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.
If you have ever sat in an airplane or put a DVD into a DVD player, you have come into contact with one type of thermoplastic commonly known as acrylic or PMMA, which stands for Poly(methyl methacrylate). Other names for this type of plastic include Lucite and also Plexiglas, which are actually brand names. It is used to make the windows of aircraft and to make DVDs and CDs impact resistant. PMMA also is used in dental fillings and bone cement, among its medical uses. PMMA is transparent and quite strong, so it can be used in place of glass, such as in the huge aquarium enclosures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other similar facilities.
Nylon is so commonly used that most people can probably think of at least one item made from this synthetic polymer, which is a type of thermoplastic. Created by a chemist named Wallace Carothers at the DuPont Experimental Station in the 1930s, one of nylon's first uses occurred in World War II when silk was not readily available to make parachutes. Nylon was easy to mass-produce, durable and resistant to mold and insects. Nylon is also far less expensive to produce than silk, which is certainly a consideration. After the war, the use of nylon continued to increase, and it is used to make thousands of products including rope, women's stockings, clothing, tents, carpeting, music strings and much more.
DuPont, which has been around since 1802, certainly has its share of important inventions. In addition to nylon, scientists at DuPont also invented Teflon. Teflon is a thermoplastic and a synthetic fluoropolymer called polytetrafluroethylene. That's a mouthful, so it typically is just called Teflon or PTFE. Obviously, it is useful for the creation of non-stick cookware, which went into production in the mid-1950s. However, it also is used to make Gore-Tex, athletic footwear, and some kinds of bullets, thread seal tape, gears and much more. One interesting fact about Teflon is that it was actually an accidental discovery made by a chemist who was trying to develop a chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant.
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 several other types of thermoplastics, such as polystyrene, which also is known as Styrofoam. Polyethylene is another type of thermoplastic that is used to make packaging that is highly resistant to various chemicals, so that drain cleaner and liquid bleach are placed in Polyethylene or PE containers. Polypropylene, also just called PP, is a plastic that is used to make microwave-safe plastic containers and diapers, just to name a few products.
If you have ever sat in an airplane or put a DVD into a DVD player, you have come into contact with one type of thermoplastic commonly known as acrylic or PMMA, which stands for Poly(methyl methacrylate). Other names for this type of plastic include Lucite and also Plexiglas, which are actually brand names. It is used to make the windows of aircraft and to make DVDs and CDs impact resistant. PMMA also is used in dental fillings and bone cement, among its medical uses. PMMA is transparent and quite strong, so it can be used in place of glass, such as in the huge aquarium enclosures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other similar facilities.
Nylon is so commonly used that most people can probably think of at least one item made from this synthetic polymer, which is a type of thermoplastic. Created by a chemist named Wallace Carothers at the DuPont Experimental Station in the 1930s, one of nylon's first uses occurred in World War II when silk was not readily available to make parachutes. Nylon was easy to mass-produce, durable and resistant to mold and insects. Nylon is also far less expensive to produce than silk, which is certainly a consideration. After the war, the use of nylon continued to increase, and it is used to make thousands of products including rope, women's stockings, clothing, tents, carpeting, music strings and much more.
DuPont, which has been around since 1802, certainly has its share of important inventions. In addition to nylon, scientists at DuPont also invented Teflon. Teflon is a thermoplastic and a synthetic fluoropolymer called polytetrafluroethylene. That's a mouthful, so it typically is just called Teflon or PTFE. Obviously, it is useful for the creation of non-stick cookware, which went into production in the mid-1950s. However, it also is used to make Gore-Tex, athletic footwear, and some kinds of bullets, thread seal tape, gears and much more. One interesting fact about Teflon is that it was actually an accidental discovery made by a chemist who was trying to develop a chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant.
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 several other types of thermoplastics, such as polystyrene, which also is known as Styrofoam. Polyethylene is another type of thermoplastic that is used to make packaging that is highly resistant to various chemicals, so that drain cleaner and liquid bleach are placed in Polyethylene or PE containers. Polypropylene, also just called PP, is a plastic that is used to make microwave-safe plastic containers and diapers, just to name a few products.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell enjoys writing about how stuff is made. For further info about thermoformed packaging or to know more about industrial thermoform, please visit the Indepak.com website today.
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