Characteristics of Plastics: Have you noticed how plastic is employed practically in every aspect of modern life? The dishes we use, our phones and many more things are made out of plastics! What attracts people so much about plastics? What distinguishes plastics from other materials?  Let’s learn about plastics and their characteristics in detail.

What are Plastics?

Plastic is a type of polymer. The word plastic is derived from the Greek word plastikos meaning ‘capable of being shaped or molded’.  It is one of the most widely used materials today.

Uses of Plastics

 Some of the uses of plastics are given below:

1. In our everyday life, we use several things made of plastic—for example, toothbrush, hairbrush, comb, washing sponge, storage containers, bottles, and furniture.
2. Children use rulers, toys, skates, tiffin boxes, and pens made of plastic.
3. Plastics are used to build windows, doors, partitions, pipes, sanitary fittings, electrical wiring insulation, electrical connectors, switches, and panels.
4. Plastic has found use in the manufacturing of automobiles, machines, electrical and electronic devices, medical equipment, aircraft, rockets, and satellites.
5. Plastic is widely used in packaging various products.

The building blocks for making plastics are small organic molecules. Organic molecules contain carbon along with other substances. The organic molecules come from petroleum and natural gas. The polymerization of organic compounds forms them.

Characteristics of Plastic Material

The characteristics of plastic materials are discussed below:

Plastic is Chemically Unreactive

We all know that when metals like iron are exposed to air and water, they rust (or corrode) (moisture). This is due to the chemical reactivity of metals. Chemically, plastics are inert. Air and water have little effect on plastics. Plastics are corrosion-resistant as a result of this. Plastics, in other words, are unaffected by the weather.

Plastics are also resistant to a variety of substances (including acids and bases). Plastic containers are used to hold a variety of products, including numerous chemicals, because polymers are non-reactive and resist corrosion.

Plastic is Lightweight, Strong, Durable, and Inexpensive

Consider the difference between an iron and a plastic bucket. The bucket is made of iron, which is heavy and corrodes with time. On the other hand, the plastic bucket is light, stylish, and long-lasting. This is why plastics are so widely utilised in households and in numerous sectors.

In addition, an iron bucket would be more expensive than a plastic bucket. Plastic buckets are also available in a variety of appealing colours.

Plastics are Poor Conductors of Heat and Electricity

 Plastics do not conduct heat or electricity, so they can be used as ‘insulators’. Plastics, being poor conductors of heat, are used to keep away from reaching our hands. For example, the handles of cooking utensils (like frying pans and pressure cookers) are made of plastic so that we can hold the hot cooking utensil safely (without getting our hands burnt).

Since plastics are poor conductors of electricity, they are used as electrical insulators. For example, electric wires have plastic covering as insulation so as to protect us from electric current passing through them. The handles of screwdrivers used by electricians are also made of plastic because it is an electrical insulator. Electric switches, plugs and sockets also have plastic covers.

Plastics Can be Moulded into Different Shape

Since plastics can be easily moulded, they are used to make a large variety of articles (or objects) having different shapes and sizes such as buckets, mugs, furniture (chairs, tables, etc.), bags, sheets, slippers, electrical fittings, toys, combs, toothbrushes, etc. The list is endless.

Plastic is Quite Cheap and Easily Made

Plastics are generally cheaper than metals. Plastics can also be made much more easily than metals. Due to these properties, plastics are now widely used to make many of the household and industrial articles that were earlier made from metals. For example, the buckets used in our homes were earlier made from iron metal sheets, but these days most of the buckets are made of plastics.

Characteristics of Acrylic Plastic

There are numerous advantages of using acrylic polymers. They are more flexible than glass, break less quickly, and are resistant to abrasion, corrosion, industrial gases, and chemicals, among other things. The fact that acrylic sheets are lighter than glass is another advantage of using them.

As a result, the sheets are great for aquariums, doors (particularly shower doors), windows, and skylights. Acrylic sheets last significantly longer in the sun than most other materials. Acrylic sheets are very easy to clean, they can be cut into various shapes, and they can filter or even transmit ultraviolet radiation.

Characteristics of Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles are resistant to breakage, have a low cost, have great transparency, and are made from good-grade raw ingredients. Plastic bottles are mostly made of polyethylene or polypropylene with a variety of organic solvents added.

Polyester (PET), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP) are all made from plastic bottles. They are heated at high temperatures after adding appropriate organic solvents and then blow moulded, extruded, or injection moulded through plastic moulds.

Characteristics of Plastic Bags

The invention of the plastic bag has provided significant ease to human life. Still, as more people become aware of utilising environmental protection effectively, plastic pollution has become more globalized.

1. Excellent oil resistance, solvent resistance, heat sealability, and printability;
2. Soft, and comfortable;
3. A great degree of transparency and gloss;
4. Air permeability is low, and the barrier works well;
5. Self-adhesive plastic bags with a plastic buckle;
6. It has outstanding antistatic characteristics and does not absorb dust, among other things.

