molecules that
contain double or triple bonds between carbon atoms which
are weaker than single bonds. The mechanism by which
polymerization takes place is grouped into two categories:

o ADDITION POLYMERIDES
- mixtures of polymers that have been formed by
addition of like molecules. The molecules are added to
increase the average molecular size and weight. This
reaction occurs by the breaking of double bonds between
atoms in monomers and the forming of two single bonds in
their place.
o CONDENSATION POLYMERIDES
- formed by chemical reactions in which two or more
different molecules combine with the separation of water or
other simple simple substances in the formation of resins.
- produced by a by-product as well as the growing
polymer molecules.

Copolymers- produced by mixing monomers and then

polymerizing; produced by simultaneous
polymerization of two or more chemically different
monomers.
 Thermoplastics

Thermoplastic types of binders are divided into two

groups: natural and synthetic.
The natural type consists of two categories: resin and
asphaltic binders. The resin binders at this point of material
of construction are of little importance.
The synthetic group consists of three categories:
cellulose derivatives, addition polymerides, and condesation
polymerides.
Table 1. PROPERTIES AND USES OF COMMON PLASTICS (THERMOPLASTICS)
Cellulose plastics is a term employed for plastics made
from deivatives of cellulose, such as pyroxylin, cellulose
acetate, benzyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl
cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and cellulose acetate
butyrate. This are true thermoplastics and exhibit the
greatest toughness and resilience of any of the
plastics. They are used in thin-walled sections where other
plastics may be too brittle.
Addition and condensation polymerides are grouped
together ad referred to as noncellulose type. This group
consist of vinyl chloride, chlorovinyl chloride, vinyl acetate,
vinyl ethers, styrene, acrylics, acrolein, methyl
methalcrylate, cumarone-indene, glycol-modified alkyds,
acid-catalyzed phenol-formaldehyde, polyamide (nylon).
This are all odorless, tasteless, nontoxic, and transparent.
This are strong, tough, and chemically inert with little water
absorption, and are suited also for electrical insulation or
cable coatings, safely glass, nylon, and Saran (covering to
prevent corrosion and/or chemical attack on pipes and
tubing).
 THERMOSETTING PLASTICS

Thermosetting plastics can be divided into two groups:

addition polymerides and condensation polymerides.
Addition polymerides consist of any polyvinyl type of resins;
condensation polymerides, the largest group, consist of
phenolformaldehyde, cast phenilics, transparent molded
phenolics, resorcinol-formaldehyde, acroite, phenolfurfural,
urea, casein-formaldehyde, sulfonamide resins, and
polyesters.
Plastics of the thermosetting group have excellent
mechanical and electrical properties and are highly
resistant to heat. These plastics are also highly rsitant to
water, oil, alkalies, and acids. They also exhibit very little
shrinkage. Thus, they are excellent where high first degree
of precision is required. In this group, the
phenolformaldehyde resins are probably the most
important resins. The phenolformaldehyde group can be
subdivided into four general classes:
1. Cellulose-filled compositions - utilizes wood flour as the
filler and the final product has high dielectric strength,
mechanical strength, and it is very light. Uses have been
found in the aerospace and automotive industries.
2. Mineral-filled composition - utilizes asbestos as the filler;
articles made of these plastics resist chemicals and heat.
Uses are for insulation of high-voltage transmissions.
3. Molding sheets - made by impregnating paper with
phenolic resins. These sheets can be softened by heat and
become brittle in the cold weather. Used for molding
applications where the materials must be able to give.
4. Impact-resistant materials - plastic is made by paper,
and fabric fillers, built up in layers. This product is called
laminated plastic.
Table 2. PROPERTIES AND USES IF COMMON PLASTICS (THERMOSETTING)
 CHEMICALLY SETTING PLASTICS
In the chemically setting plastics, three categories of groups exists:
harvel resins, cold-molded plastics, and casein. These plastics are
generally used where resistance to heat and arcing are of primary
importance. Thus, they are utilized for electrical insulating parts.
MANUFACTURE OF
ORGANIC PLASTICS
In general, four main steps are required in the manufacturing
of articles made from organic plastics:

1. The production of intermediate materials (chemical)

from the raw materials of coal, petroleum, and
cotton.
2. The manufacture of synthetic resins from the above.
3. The preparation of molding powders, fillers, rods,
and sheets from step 2.
4. Molding the articles from the powders, fillers, rods,
and sheets.
METHODS OF FORMING
AND FABRICATING
PLASTICS
Most of the methods utilized in the forming and fabrication of plastic have
their counterpart in the processing of other materials of engineering.
Examples include the following:

1. Casting - simplest molding method available. It utilizes low-cost lead-

antimony dies (molds) where the melted resins are poured into open
molds and cured. The cast resins are baked in an oven at about 167°F
(75°C) for several days, until a permanent set is obtained. Both
thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics may be cast.
2. Compression molding - most widespread molding operation for
thermosetting plastics. Compression molding requires the use of
pressure on the molding compound placed in the mold of heated platens
of the press. Thermoplastics may be compression-molded, but the mold
must be cooled after each molding before the article is removed from
the press. This is time-consuming and uneconomical, so the other
methods are utilized for thermoplastic plastics.
3. Injection molding - one of the most widely used and most
rapid methods of producing articles of intricate shape.
Injection molding consists of forcing softened plastic
materials into a closed mold maintained at a temperature
below the softening point of the compression. This method is
widely used for thermoplastic materials. The thermoplastic
material is fed into a pressure chamber and plunger
compresses the material and forces it into a heating
chamber, where it is progressively heated to a uniform
temperature. The thermoplastic material emerges through a
nozzle in a thoroughly softened condition and is then forced
into a cold mold, where pressure causes it to take the shape
of the cavity. The plastic is cooled, the mold is opened, and
the part is removed.
4. Transfer molding - used for thermosetting materials when
the article is to include delicate metal inserts for any reason.
In this method, the molding compound is heated under
pressure until it is soft enough to flow. The compound is
then placed into a cavity in which the part is formed and
allowed to cool.
5. Extruding - basically the opposite of injection molding.
Extruding of thermoplastic plastics is widely used practice
for producing rods, tubes, and other cylindrical shapes.
6. Blowing - process by which hollow objects are made. It is
accomplished in much the same manner as the blowing of
glass.
7. Laminating -used to produce hard boards or sheets of
resin-impregnated papers, wood veneers, and/or fabrics.
Laminates are made into stock sizes of flat sheets under
medium to high pressure in a press. The process involves
building up individual resin-coated fabric or veneer over a
form, inserting the assembly into large rubber bag (called
bag-molding process), withdrawing the air from the bag,
and subjecting the bag and contents to pressure in a
autoclave.
 PROPERTIES OF
ORGANIC PLASTICS