What are the two groups of plastic called?
Thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics.
Advantage of plastic
Durable •Won’t rust or corrode •Good insulators •Resistant to chemicals •Can be formed into complex shapes
Disadvantages of plastic
Expensive •Not friendly to the environment •Don’t break down or degrade easily •Energy needed to produce them •Can be a fire hazard
Types of thermoplastics
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) −Polystyrene −Polycarbonate −Nylon −Acrylic
Types of thermosetting plastics
−Polyester
−Melamine
−Epoxy resins
What is thermoplastics?
Can be softened and reshaped by heating again and again
What is thermosetting plastics
It can be heated and set, once only
•Cannot be re-softened
•Used where an item needs to withstand heat