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Plastic beads are the basis materials for making plastics products. The plastic granules industry has created thousands of household appliances in daily life and essential plastic accessories for industrial and agricultural production industries. These macromolecular compounds are produced from petroleum cleavage and contribute to the production of durable, plastic products. When subjected to heat or pressure, the plastic deforms and retains that deformation when the impact is removed. To create plastic products with outstanding features, manufacturers have combined different types of masterbatches and additives.
To create plastic products of the highest quality and effectiveness, manufacturers are required to understand the characteristics of each type of plastic. In this article, we will learn about 4 large groups of plastics that are commonly used in daily life.
Thermoplastics are plastics that soften when heated and solidify when cooled. After further heating, it can be melted again. Although it has been cooled and solidified many times, this plastic can still be reused. In other words, the thermoplastic granules during the pressing process will change their physical properties and restore their original properties when the temperature is lowered. Some thermoplastics are commonly used in life such as: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), poly butadiene (PB), poly ethylene tere phthalate (PET), ...
Along with extrusion or blow molding technology, these resins are mixed with pigments or plastic additives to produce toys, packaging, auto parts and computer cabinets at low prices. become reasonable. Based on the melting properties of thermoplastics, all manufacturing processes are carefully calculated to produce a high volume and uniformity of the product at a low cost. Derived from the base plastics such as PE, PP,... the masterbatches industry in general and the filler masterbatch field in particular was born to increase productivity and reduce production costs for companies. For example, granular PE fillers are made of PE, CaCO3 and additives to fill the plastic to reduce costs and improve the surface performance of the material.
Thermosetting plastics, as opposed to thermoplastics, are plastics that can only flow once when heated in a certain plastic capacity. During the heating process, the polymeric compound of the thermoset resin will change to a three-dimensional state and then cannot melt or dissolve again. That is, during the pressing process, the thermosetting plastic will have a chemical reaction and change into a new substance, not able to regenerate.
Since thermoset resins have a short curing cycle, the molding process is also shortened so production efficiency can be significantly increased. Some specific examples for thermosetting plastics: urea formaldehyde [UF], epoxy resin, phenol formaldehyde (PF), melamine resin, unsaturated poly ester... Mixed with additive resins, epoxy resin can be used to make paint, mainly as a primer because it has good adhesion to other materials. In the field of electronics, epoxy resin is also used as an insulator to protect electrical equipment.
Hard plastic is a type of plastic particle that the molecules inside connect to form a very tight network. Compared with thermoplastics, when heated to the same temperature, the hard plastic does not change its physical properties because the molecular structure is difficult to change. Therefore, it can be said that hard plastic is very resistant to the effects of heat as well as very good electrical insulator. And another difference with thermoplastic is that hard plastic cannot be melted to be reused many times. Here are some hard plastics commonly used in life and industries that are mixed with additives to have more features:
- PC (Polycarbonate) plastic: high strength and heat resistance, used to make car glass, due to its high transparency and hard to wear. With the ability to withstand high temperatures, PC-based plastics combine with other plastic additives to produce food containers, bottles, and lids..
- ABS plastic (Acrylonitrin butadiene styrene): hard but not brittle, waterproof, and has high toughness so it can withstand impact. Insulating ABS plastic should be used as the shell of electrical equipment (electrical socket cover, electrical panel ..), as a cover for refrigeration equipment,...
- HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) plastic: used to make tables and chairs, details in motorcycles, in food technology (yogurt boxes, candy boxes) etc.
- PA (Poly Amid, also known as Nylon): has high rigidity, good electrical and thermal insulation and is in contact with oils, greases, or gasoline. PA resin is widely used in automobiles, boats, machinery accessories such as gears, friction bearings, shock absorbers, shock absorbers, paper processing machinery, printing machinery, etc. ...
- POM plastic (Polyoximethylene Resin): good strength and heat resistance, good elasticity and resistance to friction used to make gears, valves in oil and gas tanks, ...
Elastomer plastic is a type of plastic that can be elastically deformed under external influences and return to its original shape when it is no longer subjected to impact. People often confuse elastomer with rubber because of the similar elasticity. When heated, elastomeric plastic is only slightly deformed but will spontaneously decompose at extremely high temperatures. Based on some of the following types of elastomeric resins, manufacturers will mix them with additive masterbatches to give plastic products additional properties:
- PU (Polyurethane) plastic: is more elastic than rubber, so it has excellent toughness and good impact resistance, oil resistance, tear resistance, and scratch resistance. Therefore, PU plastic is preferred over rubber because it reduces the warranty period for machinery.
- PVC (Polyvinylchloride): PVC is mainly used to cover electrical cables, make drainage pipes, raincoats, but its resistance to vapor and water is inferior to PE and PP types. Commonly used in food technology such as making shrink film labels for bottles, plastic bottles or food packaging films, etc.
The bio-based PEF material is a great option for a circular economy due to its recyclability. Let's see how it can benefit the packaging industry!