Plastics:

Plastics may be defined as a material that contains as an essential ingredient, a

polymerized organic substance of large molecular weight.

The word plastic is derived from the Greek plastikos meaning capable of being
shaped or molded, from plastos meaning molded. Polymer is derived from poly
(Greek) many, meros (Greek) part or unit.

Basic Raw Materials: Coal, Petrochemicals, Cotton, and Wood.

Plastics have wide application because of its toughness, water resistance, ease
of fabrication, wide color range. It can replace metals and used with metals.

Plastics are widely used in automotive, airplane, electrical, chemical industries,

building construction, in the manufacture of safety glass, gears, pulleys,
carpets, belts, tube tanks, towers, pumps, valves etc.
Classification
1.Derivatives of natural products:
a. Natural resins: Fossil & plant resin. , Rosin, Shellac, Lignin.
b. Cellulose derivatives: i. Regenera:ed cellulose: viscose,
cuprammonium.
ii. Cellulose ester: nitrate, acetate, acetate-propionate, acetate-
butyrate, methyl, ethyl, carboxymethyl etc.
c. Protein derivatives: casein-formaldehyde, zein-formaldehyde,
corn protein - formaldehyde, soybean protein-formaldehyde.
2. Synthetic resins formed by condensation polymerization
(thermoset):
a. Phenolic resins: phenol-formaldehyde, phenol-furfural, resorcinol-
formaldehyde.
b. Amino resins: urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde.
c. Polyesters: alkyd (derived from dibasic acids and polyhydric
alcohols) unsaturated, oil modified alkyds and polycarbonates.
d. Polyethers: polyformaldehyde, polyglycols. e. Polyurethanes,
f. Polyamides, g. Epoxides, h. Silicone resins, i. Ionomers (contains
ionized carboxyl groups which create ionic cross link in the polymer)
3. Synthetic resins formed by addition polymerization
(thermoplastics):
a. polyethylene, b.polypropylene, c. polyisobutylene,
d. fluorocarbon polymers, e. polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohols,
polyvinylacetal
f. vinyl polymers: polyvinyl ethers, polyvinyl chloride, divinyl
polymers,
g. polystyrene, h. polyvinylidene chloride, i. acrylic polymers,
j. coumarone-indene polymers.
Difference Between Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Plastic:
Sl. Thermoplastic
1 Formed by Addition
Polymerization
2 Long chain linear Polymers
3 Soften readily on heating
4 Can be reshaped & reused
5 Weak, Soften, less brittle
6 Reclaimed from wastes
7 Soluble in organic solvent
Thermosetting Plastic
Formed by condensation
polymerization
Three dimensional cross linked
network structure having strong
covalent bond
Do not soften on heating
Can't reshaped & reused
Hard , strong, more brittle
Cannot be reclaimed
Insoluble in organic solvent because
of the presence of cross linking and
strong covalent bond
Ingredients of Plastics:
Many plastic are identified by their principal constituent, resin.
Other materials are present as well, such as fillers, plasticizers,
stabilizers, solvents and colorant.

Filler: Wood flour gives good surface appearance, asbestos

provides resistance to acid and fire.

Plasticizer: It is used to lower viscosity and to impart plasticity to

the final product.

Stabilizer: It is added to prevent degradation by heat, light, and

aging.

Solvent: It is used to make plastic resins to be fluid since resins are

hard, brittle, tough and tacky. Over 300 solvents are used.

Colorant: Over 800 colorants are available today.

Available forms of plastics:
a. Molding compounds: It is made in various solid forms such as Fine
powder, granular pellets. A large share of plastics are produced in
the form of molding compounds. Various additives such as
plasticizers, fillers, stabilizers and colorants are combined with
plastics.

b. Liquid casting resins: Used for casting and reinforcing. Acrylic

sheet is made from its liquid casting resin. Plastisol is another liquid
casting resin.

c. Solid structural shapes: Most plastics are further processed from

molding compounds and liquid casting resin into Sheet, rods and
tubes of different dimension.

d. Coating: Plastic resins are used in paints, varnishes, lacquer, and

other resin,
e. Adhesives: Plastic resins have replaced many natural adhesives
and solved joining problem. Urea-wood glue is dry powder used by
adding water.

f. Expanded or expandable: A number of plastics both thermosetting

and thermoplastics are available in expanded form. These are light in
weight and full of air or bubbles, Foam.

