Polymers

Plastic and Rubber

INTRODUCTION TO POLYMERS
Polymer,substanceconsisting of large
molecules that are made of many small,
repeating units called monomers, or
mers. The number of repeating units in
one large molecule is called the degree
of polymerization. Materials with a very
high degree of polymerization are
called high polymers. Polymers
consisting of only one kind of repeating
unit are called homopolymers.
Copolymers are formed from several
different repeating units.

Mostoftheorganicsubstances
found in living matter, such as
protein, wood, chitin, rubber,
and resins, are polymers. Many
synthetic materials, such as
plastics, fibers (; Rayon),
adhesives, glass, and
porcelain, are also to a large
extent polymeric substances.

PLASTIC

The wordplasticis derived from

theGreekcapable of being
shaped or molded It refers to
their malleability, orplasticity
during manufacture, that
allows them to becast,pressed,
orextrudedinto a variety of
shapessuch asfilms,fibers,
plates, tubes, bottles, boxes,
and much more.

Plastics also can be divided into

two distinct categories on the basis
of their chemical composition. One
category is plastics that are made
up of polymers having only
aliphatic (linear)carbonatoms in
their backbone chains. The
structure ofpolypropylenecan
serve as an example; here attached
to every other carbon atom is a
pendant methyl group (CH3):

The other category of

plastics is made up of
heterochain polymers. These
compounds contain atoms
such as oxygen, nitrogen, or
sulfur in their backbone
chains, in addition to carbon.

An example would be
polycarbonate, whose
molecules contain two
aromatic (benzene)
rings:

Properties of Plastics
Plasticspossessawide variety of
useful properties and are relatively
inexpensive to produce. They are
lighter than many materials of
comparable strength, and unlike metals
and wood, plastics do not rust or rot.
Most plastics can be produced in any
color. They can also be manufactured
as clear as glass, translucent
(transmitting small amounts of light),
or opaque (impenetrable to light).

Plasticshavealower density than

that of metals, so plastics are lighter.
Most plastics vary in density from 0.9
to 2.2 g/cm3 (0.45 to 1.5 oz/cu in),
compared to steels density of 7.85
g/cm3 (5.29 oz/cu in). Plastic can also
be reinforced with glass and other
fibers to form incredibly strong
materials. For example, nylon
reinforced with glass can have a
tensile strength (resistance of a
material to being elongated or pulled
apart) of up to 165 Mega Pascal
(24,000 psi).

Plasticshavesomedisadvantages.
When burned, some plastics produce
poisonous fumes. Although certain
plastics are specifically designed to
withstand temperatures as high as
288 C (550 F), in general plastics are
not used when high heat resistance is
needed. Because of their molecular
stability, plastics do not easily break
down into simpler components. As a
result, disposal of plastics creates a
solid waste problem (see Plastics and
the Environment below).

USES OF PLASTICS
Packaging
The commercial success of plastics
as a packaging product is due to a
combination offlexibility (from
film to rigid applications),
strength, lightness, stability,
impermeability and ease
ofsterilisation. These features
make plasticsanideal packaging
material for all sorts of commercial
and industrial users.

Plastics food packaging, for

instance,does not affect
the taste and quality of the
foodstuff. In fact, the
barrier properties of
plastics ensure that food
keeps its natural taste
while protecting it from
external contamination

Building & Construction

Plastics are durable, making
them ideal for applications such
as window frames and pipes.
Furthermore, their anticorrosion propertiesprovide
them with an impressive life
span which can reachover 100
years for plastic pipes and 50
years for underground and
exterior cables.

In the automotive industry,

plastics allow for energy
absorption, weight reduction
and innovative design while
contributing to passenger
safety. Features such as shock
absorption for bumpers,
suppression of explosion risks
in fuel tanks, seat belts,
airbags and other life-saving
accessories such as durable
plastic safety seats to protect
our youngest passengers make

Agriculture
For years, the growing use of
plastics in agriculture has helped
farmers increase crop production,
improve food quality and reduce the
ecological footprint of their activity.
Not only do plastics allow for
vegetables and fruits to be grown
whatever the season, but these
products are usually of better
quality than those grown in an open
field.

