Innovative Plastics

Plastics have completely revolutionized the modern world. If you look around you just now, you will find plastic in various different shapes, sizes and forms around you. These are such malleable materials which are specially engineered to meet the needs of the modern day world.

Think about the innovative ways plastics are used in our daily lives. From car seat cushions to airbags, dashboards and bumpers in your car, television, fridge, coffee makers, mobile phones, alarm clocks and other appliances to food packaging, furniture in your house, everything around you has plastic in some shape, type or form. It is hard for us to imagine what our lives may be if plastic hadn’t been made.

Innovative Plastic materials have been developed by engineers and chemists by combining various elements derived from natural resources. They combine the atoms of those elements to form molecules that are called monomers. These monomers combine to form plastic materials which exhibit certain specifications and properties. These materials can withstand extreme temperatures, weather conditions and undergo a lot of stress without breaking.

Let us look at some great types of innovative plastics that have been engineered to be used in the modern world.

Thermoplastics
These are the kind of plastics which can withstand high temperatures. They can be melted and returned to their original state quite easily just like an ice cube can be melted and frozen again. Thermoplastics are produced in two steps. In the first step small pellets are formed and in the second step, those pellets are heated to form all sorts of industrial and consumer products. They include polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene and others.

Thermosets
These are usually produced and immediately formed into products at the same time but can not be returned into their original state again. These are heated and set into a shape once and afterward, couldn’t be taken back to their original state like in the case of thermoplastics. Thermosets are like eggs which once cooked can not be changed to raw form. They include acrylics, melamine, polyurethanes, silicone, vulcanized rubber, epoxies and others.

Plastic fibers
These are plastics which have been made into filaments or fibers and are used to make fabrics, ropes, strings, cables, body armor and optical fibers. These fibers are quite stretchable and withstand heat. These include nylon, rayon, polyester, acrylic, and spandex.

Biodegradable plastics
These are made from corn starch and traditional petrochemicals and engineering in such a way that they can break down quickly. These are environment-friendly plastics which are used in the daily routine but will not harm the nature. Some biodegradable products may also contain additional additives which help to decay more rapidly in presence of oxygen or light.

Plastics are specially engineered to satisfy the needs and wants of its users. There are hundreds of different kinds of plastics which are made and customized as per needs. These are being used in the health sector, industries and in the everyday use consumer products.