g. Laminates: Laminates is a general term referring to a material

made up of a number of sheets or webs of paper, fabric, fiberous
glass or aluminium. Formica, micarta and texolite are laminated
plastic. Fiber glass plastics are also made from combination of
plastic and glass.

h. Fibers and filaments: Some plastics are extruded into continuous

filaments. Polystyrene is used as bristles of brooms. Nylon is popular
for fishing equipment.
1. Anionic Polymerization
2. Cationic Polymerization
3 Radical Polymerization
Polyester Resins:
Polyester resins are complex esters formed by the reaction
between Difunctional alcohol and anhydride or dibasic acid. Long
molecules are possible, and many ester groups are obtained.
Unsaturated polyesters are also produced. It can be formed in two
steps, condensation of acid and alcohol and addition of a cross-
Inking agent to yield thermosetting resin.
The condensation reaction is done in an insulated stainless steel or
glass lined kettle.
Application of polyester Plastics:

a) For the manufacture of large parts of auto bodies, truck, boat

hulls, frame of ships etc.
b) Used to make glass reinforced polyester ideal for auto bodies and
appliance housings.
c) for chemical storage tanks.
d) used as materials attractive building panels.
e) for photographic film.
f) useful for coil insulation or slot liners in motrs.
g) fiber glass fishing rods. h) popular sports equipments.
Vinyl Resins
The vinyl resins are synthetic plastic made from vinyl group containing
compounds. The most important members of this class are polyvinyl acetate,
polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetal and copolymers of vinyl
chloride with vinylacetate and vinylidene chloride.

Polyvinylacetate:
The monomer, a catalyst, acetyl peroxide, and a solvent are placed in an
autoclave and heat is applied. A copper salt is added to the monomer to prevent
premature polymerization.
The unreacted monomer and the solvent are removed. The polymer is a linear
chain compound. The dried polymer is ground and becomes resin binder or
adhesive.
Polyvinylacetate is used as an ideal adhesive (white glue). It is also used as
interlayer of safety records, chewing gum, surgical dressing, lacquers, plastic
coatings and emulsion.
Vinyl alcohol resins
These resins are made from polyvinyl acetate. It reacts with alcohol to yield
polvinylalcohol resin. PVA can not be prepared from the monomer vinyl alcohol
since it is unknown.
It is a unique plastic because it is plasticized by water and is soluble in excess
water.
It is used as a packaging material fir various soap, detergent and bleaches. It is
used for the preparation of polyvinly acetal, polyvinlyformal etc. Polyvinylalcohol
resins are used in hosing to carry all types of chemicals.
 Polyvinyl acetal

Polyvinyl alcohol react with an aldehyde under the influence of heat and in the
presence of an acid catalyst (H2SO4 or HCl) to yield acetal resin.

Polyvinylacetal is used for injecting moulding. Polyvinylformal is used as adhesive and for wire
coating.Ployvinylbutyral is used as interlayer of a safety glass and coated fabrics
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride is the fastest growing member of the vinyl family. It is popular
due to four factors, such as, its excellent physical properties, its ability to be
compounded for a wide range of applications, its ease of processing and its
relatively low cost. But it develop liver cancer.
Vinyl chloride is gas. It boils at — 14°c.
A typical recipe: 100 parts of water, 100 parts of liquid vinyl chloride, 1 part of per
sulfate catalyst, and 1.5 parts of an emulsifier, sodium lauryl sulfate.
The autoclave operates at 40 — 45°C for 72 hr to give a 90% yield of polymer. The
particle size is 0.1 - 10 μm. Recovery of these particles is done by spray drying or
by coagulation with acid. To improve the quality of the PVC plasticizer, stabilizer,
lubricant and filler are added.

Uses of PVC:
Polyvinylchloride is used as a good packaging and inflatable toy material. It is ideal
floor tile materials even over concrete floors. It is used for electrical insulation,
water proof clothing 9rain coat) and container and artificial leather.
Phenol-Formaldehyde Resins-Bakelite:
It is the oldest synthetic plastic. Dr. Leo Bakeland in 1909 developed the synthesis
of bakelite and market in 1930. It is prepared by condensation polymerization of
any phenolic compound with any aldehyde. An alkaline catalyst is used in the
reaction. O- and P- hydroxybenzyl alcohol produced reacts among themselves to
yield methylene bridge between two rings. A three dimensional net work polymer
will be formed.
Uses:
Handles of irons and cooking utensils, washing machine agitator, photographic
developing trays and tanks, automobile distributor caps and switch gears, furniture
drawer and television cabinets, water proof adhesives, metal and plastic forming
dies and molds. Phenolic plastics can be foamed to 300 times their original volume
to produce buoys and floating tanks. It is also used as stiffeners in airplane wing.
 Polystyrene

It was discovered in 1930s, after World war II commercially produced.Styrene is

polymerized in the presence of benzoyl peroxide catalyst to yield polystyrene. It
is thermoplastic polymer. Styrene is prepared from benzene.