Medical & Health

Modern healthcare would be
impossible without plastics medical
products we tend to take for granted:
disposable syringes, intravenous
blood bags and heart valves, etc.
Plastics packaging is particularly
suitable for medical applications,
thanks to their exceptional barrier
properties, light weight, low cost,
durability, transparency and
compatibility with other materials.

Sport, Leisure, Design

Plastics have revolutionised
sports in recent years. From
tracks on which Olympic
athletes pursue new records to
shoes, clothing, safety
equipments (helmets,
kneepads) and stadium
construction (water and
drainage pipes, seats, roofing),
modern sports rely on plastics

TYPES OF PLASTICS

Plastic marked with an SPI code of 1 is made

withpolyethylene terephthalate, which is also
known asPETEorPET. PETE-based containers
sometimes absorb odors and flavors from foods and
drinks that are stored inside of them. Items made
from this plastic arecommonly recycled. PETE
plastic is used to make many common household
items like beverage bottles, medicine jars, peanut
butter jars, combs, bean bags, and rope. Recycled
PETE is used to maketote bags, carpet, fiberfill
material in winter clothing, and more.

The SPI code of 2 identifies plastic made withhighdensity polyethylene, orHDPE. HDPE products are
very safe and are not known to leach any chemicals
into foods or drinks. (However, due to the risk of
contamination from previously held substances,
please note: it is NEVER safe to reuse an HDPE bottle
as a food or drink container if it didnt originally
contain food or drink!) HDPE products arecommonly
recycled. Items made from this plastic include
containers for milk, motor oil, shampoos and
conditioners, soap bottles, detergents, and bleaches.
Manypersonalized toysare made from this plastic as
well. Recycled HDPE is used to make plastic crates,
plastic lumber, fencing, and more.

Plastic labeled with an SPI code of 3 is made

withpolyvinyl chloride, orPVC. PVC
isnot often recycledand can be harmful
if ingested. PVC is used for all kinds of pipes
and tiles, but it's most commonly found in
plumbing pipes. This kind of plastic should
not come in contact with food items.
Recycled PVC is used to make flooring,
mobile home skirting, and other industrialgrade items

Plastic marked with an SPI code of 4 is made

withlow-density polyethylene, orLDPE.
LDPE isnot commonly recycled, but it is
recyclable in certain areas. It tends to be
both durable and flexible. It also is not known
to release harmful chemicals into objects in
contact with it, making it a safe choice for
food storage. Plastic cling wrap, sandwich
bags, squeezable bottles, and plastic grocery
bags all are made from LDPE. Recycled LDPE
is used to make garbage cans, lumber,
furniture, and many other products seen in
and around the house

Consumers will find the SPI code of 5 on plastic

items made withpolypropylene, orPP. PPcan
be recycled but is not accepted for
recycling as commonly as PETE or HDPE.
This type of plastic is strong and can usually
withstand higher temperatures. Among many
other products, it is used to make plastic
diapers, Tupperware, margarine containers,
yogurt boxes, syrup bottles, prescription bottles,
and somestadium cups. Plastic bottle caps
often are made from PP as well. Recycled PP is
used to make ice scrapers, rakes, battery
cables, and similar items that need to be
durable.

Plastic marked with an SPI code of 6 is

made withpolystyrene, also known
asPSand most commonly known
asStyrofoam. PScan be recycled, but
not efficiently; recycling it takes a lot of
energy, which means that few places accept
it. Disposablecoffee cups, plastic food
boxes, plastic cutlery, packing foam, and
packing peanuts are made from PS.
Recycled PS is used to make many different
kinds of products, including insulation,
license plate frames, and rulers.

