Plastic is a material made from a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic compounds that are malleable and moulded into solid objects. It is made from polymers which have chains of carbon atoms.
We use plastic every day. While watching television, using the computer, riding the bus, the train we use plastic.
Plastics are the chains of molecules which are linked together. The chains are known as polymers. For this reason, there are various plastics starts with the poly like polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene. Hence polymers have created from the carbon and hydrogen. On the other hand, sometimes oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, chlorine, fluorine, phosphorous and silicon have been seen in plastic. These polymers have constructed with homogenous carbon structures. As a result, the group of atoms is essential to make unit cells that are called monomer. Such as in polyethylene, one carbon and two hydrogen atom are used to make the unit cell. For other plastics like nylon, there are 38 or more atoms. After the combination of the monomers, the outcome will be polymers or plastics. On the other hand, the different combination of monomers is known differently. As a result, if all monomers are same then the polymer will be a homopolymer. As an example plastic milk jug. Detergent bottles are the copolymer. But the specific features of plastics have manufactured with nylon, polyesters, polyethylene, etc.
Types of plastics
They are different types of plastics. As a result, from the plant, we can get natural and synthetic plastics. Cellulose is a polymer used for making the sticky tape. On the other hand, nylon is the synthetic polymer that is artificial. According to the monomers, structure monomers are created from. They are polyesters, polyethylene, polyurethanes, etc. As a result, they have manufactured from different monomers.
After heating on the plastics the behaviour of the plastics are different. According to the behaviour the plastics may be of two types. They are thermoplastics and thermosets. If you heat into the thermoplastics then it will become soft without changing its shape and after cooling it will become hard. Thermosetting plastics have made from chemical bonds and highly cross-linked polymers. If you heat into the thermosets then it will strengthen but it is not possible to remould.
Conclusion
As a result, plastics are important for us because we use plastics every day. If we know all the things about plastic then it will be easy for us to test a plastic equipment before using.