Uses:

Toys, toilet articles, refrigerator door liners, frozen food containers, carrying cases for type writers, a
brush of styrene bristle, serving trays, wall tiles for kitchen and bathroom, in paints.
 Epoxy Resins

These resins are obtained by the condensation of bis-phenol and

epichlorohydrin in the presence of an alkaline catalyst.

The reactive epoxide and hydroxyl groups give a three dimensional cross linked
structure. Epoxy resins are highly resistant to water, solvent, alkalies and other
chemicals.
The raw materials are prepared by the following reactions:

Uses:

Their extremely high adhesive properties make them useable in aircraft, metal to metal adhesive, auto
body repair, china ceramic gluing. An important ingredient in surface coatings for appliance,
gymnasium floors and other hard to protect surfaces. As tooling materials for industrial fixtures, jigs
and dies. Helicopter blades, missile parts.
 Melamine formaldehyde resins:

It is amino resin. It is produced by condensation of melamine with

formaldehyde. Melamine is not readily soluble in water or formalin at rt. It is
necessary to heat at 80°c to get the methylol compounds.

Melamine (2,4,6-triamino- 1 ,3 ,5- triazine) is a trimer of dicyanidimide.

Uses:
▪ Three applications of the amino plastics are very familiar to most consumers.
▪ Urea resins in powder form are popular glues for wood.
▪ Melamine plastics are the most common plastics used in dishware.
▪ Melamine plastics are used as Formica and Texolite.
▪ They are used for kitchens, bathroom and store counters, switch gear.
▪ Their ability to diffuse rather than absorb light, used as diffuser for indirect
lighting.
▪ It is useful constituent of surface coating for stoves and refrigerators.
▪ Their ability to combine with cellulose causes their use as sizing materials for
paper and fabrics producing wrinkle and dirt resistant materials with high wet
strength.
Acrylic Resins
In Germany, in 1901 Dr. Otto Rohm developed the synthesis Acrylic resins. These
resins are made by the polymerization of acrylic and methacrylic acids and their
anhydrides, esters, halides, amides etc. Commercially esters are very important.
Application of acrylic resins:
a) Aircraft enclosures, b) Principal materials of the outdoor advertising industry,
C) Materials used for almost all automobiles tail light, d) principal material for
contact lenses, e) Popular for toilet articles, f) Television screen, g) Use in all
types of dials, control panels, faucet, handles, medalions, h) Food service
equipments, i) Acrylic paints
 H2C CH H2C C CH3
H2C CH

COOCH3 COOH
COOH
Acrylic acid Methyl acrylate Methyl acrylic acid

CH3 C2H5
H2C CH
H2C C H2C C
COCl
COOCH3 COOCH3 Acryloyl chloride
Methylmethacrylate Ethylmethacrylate

H2C CH

CONH2
Acrylamide
Silicone Resins:
These resins contain alternate silicone-oxygen structure. Dimethyl silicon dichloride
is bifunctional and can yield very long chain polymers. But trimethyl silicon chloride
is monofunctional and acts as a chain terminator.

Silicone may be viscose liquid or semisolid. Silicone exhibits excellent stability at

higher temperature, good water resistance.
Uses:
➢ Silicon resins impart anti-foaming and non-flammability to oils
and greases at elevated temperature.
➢ Silicone oil is used for high temperature reflux.
➢ It is used as components of pressure sensitive adhesives such as
tapes.
➢ It is used as encapsulating materials for electrical components.

➢ Silicone-glass laminates are used in electrical insulation upto 500

oF.

➢ It is used in combination with rubber.

 Celluloid or cellulose nitrate:
Cellulose nitrate was discovered about the middle of the nineteenth century and
was the first used as a plastic. It can be prepared by nitration of cellulose with
conc. HNO3 and conc. H2SO4. It is plasticized with camphor (20-30%).

