This presentation was prepared as "plastic technology course" task, and was presented in class. For any mistakes, i'm saying sorry in advance.

1. CLASSIFICATION OF PLASTICS
(Different approaches)
PRESENTATION
POLYMER TECHNOLOGY-1
BY: WALI KHAN
TALLINN UNIVERSITY OF
TECHNOLOGY

2. JensMartensson
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PLASTIC
The word plastic derives from the Greek
(plastikos) meaning "capable of being shaped
or molded“
Plastic is material consisting of any of a wide
range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic
compounds that are malleable and so can be
molded into solid objects.
Plasticity is the general property of all
materials which can deform irreversibly
without breaking but, in the class of moldable
polymers, this occurs to such a degree that
their actual name derives from this specific
ability.

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Definition
A polymer, Greek poly (many) + mer (part) is a
large molecule, or macromolecule, composed of
many repeated subunits. Due to their broad range
of properties, both synthetic and natural polymers
play essential roles in everyday life. Polymers range
from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene
to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins
that are fundamental to biological structure and
function. Polymers, both natural and synthetic, are
created via polymerization of many small
molecules, known as monomers. Their
consequently large molecular mass relative to small
molecule compounds produces unique physical
properties, including toughness, viscoelasticity, and
a tendency to form glasses and semi-crystalline
structures rather than crystals.
POLYMER

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CLASSIFICATION OF PLASTICS
Plastics are classified by following methods
1. By Origins
2. Chemical Structure
3. Chemical process
4. Physical properties
5. Type of monomer

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1 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON ORIGINS
There can be three types of origin of polymers
1. Natural Polymers:
These are obtained from nature, e.g., plant origin, animal origin etc. Biologically degradable polymers
are also present, called biopolymers. Examples- Rubber, Cellulose, Protein etc.
2. Synthetic Polymers:
These have been prepared by humans in laboratories and are currently produced industrially.
Example – Plastic, PVC etc.
3. Semi-synthetic polymers:
These polymers are derived from natural sources and undergo further chemical/physical treatment
before attaining their final form. Example – Rayon, Terylene etc.

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Structure based
1. Linear Polymer:
Monomers join with each other to form long straight
chains. Example – Poly Vinyl Chloride or PVC is a
linear polymer
2. Branched Chained Polymers:
These polymers are made of branching of linear
chains of monomers. They have low melting points
and low densities. Example Low-density polythene
3. Crosslinked / Network polymers;
These polymers are formed by bi-functional and tri-
functional monomers with a strong covalent bond
between the various linear polymer chains. These
polymers are brittle by nature. Example – Melamine
Fuctional group based examples
I. Acrylics
II. Polyesters
III. Silicones
IV. Polyurethane
V. Halogenated plastics
VI. Olefins
2 CLASSIFICATION OF PLASTIC BY STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTIONAL GROUP

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1. Acrylics
Compounds containing acryloyl group can be referred as acrylic compounds e.g. PMMA
2. Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in their main chain e.g.
PET
3. Silicones
Silicones, also known as polysiloxanes, are polymers that include any inert, synthetic compound
made up of repeating units of siloxane e.g. Silicon Rubber
4. Polyurethane –NH–(C=O)–O–
Polyurethane (PUR and PU) is a polymer composed of organic units joined by carbamate
(urethane) links
5. Halogenated Plastics
Halocarbon compounds are chemicals in which one or more carbon atoms are linked by covalent
Acryloyl Group
Carboxylate Ester
Siloxane
Urethane group
CL, Br, F, I

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CLASSIFICATION OF PLASTICS BY CHEMICAL
PROCESSES
CHEMICAL PROCESSES
1. Addition polymers
2. Condensation polymers
3. Cross linked polymers
1. Addition polymer:
An addition polymers are polymers that forms by simple linking of
monomers without the co-generation of other products e.g. polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polytetrafluoroethylene
2. Condensation polymer:
Condensation polymers are any kind of polymers formed through a
condensation reaction—where molecules join together—losing small
molecules as byproducts such as water or methanol e.g. polyamides
(Nylon), polyesters (polyethylene terephthalate PET)
3. Cross linked polymers:
Cross linked polymers are polymers in which monomer units are cross
linked together to form a three dimensional network polymers . These
polymers are hard, rigid and brittle because of network structure . Some
important examples are Bakelite , melamine formaldehyde etc.
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CLASSIFICATION BY PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
MOST COMMON ONES
1. Hardness
2. Density
3. Tensile strength
4. Resistance to heat
5. Glass transition
temperature
6. Meting temperature
7. Impact strength
8. Molecular weight
On the bases of physical properties polymers are divided in
three groups:
1. Thermoplastic
2. Thermoset
3. Rubbers
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CLASSIFICATION BY TYPE OF MONOMER
• Homo-polymer – When the same monomer is repeated throughout the chain of the
polymer, it is called homo-polymer
• Co-polymer – When there are at least 2 different monomers along the entire chain, it is
called co-polymer
• Block copolymers are long sequences of different units of monomer. Polymers with two
or three blocks of two distinct chemical species are di-block copolymers and triblock
copolymers, respectively, whereas those with three distinctly different chemical blocks
are called triblock terpolymers
• Graft copolymers are segmented copolymers with a linear backbone of one composite
and randomly distributed branches of another composite
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13. Jens Martensson
jens@bellowscollege.com