While you might be under the impression that plastic is just plastic, there are many different types of plastics created from many different types of polymers. Thermoplastic, for example, is a polymer that is easy to mold when it is heated to a specific temperature. This type of plastic is used for virtually all of the plastic packaging we see on store shelves, from the clamshells that hold strawberries to the blister packs that hold individual tablets of cold medicine to packages of batteries. But many more items are created using different thermoplastic polymers.
One polymer that is both strong and transparent is PMMA or Poly(methyl methacrylate). Of course, we all know this thermoplastic by brand names such as Lucite or perhaps Plexiglas. This type of thermoplastic is used to create many products, such as acrylic glassware or perhaps the huge glass enclosures at a zoo or aquarium. PMMA also is used to make the windows for airplanes and the exterior headlights and taillights of vehicles. Even doctors use PMMA to create dental fillings, dentures, bone cement and some types of hard contact lenses.
Nylon is a word with which most people are familiar, but most of us probably don't realize that nylon is a type of thermoplastic. Nylon is a synthetic polymer, or man-made, substance created from a class of aliphatic polyamides. Nylon is durable and versatile, and because of its many positive characteristics, it has become one of the world's most used polymers. Nylon production began in 1935 and quickly became useful during World War II. Silk from Asia was in very short supply, so nylon was used to build the many parachutes that would be needed to fight the war. After the war, silk was still in short supply, so clothes were sometimes made using nylon. Products made from nylon are generally resistant to mildew and mold and the substance also is resistant to insects. Nylon is used to make a huge variety of products, including all kinds of ropes and camping and military tents. Instrument strings now contain nylon and so do women's hosiery, which often are just known as "nylons."
Teflon is yet another type of thermoplastic and certainly one that is commonly known as the substance that keeps food from sticking to our cooking pots and pans. This synthetic polymer also goes by the scientific name of Polytetrafluroethylene or PTFE. Like nylon, this fluoropolymer was invented at DuPont albeit accidentally. Scientist Roy Plunkett discovered Teflon while trying to make a new type of refrigerant. This was in 1938, but it wasn't actually used in cookware until the 1950s. It's used for more than cooking; however, it also is used to make gears, bearings, fuel lines, computer mice and items made out of Gore-Tex.
We all have seen PVC pipes, and this is yet another thermoplastic with a much longer scientific name - Poly(vinyl chloride). PVC is highly durable and very inexpensive, so it makes an excellent substitute for various types of metal pipes. In fact, about half of the world's pipes are made of PVC. Sometimes flooring, furniture and, strangely, clothing is made out of PVC. When it comes to clothing, PVC is cheap and can be produced to mimic leather or rubber clothing. The "v" in PVC stands for vinyl and many vinyl products are made with PVC, such as shower curtains, credit cards, tablecloths, straws, hoses, fencing, siding, plastic bags and many more items.
There are a few other types of thermoplastics, and consumers might not know the names, but they certainly are familiar with the products. When you buy liquid laundry detergent or buy a plastic gasoline container, these items are made out of polyethylene, which is strong enough to hold many abrasive chemicals. Many reusable and microwave-safe plastic containers are made with a type of plastic known as polypropylene. Styrofoam cups, plates and packing materials are made from a special type of thermoplastic called polystyrene.
One polymer that is both strong and transparent is PMMA or Poly(methyl methacrylate). Of course, we all know this thermoplastic by brand names such as Lucite or perhaps Plexiglas. This type of thermoplastic is used to create many products, such as acrylic glassware or perhaps the huge glass enclosures at a zoo or aquarium. PMMA also is used to make the windows for airplanes and the exterior headlights and taillights of vehicles. Even doctors use PMMA to create dental fillings, dentures, bone cement and some types of hard contact lenses.
Nylon is a word with which most people are familiar, but most of us probably don't realize that nylon is a type of thermoplastic. Nylon is a synthetic polymer, or man-made, substance created from a class of aliphatic polyamides. Nylon is durable and versatile, and because of its many positive characteristics, it has become one of the world's most used polymers. Nylon production began in 1935 and quickly became useful during World War II. Silk from Asia was in very short supply, so nylon was used to build the many parachutes that would be needed to fight the war. After the war, silk was still in short supply, so clothes were sometimes made using nylon. Products made from nylon are generally resistant to mildew and mold and the substance also is resistant to insects. Nylon is used to make a huge variety of products, including all kinds of ropes and camping and military tents. Instrument strings now contain nylon and so do women's hosiery, which often are just known as "nylons."
Teflon is yet another type of thermoplastic and certainly one that is commonly known as the substance that keeps food from sticking to our cooking pots and pans. This synthetic polymer also goes by the scientific name of Polytetrafluroethylene or PTFE. Like nylon, this fluoropolymer was invented at DuPont albeit accidentally. Scientist Roy Plunkett discovered Teflon while trying to make a new type of refrigerant. This was in 1938, but it wasn't actually used in cookware until the 1950s. It's used for more than cooking; however, it also is used to make gears, bearings, fuel lines, computer mice and items made out of Gore-Tex.
We all have seen PVC pipes, and this is yet another thermoplastic with a much longer scientific name - Poly(vinyl chloride). PVC is highly durable and very inexpensive, so it makes an excellent substitute for various types of metal pipes. In fact, about half of the world's pipes are made of PVC. Sometimes flooring, furniture and, strangely, clothing is made out of PVC. When it comes to clothing, PVC is cheap and can be produced to mimic leather or rubber clothing. The "v" in PVC stands for vinyl and many vinyl products are made with PVC, such as shower curtains, credit cards, tablecloths, straws, hoses, fencing, siding, plastic bags and many more items.
There are a few other types of thermoplastics, and consumers might not know the names, but they certainly are familiar with the products. When you buy liquid laundry detergent or buy a plastic gasoline container, these items are made out of polyethylene, which is strong enough to hold many abrasive chemicals. Many reusable and microwave-safe plastic containers are made with a type of plastic known as polypropylene. Styrofoam cups, plates and packing materials are made from a special type of thermoplastic called polystyrene.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell loves writing about how stuff is made. To get further info about thermoformed packaging or to find out more about industrial thermoform, please visit the Indepak website now.
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