Even though it is hazardous to handle, readily decomposed by heat, unstable to sunlight, it has many unique properties. It is the best
thermoplastic materials available for many purposes. It is used for making spectacle frames, containers, photographic films, toys, etc. It is
highly inflammable. It is ideal component of lacquer. It is used to make body and cap of pen.
Cellulose acetate:
It is prepared by the reaction of Natural cellulose with acetic anhydride or glacial
acetic acid in the presence of sulfuric acid as a catalyst.
It possesses high dielectric and tensile strength. It is quite tough and resistant to
mineral acids.
It is used to manufacture combs, windows, goggles, handles, wheels, radio
appliances etc. Cellulose acetate-butyrate, cellulose propionate, and mixed esters
have come into commercial use. They are used as heels of ladies shoes, indoor
display racks and packages, tooth brush handles, type writer keys, eye glass frames
and steering wheels.
Biodegradable plastics
❖ Biodegradable plastics are plastics that are capable of being decomposed by
bacteria or other living organisms. A variety of natural, synthetic, and biosynthetic
polymers are bio and environmentally degradable.
❖ Two basic classes of biodegradable plastics exist: Bioplastics, whose components
are derived from renewable raw materials and plastics made from petrochemicals
with biodegradable additives which enhance biodegradation.
❖ Biodegradation is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria or other
biological means. Organic material can be degraded aerobically with oxygen, or
anaerobically, without oxygen. Biosurfactant, an extracellular surfactant secreted by
microorganisms, enhances the biodegradation process.
❖ Biodegradable matter is generally organic material such as plant and animal matter
and other substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are
similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to use by microorganisms.
❖ Some microorganisms have a naturally occurring, microbial catabolic diversity to
degrade, transform or accumulate a huge range of compounds including
hydrocarbons (e.g. oil), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides, pesticides and
metals.
❖ While aromatic polyesters are almost totally resistant to microbial attack, most
aliphatic polyesters are biodegradable due to their potentially hydrolysable ester
bonds: Naturally Produced: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) like the poly-3-
hydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV) and polyhydroxyhexanoate
(PHH);
❖ Renewable Resource: Polylactic acid (PLA); Chitosan
❖ Synthetic: Polybutylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone (PCL), Polyanhydrides
Polyvinyl alcohol.
❖ Most of the starch derivatives: Cellulose esters like cellulose acetate and
nitrocellulose and their derivatives (celluloid).
❖ Enhanced biodegradable plastic with additives.
Properties of Plastics:
Plastic is the designation of a large group of materials. Various members of the
group have widely varying properties. There are some general properties that are
quite characteristic of the plastic family.
These have been divided into physical, optical, electrical, thermal and chemical
properties.

Physical Properties
Weight: Most plastics are relatively light in weight. Polyethylene floats in water.
Fluorocarbons are heaviest, Sp.g. 2.3

Hardness: Two types hardness. Fracture hardness, which is the resistance to

breaking the surface with a given load concentrated on a point.

Deformation Hardness is a measure of how much the surface deforms when a

weight of a certain size concentrated on a specified area is dropped from a given
height. Plastic are not very hard. Temperature affects this property.

Tensile strength: Tensile strength is the ability of a material to resist a pulling

force. Polyesters reinforced with fiber glass achieve tensile strength up to 100000
pounds per square inch (psi) which is greater than Al & steel.
Elongation: It is the amount a material stretches before breaking. Polyethylene
stretches to five times their original length.

Compressive Strength: It is the ability of a material to resist crushing when a

squeezing force is applied to it. Polyester reinforced with glass can resist 70000
psi which is greater than Al, Steel.

Impact Strength: It is the ability of a material to resist sharp blows or shocks. It is a

measure of the toughness of the plastic. Some plastics have higher impact strength
than steel.

Dimensional stability: It involves two properties, shrinkage and warpage. Shrinkage

in thermoplastic is caused by loss of plasticizer. Warpage is usually due to locked in
stresses created in molding or forming.