The SPI code of 7 is used to designate

miscellaneous types of plastic that are not
defined by the other six
codes.Polycarbonateandpolylactideare
included in this category. These types of
plastics aredifficult to recycle.
Polycarbonate, or PC, is used in baby
bottles, large water bottles (multiple-gallon
capacity), compact discs, and medical
storage containers. Recycled plastics in this
category are used to make plastic lumber,
among other products

CLASSIFICATION OF PLASTICS
Elastomers
Elastomers are characterized by widemeshed crosslinking of the "knotted"
molecular chains. This type of crosslinking
means that the materials have a high level
of dimensional stability but are still
elastically malleable. By applying load (for
instance tensile load) the chains become
disentangled, but after removal of the load
they relax again. Like thermoset polymers,
elastomers are not meltable.

Thermoset plastics
The individual molecular chains of
thermoset polymers are characterized by
three-dimensional closely-meshed
crosslinking. This property means that they
can no longer be shaped after hardening.
They also cannot be melted. However,
because of their strong crosslinking,
thermoset polymers do offer good chemical
resistance and a high level of thermal
stability, as well as being hard and brittle.

Thermoplastics
Thermoplastic polymers are plastics in
which, unlike elastomers and thermoset
plastics, the molecular chains are not
crosslinked. They consequently
demonstrate plastic elastic behaviour and
are thermoformable (meltable, weldable).
This formability is reversible, in other words
can be repeated as often as required as
long as the material is not thermally
damaged by overheating.

PLASTIC CONSTITUENTS AND ADDITIVES

Plastic additives Constituents added in to
basic resin or compound to improve a
polymers performance during processing, or
tailor a polymers performance capabilities
for end use. Additives used routinely in
thermoplastic formulation are: 1. Plasticizers
6. UV absorbents
2. Lubricants
7. Colourants
3. Stablizers 8. Antistatic agent
4. Fillers 9. Opacifiers
5. Antioxidants

STEPS IN PROCESSING AND

FABRICATION OF PLASTICS
Extrusion
1) Resin is inserted into a extruder and
melted.
2) The melted resin is then pumped into a
flat sheet die to be sized.
3) Next, the sheet is transferred to cooling
rolls.
4) These rolls determine final size,
thickness, and width.
5) The flat sheets are wound into
continuous rolls

Molding
1) The molding machine melts the raw
material into a hot liquid state.
2) The hot liquid is transferred to a mold.
3) The cooled mold enables the liquid to
solidify.
4) The finished product is extracted from
the mold.

 Thermoforming
Plastic

may also be made through

the process of thermoforming.
This steps used to make plastic
using this method are:
1) Extrusion of a sheet
2) Placing this sheet into a mold
3) Using a heat source and a
vacuum-able force to form the
sheet into the respective mold

RUBBER

Rubber is an elastomerthat is, a polymer

that has the ability to regain its original
shape after being deformed. Rubber is also
tough and resistant to weathering and
chemical attack. Elastomers can be naturally
occurring polymers, such as natural rubber,
or they can be synthetically produced
substances, such as butyl rubber, Thiokol, or
neoprene. For a substance to be a useful
elastomer it must possess a high molecular
weight and a flexible polymer chain.

Natural rubber
The structural formula for the molecule of natural rubber
may be represented by the simple unit C5H8 multiplied
many 1000 times. Rubber is an addition polymer of a
diene monomer(a hydrocarbon molecule containing two
double bonds) called isoprene or 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene
with the following formula:

CH2=C(CH3)-CH=CH2
The repeating unit shown above would, therefore, be
called the monomer. On polymerization of isoprene, we
get polyisoprene, which is the chemical name of natural
rubber

Synthetic rubbers
Synthetic rubbers are made in chemical
plants using petrochemicals as their starting
point. One of the first (and still one of the
best known) isneoprene(the brand name
for polychloroprene), made by reacting
together acetylene and hydrochloric
acid.Emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR), another synthetic rubber, is widely
used for making vehicle tires.


