Foundation of Chemistry

Plastic
(Giants Among Molecules)
Au Wai Laam 10384267
Lee Wai Lam 10383116
Lau Chun Hung 10384156
Fung Tsz Yin 10383379
 Plastic
• Plastic is a polymerization product

• They are composed by organic

condensation or additional polymers
 Plastic
• Plastic are very common in the world
• It is very useful for our daily life
• Can replace some wood, paper in
many applications
 Advantage
• Light
• Cheap
• Unreactive
• Do not conduct heat and electricity
• Waterproof
• Easily moulded
 Disadvantage
• When burning the plastic will gives
off poisonous gases
• Will stay at landfill for a long time
 Formation
• Plastic was made up by Alkenes(C=C) (CnH2n+2)

• Connect by many ethenes (monomer)

• n( )

• Polymerization: Made up by many monomer to form a

polymer.

• Repeating Unit:
 Type
• Plastic can be define in two types:

• Thermoplastic, and

• Thermosetting Plastic
 Thermoplastic
• Plastic can be melted or softened by
heat at relatively low temperatures.

• Here is some examples of

thermoplastic
• Polythene,
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
• Polystyrene, etc.
 Polythenes
• Have two type:
• Low density polythene (LDPE)
Light, Flexible and low-melting
• High density polythene (HDPE)
Tougher, higher melting and more
transparent than LDPE
 Uses of polythene (LDPE)
• Squeeze bottles and toys
• Sheets for packaging, wrapping and
bags.
 High density
polythene(HDPE)
• Thick plastic bottles
• Buckets
• Food boxes and toys
 Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)
• Additional Polymerization
• It add chlorine in the polymer.

• Stiff and brittle.

 Uses of PVC
• Make use of piper and bottles
• Many years have use PVC to make
sofa.
 Polystyrene
• It is an additional polymers
• Transparent, brittle and hard
 Uses of Polystyene
• ‘See-through’ containers such as
sample bottle, cups, etc
 Thermosetting
• Plastics do not melt or soften on
heating.

• Example:
• Urea-methanal
• Phenolic resins, etc
 Urea-methanal formation
• It is a condensation polymer
• Contains two monomers: Urea and
methanal
 Uses of Urea-methanal
• Have high temperature container
• Handle of cooking pot
• Socket
 Bottle
• We always drink water by plastic bottle
• Need choose which type of bottle
• Only cool or cold can use
both type
• But have hot water
should have
thermosetting
bottle
 Health
• Using thermoplastic will melted by
the temperature
• Use those bottle, the inner layer will
melted by hot water, release some
poisonous materials.
• But using thermosetting bottle will
not have this problem
 Disposal problem
• Most of plastics are non-
biodegradable, it will cause those
plastic waste remain in landfill for a
long time.
• Gives off poisonous gases, generally
will release carbon monoxide, PVC
will release hydrogen chloride gases.
 Solutions
• Make some biodegradable plastics

• Use of alternative materials

• Recycling those plastic

 The Plastic Bottle Material
Code System
• No.1(PETE: Polyethylene)
• No.2(HDPE: High density
polyethylene)
• No.3(V: PVC)
• No.4 (LDPE: Low density
polyethylene)
• No.5(PP: Polypropylene)
• No.6 (PS: Polystyrene)
• No.7 (Other)
 Reference
• http://www.barganews.com/doggybag/20

• http://zojirushi.kitchenadd.com/Zojirushi-
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea-formald
•
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chl
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkene
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identif
• Alan Jones, Access to Chemistry,
Royal Society of Chemistry, P.297-
280
• John W.Hill, Doris K.KOLB, Chemistry
for Changing Times (Ninth Edition),
Prentice Hall, P.266-287