Fatigue: It is the ability of a plastic to recover from constant cycles of load and
unload.
Damping: It is the property of resisting the transmission of vibrations. It is a kind of
internal friction. Plastics are vibration absorbent, about 10 times more than steel.
For this reason, plastic gears are much less noisy than metal ones.
Viscosity: It refers to the ease with which a liquid flows. Many plastic resins are
supplied in liquid form. It is thick and sticky.
Optical Properties: Light transparency represents the ability of a
plastic to allow light rays to pass through it. Acrylic and polystyrene
possess greater clarity than most glass, transmitting 90% to 92% of
light-falling upon them.
In addition to visible light rays, most plastics also transmit ultraviolet
and infrared rays. This is disadvantage. The inner layer of safety
glass is commonly bonded with a tinted plastic core.
Of all materials available, none possess greater color possibilities
than plastics. Many consumer & industrial products make use of the
optical properties of plastics.
Their clarity and ultraviolet blocking properties make them ideal for
glazing applications.
Their color range makes them popular for flow and wall coverings as
well as for toys and kitchen utensils.
 Electrical Properties:
Dielectric strength: It represents the electrical insulating value of a
plastic. It specifies the maximum voltage required to cause a current
to flow through a given thickness (0.001 inch). Materials with high
dielectric strengths are said to be good electrical insulators. Nearly all
plastics when dry, are excellent insulators. Dielectric strength is
lowered with an increase in temperature.
Dissipation (power) factor: This property is a measure of the electric
power lost in a plastic insulator. The electrical power which is lost in
the insulator results in increased temperature of the insulator. Plastics
with a high dissipation factor will tend to heat up more when used as
insulators. Polyethylene and polystyrene have very low dissipation
factors and cannot be heat sealed electronically.
Arc resistance: It is a measure of ability of an insulator to resist
the action of an electric arc tending to burn a conducting path
across the surface of the material.
Among the best plastics in this property are the acrylics which do
not carbonize at all.
Phenolic plastics allow a current to pass along their surface.
Switches and circuit breakers.
Thermal Properties:
Plastics fall in the group of heat insulators, they have very low thermal
conductivities. This property makes most plastic pleasant to the touch.
A plastic handle on a hot pan transmits relatively little heat from the pan to the
hand. A plastic refrigerator tray transmits little heat from hand to the contents of
the tray.
Plastics exhibit relatively high specific heats, app. three or four times that of iron or
copper.
Thermal Expansion:
This property represents the increase in size, length, area, or volume of plastic per
unit temperature rise.
Thermal expansion values for most plastics are relatively large.
Phenolic plastics expand and contract with changes in temperature about 5 times
as much as steel and 3 times as much as brass.
Cellulosic, polyethylene and vinyls expand 3-4 times as much as phenolics.
Heat Resistance:
This property is usually specified as the maxm temp at which a plastic can be held
for a period of time without loss of its properties. Plastics are low in heat
resistance. Silicone and epoxy plastics will withstand temp up to 400°F.
Fluorocarbons will resist temp. 400- 500°F. Some phenolics have been submitted to
temp as high as 5000°F. Usually plastics are ruled out where high heat resistance is
needed.
Fire Resistance:
The properties commonly considered in connection with fire resistance of plastics
are (1) Flammability, the temperature at which the plastic bursts into flame and (2)
burning rate, the speed at which the plastic bums. Many plastics can be ignited
with an open flame. Few would burst into flame from elevated temperatures alone.
The melamines and fluorocarbons will not burn at all and many others are self-
extinguishing.
Cellulose nitrate bums very rapidly. But cellulose acetate is self-extinguishing. Few
plastics are used where they come into direct contact with fire.
Resistance to cold:
This property is a measure of the ability of a plastic to maintain its
certain properties at low temp. Plastics have good resistance to
cold.
Polyethylene may be used in food packaging at -60°F. Melamines
withstand temp at -70°F.
Some of the fluorocarbons have been tested at -320°F.
The refrigeration industry makes extensive use of plastics.
Refrigerators have many plastic parts.
Chemical Properties:
Most considerations of chemical properties of plastics consist of "resistance
ratings" to various chemicals. The tests may be concerned with a gain or loss in
weight or dimension and a change in physical properties.
Resistance to acid:
Most plastics are extremely resistant to weak acids. Almost none are affected by
fruit juices, vinegar etc. Many are resistant to strong mineral acids. The
fluorocarbons are the most resistant to the effects of acids of all plastics.
Resistance to Alkalies:
Most plastics are very resistant to weak, alkalies. Styrene, polyethylene and
fluorocarbons are resistant to strong alkalies. Cellulosic and melamines are
decomposed by strong alkalies.