VASTU KALA ACADEMY

BMS SEM V

PLASTIC
PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

KASHISH
MAHAK
JASMINE
General Characteristics of plastics
● Tensile strength: The tensile strength or the toughness of the plastics are
dependent on the materials that are used in the production of the plastic.
Usually, the tensile strength or the toughness of the plastics are less when
compared to the alloys such as steel.
● Lightweight: They weigh less than that of the metals which makes their
transportation easy or carrying them from one place to another becomes
easy.
● Reactivity towards chemical: When plastics are compared with natural
polymers such as cotton, wool, etc, plastics are not affected by the acids and
alkalines.
● Appearance: Usually plastics are transparent and can be coloured to
desirable colors. Also, they can be molded into shapes depending on their
usages.
● Thermal conductivity: The thermal conductivity of plastics is low. That’s the
reason why they meltdown when they are brought in contact with the heat.
● Electrical conductivity: Plastics are good insulators or bad conductors of
electric current. This property or characteristic of plastic makes them popular
in the manufacturing of switches, bulb-holders, the outer covering of the
wires, etc
 Classification of plastics
Plastics can be divided into two classes depending on how they are structurally and chemically
bonded:
plastics

THERMOPLASTICS2. THERMOSETTING PLASTIC

• Can be melted repeatedly • Once shaped, cannot be melted.
• a thermoplastic becomes glass-like and subject to • Initially, the polymer is a liquid or soft solid.
fracture. • Common type :
• Common types :- Polyester resin, Polyurethane, Melamine, Bakelite
polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, Silicone resin, Epoxy resin
polystyrene, and polycarbonate.
Thermoplastics
These plastics can be softened by heating and hardened by cooling any number of times without changing the properties
of the material. It is thus possible to shape and reshape these plastics by means of heat and pressure. One important
advantage of this variety of plastics is that scrap obtained from old and worn out articles can be effectively used again.

Properties:

1. Softens and liquefies on heating and hardens up to cooling.

2. Retains shape after manufacture.

3. Suitable for recycling.

4. Can be reshaped by heat.

5. It may melt before passing to a gaseous state.

6. Allow plastic deformation when it is heated.

7. They are soluble in certain solvents.

8. Swell in the presence of certain solvents.

Thermosetting plastics
These plastics are either originally soft or liquid or they soften once upon heating, they
harden permanently. When they are heated in the temperature of 127 degree centigrade
to 177 degree centigrade, they set permanently and further application of heat does not
alter their form of soften them.But at temperature of about 343 degree centigrade, the
charring occurs. The thermo setting plastics are durable, strong and hard.

They are available in a variety of beautiful colours.They are mainly used in engineering
applications of plastics.

Properties:

1. Permanently hard on heating above a certain temperature.

2. Undergoes chemical changes during manufacture.

3. Cannot be melted and reshaped.

4. Little potential for recycling.

Physical and Chemical Properties
RIGID PLASTIC

According to this classification, plastics are divided into four groups:

● RIGID PLASTICS: These plastics have high modulus of elasticity

and they retain their shape under exterior stresses applied at normal
or moderately increased temperatures.
SEMI - RIGID

● SEMI-RIGID PLASTICS: These plastics have a medium modulus of PLASTIC

elasticity and the elongation under pressure completely disappears,
when pressure is removed.

● SOFT PLASTICS: These plastics have a low modulus of elasticity

and the elongation under disappears slowly, when pressure is SOFT PLASTIC
removed.

● ELASTOMERS: These plastics are soft and elastic materials with a

low modulus of elasticity. They deform considerably under load at
room temperature and return to their original shape, when the load
is released. The extension can range up to ten times their original
dimensions ELASTOMERS
Other properties of plastics
The following properties are common with most of the plastics.

1.They are light in weight.

2. They have good resistance to most of the chemical.

3. They have high electrical strength.

4. They have good resistance to corrosion.

5. Plastics can be moulded to any desired shape and size.

6. They can be made transparent or color.

7. They are cheap compared to metals.

8. All operations like drilling ,sawing, punching can be done on plastics.

9. Painting and polishing is not necessary.

10. The plastics posses excellent electric insulating properties.