 Plastics are made from resin with or

without fillers, plasticisers and

pigments. These are organic materials
of high molecular weight which can be
moulded to any desired form when
subjected to heat and pressure in the
presence of a catalyst.
 Resin- acts as binder for holding different
constituents together.
 Plasticiser- Plasticisers are frequently
incorporated into plastics to increase their
flexibility. The addition of the plasticiser
separates the molecular chains,
decreasing their mutual attraction.
› Thus unplasticised PVC (PVC-U) is suitable for
the manufacture of rainwater goods, window
units and glazing, whereas plasticised PVC, is
used for flexible single-layer roof membranes,
tile and sheet floor coverings and electrical
cable insulation. Loss of plasticiser by
migration, can cause eventual embrittlement
of plasticised PVC components.
 Filler- is added up to 50 per cent of
the moulding mixture to increase the
hardness, tensile strength, bond,
opacity, finish and workability besides
reducing the cost, shrinkage on setting,
and brittleness of the final product.
Some of the fillers are wood flour,
asbestos fibres, mica, diatomaceous
earth, saw dust.
 Pigment- is added to achieve desired
colour of the plastic and should be
resistant to the action of sunlight.
 Lubricant- is used to make the
moulding of plastic easier to prevent
sticking of materials to the mould for a
flawless finish. The examples are
stearates, oleates and soaps.
 Catalyst- is added only in the case of
thermosetting plastics to accelerate
the polymerisation of fusible resin
during moulding operation into cross-
linked infusible form.
 Thermoplastics- softens on heating and
hardens on cooling, i.e., their hardness is
a temporary property subjected to change
with rise or fall of temperature and can be
brought again to plastic stage on heating.
These are formed by addition
polymerisation and have long chain
molecular structure. They can be
remoulded, for use, as many times as
required providing that excessive
temperatures, which would cause polymer
degradation, are not applied.
 Example: Polyethylene, PVC, Nylon
 Thermosetting- cannot be reused.
They require great pressure and
momentary heat during moulding and
finally get hardened on cooling. The
chemical reaction in this process
cannot be reversed. Once solidified
they cannot be softened.
› Compared to thermoplastics, they are
hard, strong and more brittle.
Thermoplastics Thermosetting plastics

Long chain linear polymers Three dimensional network structure

joined by strong covalent bonds
Soften on heating and stiffen on Do not soften on heating
cooling
Can be remoulded Cannot be remoulded

Usually soft, weak & less brittle Usually hard, strong & more brittle

Can be reclaimed from wastes Cannot be reclaimed from wastes

Soluble in organic solvents Insoluble in organic solvents

Pros
 More resistant to high temperatures
than thermoplastics
 Highly flexible design
 Thick to thin wall capabilities
 Excellent aesthetic appearance
 High levels of dimensional stability
 Cost-effective

Cons
 Cannot be recycled
 More difficult to surface finish
 Cannot be remolded or reshaped
Pros
 Highly recyclable
 Aesthetically-superior finishes
 High-impact resistance
 Remolding/reshaping capabilities
 Chemical resistant
 Hard crystalline or rubbery surface options
 Eco-friendly manufacturing

