2. Intro
Plastic is a material made out of polymers that have the
capability to be modeled or shaped, usually by applying heat
or pressure.
Plastics have the unique potential to be manufactured to
meet our specific needs.
Plastics can be used for almost anything from the bottles we
drink from, to the refrigerators they’re stored in.
http://www.american.edu/sis/sisabroad/green-study-abroad-initiatives.cfm
3. Summary
The foundation for making plastics is small organic
molecules that contain carbon, along with other
different substances.
Through a process called polymerization, each small
molecule is capable of joining with monomers to form
very long polymer chains (Plastic 1).
Polymers can be so large, that together with their
physical state and structure, give plastics their unique
properties (Rodriguez 4).
4. Chemistry
Plastics can be divided into two categories.
They can be made of polymers that have linear carbon
atoms in their parent chains, or hetero-chain
polymers, which contain atoms such as oxygen,
nitrogen, or sulfur in their parent chains (Rodriguez 1).
http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/Courses/ce435/2001/Plastic_Microw
ave/MicrowaveReport.htm
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2012/11/bpa-bisphenol
5. Chemistry
An example of a linear carbon atom is polyethylene, one of the most
used plastics. Polyethylene is found in milk bottles, Frisbees, trash
bags, and many other products. An example of a hetero-chain polymer
is polycarbonate, which has two benzene rings.
(Downey 5).
http://www.ndt-
ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Structure/polymer.htm
http://pslc.ws/macrog/pc.htm
6. Chemistry
Polymers can be broken down even further into two areas: thermoplastics and
thermosets. Thermoplastics have the ability to be remolded, then harden again
when cooled. Thermosets, however, are permanent when formed, and they
cannot be melted to be reformed. The linear chains in a thermoset are cross-
linked and have very strong chemical bonds, preventing it from melting
(Plastic 2).
http://www.recycledplastic.com/plastics/thermoplastics-vs-thermosetting-plastics/
7. Implications
Plastics offer a variety of benefits in a variety of shapes.
They give a number of advantages such as its light
weight, durability, size, shape, and flexibility.
Given these qualities, found with other properties such
as low density, low electronegativity, and transparency,
plastics can be made into almost anything. (Rodriguez 1).
8. Works Cited
Downey, Charles. "Biodegradeable Bags." Chem Matter
Oct. 1991: 4-6. Print.
"Plastics and Polymers." Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media
AB 2014, 28 Aug. 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/chemistry/p
lastics/readmore.html>.
Rodriguez, Ferdinand. "Plastic." Encyclopædia
Britannica Online Academic Edition. N.p.:
Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014. Britannica.com. Web.
7 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/46368
4/plastic>.
