Synthetic Fibres and Plastics
Synthetic Fibres and Plastics
Synthetic Fibres and Plastics
plastics
Plastics
A plastic is a synthetic material which can be moulded or set into
desired shape when soft and then hardened to produce a durable article.
Plastic too is a polymer. They consist of very long molecules made by
joining many small molecules together. But arrangement of units is
different in different types of plastic. In some plastics, the individual
units are linked in a linear fashion. In some other plastics, the individual
units are cross-linked.
For Ex: Polythene, Polyvinyl chloride, Bakelite, Melamine, Teflon etc
Properties of plastics
1)Plastics do not react with air and water and are resistant to corrosion. Thus,
they are also often unaffected by various chemicals and are unreactive in nature.
The plastic containers are used to store various kinds of materials, including
many chemicals.
2)Plastics are poor conductor of heat and electricity, due to which they may be
used as insulators.
For example: The handles of cooking utensils or of screw drivers are made of
plastic so that we can hold the hot cooking utensils safely. The electric wires
have plastic covering as insulation too.
3)Plastics can be moulded into different shapes. Plastics can be easily moulded,
they are used to make a large variety of articles having different shapes and
sizes such as buckets, mugs, furniture, bags, sheets, bags, sheets, slippers,
electrical fitting.
4)Plastics are quite cheaper than metals and are easily made. They are now
widely used for making many of the household and industrial articles.
5)Plastics is light, strong and durable. It is because of the lower price, easy
availability, lightweight, good strength, durability and corrosion resistance of
plastic .Being lighter than metals, plastics are also used in cars, aircrafts and
Types of plastics
Thermoplastic: There are some plastics which easily get
deformed on heating, and can be easily bent and reshaped
by heating. They are called thermoplastic. Polythene and
PVC are examples of thermoplastic. Thermoplastic is used
for making combs, toys, buckets, mugs, etc.
Polythene: It is a plastic obtained by the polymerisation of a
chemical compound known as ethene. It is tough and
durable. It is used in making polythene bags, waterproof
plastic sheets, bottles, buckets, dustbins.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): It is a strong and hard plastic. It
is not as flexible as polythene. It is used for making
insulation for electric wires, pipes, garden hoses,
raincoats, seat cover etc.
Some examples of thermoplastics
Polythene Polyvinyl
chloride
Thermosetting plastics
Thermosetting Plastic: These are the plastics that do not get deformed
on heating, and their shape cannot be re-molded. Such plastics are
called thermosetting plastic. Bakelite and melamine are examples of
thermosetting plastic.
Bakelite: It is a very hard and tough plastic. It is a poor conductor of
heat and electricity. It is used for making the handles of various cooking
utensils (fry pans, pressure cooker) because it is a poor conductor of
heat.
Melamine is a plastic which can tolerate heat better than other plastics
and resist fire. It is used for making floor tiles, unbreakable
kitchenware, ashtray and fire resistant fabric. Special plastic cookware
made of melamine is used in microwave ovens for cooking food.
Teflon is a special plastic on which oil and water does not stick
because it has slippery surface. It can withstand high temperature. It
is used for making soles of electric irons, giving non-stick coating on
cook wares.
Some examples of thermosetting
plastics