Cons
 Generally more expensive than thermoset
 Can melt if heated
 Moulding
› Compression moulding- can be
employed both for the thermoplastics and
thermosetting plastics. The fluidised
material is filled in the mould cavity by
hydraulic pressure. There is an
arrangement to heat the plastic if desired.
Temperature and pressure is applied till the
chemical reaction is complete. Finally
curing is done by heating (thermosetting
plastics) or by cooling (thermoplastics).
After curing is complete, mould is opened
and moulded material is taken out.
› Injection moulding is best suited for
the moulding of thermoplastic
materials. The plastic powder is fed
into a cylinder from a hopper where it
is heated. When the mould opens, a
screw or a plunger allows the
material to go inside the cylinder
from the hopper. The resin melts in
the heating zone from where it is
sent to the mould cavity through
nozzle. The mould is kept cold to
allow the hot plastic to cure and
acquire the shape. Half of the mould
is opened to cause ejection of the
finished article.
 Transfer moulding- uses the principle
of injection moulding for thermosetting
materials. The thermosetting material
powder is heated to become just
plastic and injected through an orifice,
into the mould by the plunger working
at high pressure. The temperature of
the material rises because of the
friction at the orifice and the powder
becomes almost liquid which flows into
the mould and in turn is heated to
curing temperature.
 Extrusion moulding- is used for
continuous moulding of thermoplastic
materials into articles of uniform cross-
section such as tubes, rods, strips,
electric cables, etc. The thermoplastic
material is heated to plastic state and
is pushed to a die by a screw conveyer.
As the extruder rotates it has a mixing,
smearing, and frictional heating action
which changes the dry granular charge
into a soft plastic mass before it
reaches the end of the screw.
 Blow moulding- Air pressure or vacuum are
employed in this method of moulding to force
the softened plastic powder into the mould.
 Casting- The plastics are moulded without
application of pressure. The resin is melted
and poured into mould. Since the cast plastic
is not so smooth just after casting, they are
polished.
 Lamination- Thin sheets of cloth or paper
asbestos are impregnated with thermosetting
resin. These lamins are then pressed by a
hydraulic press. Under temperature and
pressure the lamins are bonded together to
form one sheet. The laminated plastics
exhibit improved mechanical and electrical
properties.
 Can be moulded to any desired shape or size
and have high tensile and compressive
strengths.
 Easy to work upon.
 Light in weight and a few varieties are glossy
like glass.
 Not attacked by insects and fungi.
 Available in desired colour and texture.
 Require a little maintenance.
 Good electrical insulators and have low
thermal conductivity.
 Shock absorbing material.
 Can be sawn, drilled and punched and
welded easily.
 High strength to weight ratio.
 High resistance to weathering conditions.
 Corrosion resistance.
 Decorative surface effect—painting or polishing of
the surface is not required.
 High refractive index.
 Some varieties are as hard as steel.
 Withstands moisture, oil and grease well.
 Inflammable.
 High coefficient of thermal expansion (about ten
times of steel).
 Low manufacturing cost, hence cheap.
 Deterioration under prolonged exposure to sun’s
ultra violet rays.
 Cold can cause some plastics to become brittle and
fracture under pressure
 Plastics are replacing glass, ceramics
and other building materials due to the
low temperature range in which they
can be brought to the plastic state and
the consequent ease of forming and
fabrication and also for their low cost
and easy availability.
Find out Examples of uses of thermo-
setting plastics and thermo-plastics
in the construction industry
 Regular PVC is a common strong but
light weight plastic used in
construction. It is made softer more
flexible by the addition of plasticizers.
If no plasticizers are added are added it
is known as UPVC (Unplasticized
Polyvinyl Chloride).
 Fire retarding properties
PVC has inherently superior fire
retarding properties due to its chlorine
content, even in the absence of fire
retardants
 Durability
Under normal conditions of use, the
factor most strongly influencing the
durability of a material is resistance to
oxidation by atmospheric oxygen. PVC,
having the molecular structure where
the chlorine atom is bound to every
other carbon chain, is highly resistant to
oxidative reactions, and maintains its
 Oil/Chemical resistance
PVC is resistant to acid, alkali and
almost all inorganic chemicals. Although
PVC swells or dissolves in aromatic
hydrocarbons, ketones, and cyclic
ethers, PVC is hard to dissolve in other
organic solvents. Taking advantage of
this characteristic, PVC is used in
exhaust gas ducts, sheets used in
construction, bottles, tubes and hoses.
 Mechanical stability
PVC is a chemically stable material,
which shows little change in molecular
structure, and also exhibits little
change in its mechanical strength.
 Other properties that make PVC
versatile
PVC has polar groups (chlorine), and is
amorphous, therefore mixes well with
various other substances. The required
physical properties of end products (e.g.,
flexibility, elasticity, impact resistance,
anti-fouling, prevention of microbial
growth, anti-mist, fire retarding) can be
freely designed through formulation with
plasticisers and various additives,
modifiers, and colouring agents. adding
plasticisers, additives, and modifiers
 Other properties that make PVC
versatile
PVC is the only general purpose plastic
that allows free, wide and seamless
adjustment of the required physical
properties of products such as
flexibility, elasticity, and impact
resistance, by adding plasticisers,
additives, and modifiers
 Cpvc is a thermoplastic produced by
chlorination of PVC resin which is
significantly more flexible and can
withstand higher pressure than standard
pvc
 CPVC material goes through an extra
chlorination process that gives plastic
slightly different qualities –one of which
is a higher maximum operating
temperature.
 Cpvc pipe is rated for use up to 200
degrees F. This makes it ideal for use on
hot water lines in homes and businesses.