1.6 Plastic

Question 1

What can plastic be made of?

Answer 1

• Natural plastics
• Synthetic plastics

Question 1

What are Natural plastics?

Answer 1

Natural plastics include Amber, white is fossilised tree resin, and Latex, which is a form of rubber.

Question 2

What are Synthetic plastics?

Answer 2

Synthetic plastics are chemically manufactured from carbon-based materials such as crude oil, coal and gas

Question 3

How are plastics produced?

Answer 3

Polymerisation

Question 4

What’s polymerisation?

Answer 4

Polymerisation occurs when monomers join together to form long chains of molecules called polymers.

Question 5

What two groups are plastics classified into?

Answer 5

• Thermoplastics
• Thermosetting plastics

Question 6

What are thermoplastics?

Answer 6

• Plastic that can be heated and reshaped many times.
• They will soften when heated and can be shaped when hot.
• The plastic will harden when cooled, but can be reshaped because there are no links between the polymer chains.

Question 7

What are thermosetting plastics?

Answer 7

• Plastics that can be heated and shaped once
• If reheated they cannot soften as polymer chains are interlinked
• Separate polymers are joined in order to form a huge polymer

Question 8

What is ABS (acrylonitrile butadienestyrene)?

Answer 8

• A strong, tough thermoplastic that scratches easily
• Available in a wide range of colours

Question 9

What can ABS (acrylontrile butadienestyrene) be used in?

Answer 9

Used to make mechanical parts including links, cams and wheels

Question 10

What is Nylon (Polyamide)?

Answer 10

• A hard, tough, rigid thermoplastic
• Chemical, wear and friction resistant

Question 11

What can Nylon (Polyamide) be used in?

Answer 11

Used to make mechanical parts including gear wheels and bearings.

Question 12

What is Acrylic (Polymethyl methacrylate)?

Answer 12

• A glass-clear or opaque thermoplastic
• Available in a wide range of colours
• Food safe, impact resistant and a good electrical insulator

Question 13

What can Acrylic (Polymethyl methacrylate) be used in?

Answer 13

Used to make illuminated signs, watch and clock glasses, and furniture.

Question 14

What is PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)?

Answer 14

• A soft and flexible thermoplastic
• Available in a wide range of colours
• A good electrical insulator

Question 15

What can PVC (polyvinyl chloride) be used in?

Answer 15

Used to make table top coverings, electrical wiring insulation, vinyl wall and floor coverings.

Question 16

What is Polystyrene (high impact polystyrene)?

Answer 16

• A hard and inexpensive thermoplastic
• Available in a wide range of colours

Question 17

What can Polystyrene (high impact polystyrene) be used in?

Answer 17

• Good for vacuum forming
• Used to make model cars and airplanes
• In the form of foam it’s used for packaging and insulation

Question 18

What are the five types of thermoplastics?

Answer 18

• ABS
• Nylon
• Acrylic
• PVC
• Polystyrene

Question 19

What’s the mneumonic for the types of thermoplastics?

Answer 19

Pretentious Annoying Newborns Always Poop.

Question 20

What are the four types of thermosetting plastics?

Answer 20

• Epoxy Resin
• Melamine Formaldehyde
• Polyester Resin
• Urea Formaldehyde

Question 21

How do you remember the four types of thermosetting plastics?

Answer 21

• Mr Resin and Mrs Formaldehyde were married
• Mr Resin cheated and had two sons: Epoxy and Polyester
• Mrs Formaldehyde remarried and had two daughters: Melamine and Urea

Question 22

What is epoxy resin?

Answer 22

A thermosetting plastic that cures when mixed with a catalyst/hardener.

Question 23

What can epoxy resin be used in?

Answer 23

Used to make coatings, adhesives and composite materials such as fibre glass.

Question 24

What is melamine formaldehyde?

Answer 24

A hard, flexible food safe thermosetting plastic with good heat resistance.

Question 25

What can melamine formaldehyde be used in?

Answer 25

Used to make kitchenware and ashtrays

Question 26

What is polyester resin?

Answer 26

* A hard, brittle thermosetting plastic with good heat and ultraviolet light resistance * A good electrical insulator

Question 27

What can polyester resin be used in?

Answer 27

Used to make glass re-enforced plastic boats, car bodies, surf boards

Question 28

What is Urea Formaldehyde?

Answer 28

* A hard thermosetting plastic with solvent resistance and good electrical properties * Available in a wide range of colours

Question 29

What can urea formaldehyde be used in?

Answer 29

* Used to make castings for electrical appliances such as radios and desk lamps * Resins are used to make adhesives, finishes and MDF

Question 30

What is plastic recycling?

Answer 30

Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap or waste plastic and reprocessing the material into useful products, sometimes completely different from their original state.

Question 31

What's an example of plastic recycling?

Answer 31

Melting down soft drink bottles then casting them as plastic chairs and tables.

Question 32

What's the resin identification code for PET?

Answer 32

1

Question 33

What's the resin identification code for HDPE?

Answer 33

2

Question 34

What's the resin identification code for PVC?

Answer 34

3

Question 35

What's the resin identification code for LDPE?

Answer 35

4

Question 36

What's the resin identification code for PP?

Answer 36

5

Question 37

What's the resin identification code for PS?

Answer 37

6

Question 38

What's the resin identification code for OTHERS such as ABS?

Answer 38

7

Question 39

Why is reusing plastic preferable to recycling plastic?

Answer 39

It uses less energy and fewer resources.

Question 40

What are the two types of degradable plastic?

Answer 40

* Biodegradable plastics * photodegradable plastics

Question 41

What are degradable plastics?

Answer 41

Degradable plastics are plastics that will be reduced by degrading under certain conditions.

Question 42

What are biodegradable plastics?

Answer 42

Biodegradable plastics contain a small percentage of non oil-based material such as corn starch.

Question 43

What are photodegradable plastics?

Answer 43

Photodegradable plastics break down when exposed to sunlight.

Question 44

How are non-degradable plastics degraded?

Answer 44

* incinerated which releases chlorine * dumped in a landfill which pollutes the water supply