FEC 50

PLASTIC ASSIGNMENT

BY- ARYAMAN DOSAJH(2K19/SE/018)

The world is full of plastics. Whether you realize it or not, practically
everything you see and use on a daily basis is entirely or partly plastic material.
Your television, computer, car, house, refrigerator, and many other essential
products utilize plastic materials to make your life easier and more
straightforward.  However, all plastics are not made alike. Manufacturers utilize
a variety of different plastic materials and compounds that each possess unique
properties.

Here we are going to discuss about the following 5 plastic products:

1. Shampoo Bottle
2. Medical Tube
3. Water Bottle
4. Bowl
5. Plastic Bag

Shampoo Bottle

2 – High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is used to make the shampoo bottle.

HDPE plastic is one of the most common plastics used in manufacturing, due to
the material’s durability and strength. While not as clear as Polyethylene
Terephthalate (PET) plastic, HDPE bottles and containers can be translucent so
that you are still able to see your product inside it. This type of plastic can also
be colour matched and is popular in white.

Time to have a look at exactly how HDPE bottles are manufactured in the
factory.

First off, three heated holding tanks commence the process – the primary one
containing a natural gas derivative called ethane. The ethane is heated to well
above boiling point (i.e. above +100°C) and is then pumped into a mixing tank.
From the third tank comes benzene which, when combined with UV
radiation from a set of overhead lamps, serves to bring about
the polymerization of ethane.
While this process describes how polyethylene is made, there is still a
treatment process that the polyethylene needs to go through to
become high-density polyethylene (HDPE). This involves pumping
the chemical into a series of metal troughs that are wide, shallow and
board-like. Instead of being allowed to cool, it is cooked at a low heat
to allow for the release of any captured air and oxygen.

Medical Tube

3 – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is used to make the medicinal tube.

The medical plastic tube manufacturing process is composed of the
following steps:

 Extrusion
 Heading
 Decorating
 Capping

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or Vinyl) is an economical and versatile thermoplastic

polymer widely used in building and construction industry to produce door and
window profiles, pipes (drinking and wastewater), wire and cable insulation,
medical devices, etc. It is the world’s third largest thermoplastic material by
volume after polyethylene and polypropylene. 

Water Bottle

1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE or Polyester) is used to make

water bottles.

Polyethylene Terephthalate is a thermoplastic polymer that can be either opaque

or transparent, depending on the exact material composition. As with most
plastics, PET is produced from petroleum hydrocarbons, through a reaction
between ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. To produce plastic bottles, the
PET is first polymerized to create long molecular chains.

Plastic Bottle Manufacturing Process

The first stage of a typical 2-step Reheat and Blow Machine (RBM) bottle
manufacturing process is injection molding. Plastic pellets are plasticized in the
barrel of an injection molding machine where the plastic is melted by heat and
the shearing action of a feed screw. The plastic is then injected into multiple-
cavity molds where it assumes the shape of long, thin tubes. These tubes, called
parisons, usually include the formed necks and threads that will be used to cap
the bottles that are yet to come. 

Bowl

5 – Polypropylene (PP) is used to make plastic bowls.

Polypropylene is a tough, rigid and crystalline thermoplastic produced from

propene (or propylene) monomer. Stiffer and more resistant to heat, PP is
widely used for hot food containers. Its

strength quality is somewhere between LDPE and HDPE.

Method to produce bowls of a plastic material, whereby polypropylene is mixed
with an additive and/or dye after suitable dosing and is introduced into a
moulding press, wherein it is heated to 180°-210° C., and is then injected into a
mould, where it is kept under a further pressure for 20-60 seconds, the product
then being extracted and cooled in water before removal of flash so as to
produce the bowl. Bowl consisting of polypropylene and produced according to
the above method.

Plastic Bag

4 – Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is used to make plastic bags.

LDPE has an excellent resistance to acids, bases and vegetable oils. Its
toughness, flexibility and relative transparency make it good for packaging
applications requiring heat-sealing.

The process of making plastic bags

 Extraction of raw material
 Extrusion of plastic film
 Printing
 Converting: Plastic bag making