Some Other Uses of Plastics

1. In the health care industry: Plastics find extensive uses in the health care industry. Some examples of their uses are the packaging of tablets, threads used for stitching wounds, syringes, doctor’s gloves and a number of medical instruments.
2. As special plastic cookware in microwave ovens: Special plastic cookware is used in microwave ovens for cooking food. In microwave ovens, the heat cooks the food but does not affect the plastic vessel.
3. For non-stick coating on cookware: Teflon is a special plastic on which oil and water do not stick. It is used for non-stick cookware coating on cookware.
4. Fireproof plastics: Although synthetic fibre catches fire easily, it is interesting to know that the uniforms of firemen have a coating of melamine plastic to make them flame resistant.

Plastics and the Environment

In our daily routine, we usually get things wrapped in plastic or packed in polythene bags. So plastic waste keeps getting accumulated in our homes. Ultimately the plastic wastes are dumped along with the household garbage. The use of plastic materials affects the environment very badly. It is because of the following reasons:

1. Plastic is non-biodegradable and causes environmental pollution as it takes several years to decompose. It is not environment friendly.
2. When plastic waste materials are burnt, they burn very slow. They do not get completely burnt. In the burning process, they release lots of poisonous fumes into the atmosphere causing air pollution.
3. Sometimes the animals eat up the polythene bags and wrappers of food along with the leftover food thrown on garbage dumps.
   The plastic material chokes the respiratory system of these animals or forms a lining in their stomachs and can be the cause of their death.
4. The poly bags and the wrappers of chips, biscuits and other eatables on the road, in parks or a picnic place, is carelessly thrown here and there get into dirty water drains and sewer and clog them. This makes the dirty drain water flow over the streets or roads, causing many diseases.

Summary

Plastics have many useful properties, which make them materials of choice for all sorts of uses. Due to these special properties, plastics have many advantages over traditional materials like metals, wood, etc., for making various articles. In this article, we have learnt about different characteristics of plastics, acrylic plastic, plastic bottles, polythene bags, and some uses of plastic.

Frequently Asked Questions on Characteristics of Plastics

Frequently asked questions related to characteristics of plastics is listed as follows:

Q.1. What are the characteristics of plastic?
Ans: Plastics are non-reactive. They do not react with air, water and do not corrode easily. So, they are used to store various materials, including many chemicals.
Plastics are light, strong and durable. They are cheaper than metal. Moreover, higher strength and light-weight make plastic a better choice for industries and household articles.
Plastics are poor conductors of heat and electricity: Handles of screwdrivers and handles of frying pans.

Q.2. What are the five uses of plastic?
Ans: Plastic in homes: Plastic containers seem more convenient to store food than metal containers because of their light-weight, lower price, good strength and easy handling.
b. In the health care industry: Plastics find extensive uses in the health care industry. Some examples of their uses are the packaging of tablets, threads used for stitching wounds, syringes, doctor’s gloves and a number of medical instruments.
c. As special plastic cookware in microwave ovens: Special plastic cookware is used in microwave ovens for cooking food. In microwave ovens, the heat cooks the food but does not affect the plastic vessel.
d. For non-stick coating on cookware: Teflon is a special plastic on which oil and water do not stick. It is used for non-stick cookware coating on cookware.
e. Fireproof plastics: Although synthetic fibre catches fire easily, it is interesting to know that the uniforms of firemen have a coating of melamine plastic to make them flame resistant.

Q.3. What are the advantages of plastic?
Ans: Advantages of plastic containers:
(a) Plastics do not react with food items.
(b) Plastics are strong and light.
(c) They are easy to handle and safe.
(d) It is resistant to corrosion
(e) It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity.
(f) It can be easily moulded into various shapes.

Q.4. What are the 7 types of plastic?
Ans: The seven different types of plastics that are commonly used in manufacturing products include: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene or Styrofoam (PS), Acrylic or Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA).

Q.5. Do we need plastic to survive?
Ans: Plastic is long-lasting and protects against contaminants and elements. It decreases food waste by preserving and extending the shelf life of food. It protects food against pests, bacteria, and humidity. Food is more likely to be damaged and rendered unusable without this protection..

Q.6. What are the negative effects of plastic?
Ans: Plastics take several years to decompose, so they are not environment-friendly. Plastic causes environmental pollution; besides, the burning process of synthetic materials is quite slow, and it does not burn completely. In this way, it releases a lot of poisonous fumes into the atmosphere causing air pollution.

Q.7. How can we avoid plastic?
Ans: Avoid the use of plastics as far as possible, recycle plastic waste, especially thermoplastics which can be recycled,Segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. Carelessly thrown polythene wrappers of food and bags may cause clogging of drains and choking respiratory system of animals like cows resulting in their death. The best way is to follow the 5R principle, namely, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover and Refuse.

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