What are Plastics? | Don't Memorise

TL;DR

Plastics come in various forms, with thermosetting plastics not melting on heat and thermoplastics being easily malleable.

Transcript

The moment we wake up early morning and start with our daily chores, we depend on various items. You may say there are many in the list! Yes! But most of the items used by us are made up of a single material collectively known as PLASTIC! Yes! The tooth brush handle, the comb, plates, bottles, lunch boxes, bodies of refrigerators, water purifiers, ... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Plastics are widely used in everyday items due to their versatility and varied properties.
• 💁 The arrangement and composition of monomeric units in plastics determine their forms and properties.
• 🫠 Thermosetting plastics do not melt and retain their form permanently, while thermoplastics can be molded or remolded.
• 😒 Examples of thermosetting plastics include Melamine and Bakelite, with uses in tiles, floorings, kitchenware, and kitchen utensils/switches.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why are there different types of plastics?

Plastics come in different forms due to the arrangement and composition of monomeric units, which determines their properties and uses.

Q: What is the difference between thermosetting and thermoplastic plastics?

Thermosetting plastics do not melt on heating and retain their form permanently, while thermoplastics can be easily molded or remolded.

Q: What are some examples of thermosetting plastics and their uses?

Examples include Melamine, used in tiles, floorings, and kitchenware due to its ability to withstand high heat, and Bakelite for making handles of utensils and switches.

Q: What are some examples of thermoplastics and their uses?

Polythene and PVC are common thermoplastics. Polythene is used in various forms such as bags and adhesive tapes. PVC is used in construction pipes (hard/rigid PVC) and containers/bottles (soft PVC).

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Plastics are used in many everyday items and come in different forms due to the arrangement and composition of monomeric units.

• There are two major categories of plastics: thermosetting and thermoplastic.

• Thermosetting plastics do not melt on heating and retain their form permanently, while thermoplastics can be easily molded or remolded.