Plastics Terms and Definitions Plastics Design Resources Injection Molding Manufacturing and Services Alloys - is a way to create

custom variations in plastics. I general alloys are combinations of polymers that are physically mixed. Brittleness - is the lack of a material to with stand impact. Typically, brittle materials have lower impact and higher stiffness properties. Density - of any material is a measure of the mass per unit volume. Ductility - is the ability of a material to be stretched, pulled, or rolled into shape with destroying the integrity of the material. Elasticity - is the ability of a material to return to its original size and shape after being deformed. Most plastic materials have limited elasticity. Elastomers - A material which at selected temperatures stretches under low stress and returns back to the original length upon release of stress. Notch Sensitivity - is a measure of the ease with which a crack propagates through a material from a preexisting notch, crack or sharp corner. Plasticity - is the inverse of elasticity. A material that tends to stay in the shape or size to which it is deformed has high plasticity. Specific Gravity - is the ratio of the mass of a given volume of material compared to the mass of the same volume of water, as measured at 23 degrees centigrade. Thermosets - are plastics that undergo chemical change during processing to become permanently insoluble and infusible. Thermoset material will undergo or has undergone a chemical reaction by the action of heat, catalysts, ultra-violet light, etc., leading to a relatively infusible state. Typical of the plastics in the thermosetting family are the aminos (melamine and urea), most polyesters, alkyds, epoxies, and phenolics. Thermoplastics - are resins that repeatedly soften when heated and harden when cooled. This characteristic facilitates the forming of the material into desired shape when the thermoplastic is placed within a die or fixture of the desired final geometry. This process is referred to as Thermoforming . Water Absorption - is the materials tendency or lack of to absorb water.