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.
Poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA is one type of transparent thermoplastic, which is often simply called acrylic glass. Brand names such as Plexiglas and Lucite also are forms of PMMA. This polymer is very strong and because it is clear, it often is used to make items that we need to see through, such as a diving mask or aquarium and airplane windows. Surprisingly, this plastic also has medical uses as well, being used in the production of hard contact lenses and for dentures and dental fillings as well as being a primary ingredient in bone cement.
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.
Another type of thermoplastic that is quite commonly known is Poly(vinyl chloride). While you might not be familiar with this word, you most certainly have heard of its abbreviation, PVC. This type of thermoplastic is quite hard and inexpensive to produce and is used to make as much as half of the pipes made throughout the world. It also is used as insulation for electrical cables, used to make various signs and used to make containers for those little tubes that hold our blood when have it drawn at a hospital or clinic. PVC also has been used to create clothing, especially waterproof items such as coats and jackets and sometimes used as a substitute for leather clothes.
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.
Poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA is one type of transparent thermoplastic, which is often simply called acrylic glass. Brand names such as Plexiglas and Lucite also are forms of PMMA. This polymer is very strong and because it is clear, it often is used to make items that we need to see through, such as a diving mask or aquarium and airplane windows. Surprisingly, this plastic also has medical uses as well, being used in the production of hard contact lenses and for dentures and dental fillings as well as being a primary ingredient in bone cement.
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.
Another type of thermoplastic that is quite commonly known is Poly(vinyl chloride). While you might not be familiar with this word, you most certainly have heard of its abbreviation, PVC. This type of thermoplastic is quite hard and inexpensive to produce and is used to make as much as half of the pipes made throughout the world. It also is used as insulation for electrical cables, used to make various signs and used to make containers for those little tubes that hold our blood when have it drawn at a hospital or clinic. PVC also has been used to create clothing, especially waterproof items such as coats and jackets and sometimes used as a substitute for leather clothes.
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 loves writing about how stuff is made. To get further details about plastic thermoforming or to find out more about industrial thermoform packaging, please go to the Indepak.com website today.
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