PROPERTIES OF RUBBER

Hardness
Tensile Strength
Tensile Modulus
Elongation
Tear Resistance
Abrasion Resistance
Compression Set
Resilience
Specific Gravity

USES OF RUBBER
Theflexibilityofrubber is often used in hose, tires, and rollers for
a wide variety of devices ranging from domestic clothes wringers
to printing presses; its elasticity makes it suitable for various
kinds of shock absorbers and for specialized machinery
mountings designed to reduce vibration. Being relatively
impermeable to gases, rubber is useful in the manufacture of
articles such as air hoses, balloons, balls, and cushions. The
resistance of rubber to water and to the action of most fluid
chemicals has led to its use in rainwear, diving gear, and
chemical and medicinal tubing, and as a lining for storage tanks,
processing equipment, and railroad tank cars. Because of their
electrical resistance, soft rubber goods are used as insulation
and for protective gloves, shoes, and blankets; hard rubber is
used for articles such as telephone housings, parts for radio sets,
meters, and other electrical instruments. The coefficient of
friction of rubber, which is high on dry surfaces and low on wet
surfaces, leads to the use of rubber both for power-transmission
belting and for water-lubricated bearings in deep-well pumps.

TYPES OF RUBBER
Neoprene Rubber
Buna-N Rubber
Silicone Rubber
EPDM Rubber
Natural Gum Rubber
Viton Rubber
Natural Latex Rubber
SBR Rubber
Vinyl Rubber
Santoprene Rubber
ECH Rubber
Butyl Rubber
Latex-Free TPE Rubber
Hypalon Rubber

CLASSIFICATION OF RUBBER
Natural rubber is a solid product obtained
through coagulating the latex produced by
certain plants, particularly the Brazilian
rubber-tree (Hevea Brasiliensis). This raw
material is usually tapped from the rubber
tree, which is native to Amazonia. Although
there a large number of species that exude
secretions similar to latex when the bark is
cut, only a few produce sufficient quantities
of a quality adequate for exploitation on
economic base

Synthetuc rubber
Anyartificiallyproduced substance that
resembles natural rubber in essential
chemical and physical properties can be
called synthetic rubber. Such substances are
produced by chemical reactions, known as
condensation or polymerization, of certain
unsaturated hydrocarbons. The basic units of
synthetic rubber are monomers, which are
compounds of relatively low molecular weight
that form the building units of huge molecules
called polymers. After fabrication, the
synthetic rubber is cured by vulcanization.

CONSTITUENT AND ADDITIVE OF RUBBER

A number of ingredients are added to both natural and
synthetic rubber in order to obtain certain desirable
properties. By convention, mix formulations begin with
the amount of the designatedelastomerfor instance,
natural rubber (NR),butadiene rubber(BR), or
styrene-butadiene rubber(SBR)given as 100 parts by
weight. The amount of each other ingredient is then
expressed in parts by weight added per 100 parts by
weight of the elastomer. If two or more elastomers are
used, then they are shown in the recipe as fractions of
100 partsfor example, NR, 60 parts; BR, 40 parts.
When the elastomer contains oil already added by the
producer, allowance is made for this dilution in the
recipe. For example, if SBR 1702 is used, the mix
formulation may begin SBR 1702, 137.5 parts by
weight, because that amount of SBR 1702 contains
37.5 parts by weight of oil and 100 parts by weight of
SBR elastomer.

STEPS IN PROCESSING AND FABRICATION OF

RUBBER
Natural Rubber Production
The production process of natural rubber begins
with the cultivation of rubber trees (Havea
brasiliensis). Rubber trees must be allowed to
grow for about seven years before they become
viable for harvesting rubber. Once the trees have
reached the appropriate level of maturity, they
will be tapped. Tapping generally occurs every two
to three days, but never more often than once per
day. The tapping process involves stripping away
a small section of bark at a slight angle to
facilitate latex drainage. The same area of the
tree can be tapped repeatedly.

When a particular area of the tree is tapped

out, a new portion of the tree will be
tapped. It generally takes seven years for
a tapped area to heal sufficiently to be
tapped again. A tree will normally produce
about half a cup of latex per day. Once the
latex has been collected, it will be mixed
with a diluted acid. The rubber/acid
mixture is then rolled twice. The first
rolling is to remove excess water. The
second rolling is to texture the rubber. The
rubber is dried and can then be sold or
exported.