Types of Plastics

Plastics is derived from the Greek word plasticus.

Plastics are organic materials derived from petroleum
products. They are moldable materials, depending on what
the manufacturer needs
There are basically two types of plastics, namely
thermoplastics and thermosets.
i. Thermoplastics: These are the forms of plastics that
can be remoulded after heating. E.g. plastic bucket.
ii. Thermoset: These are plastics that cannot be turned
into thick liquid form through heating.. E.g. Button.
 Properties of Plastics
1. Plastics are generally lighter in weight.
2. They do not rust.
3. It is easily processed into different shapes
if it is thermoplastic.
4. The thermoplastic are flexible.
5. They are cheap to produce
 Identification of Rubber
Rubber is an elastic material derived from rubber trees.
Rubber comes in two types.
Types of Rubber
i. Natural rubber: This is a whitish substance gotten from
rubber trees. It is sometimes referred to as latex.
ii. Synthetic rubber: This is an artificial rubber which is
derived or processed from petroleum product.
 Properties of Rubber
1. Like plastics, rubber is also light in weight.
2. Rubber is highly elastic i.e. it can be stretched
without breaking, hence it can be used for
rubber slings.
3. Rubber is impermeable to water, i.e. it is
waterproof.