The word plastic comes from 'plasticus' (Latin for ‘capable of moulding’) and 'plastikos' (Greek for ‘fit for moulding’). Plastics have a range of unique properties: they can be used at a very wide range of temperatures, are chemical- and light-resistant and they are very strong and tough, but can be easily worked as a hot melt.
Plastics are mostly carbon-based atoms. The carbon atom is capable of linking to other atoms with up to four chemical bonds. Other plastic elements include hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and chlorine. They can also be produced from silicon atom along with carbon; a common example is silicone breast implants or silicone hydrogel for optical lenses.
Plastics are made from natural materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and crude oil through a polymerisation or polycondensation process.
The plastic behavior of polymers is influenced by their arrangement of molecules on a large scale. In other words, polymers are either amorphous or crystalline. The arrangement of molecules in the amorphous state is random and are intertwined.
Component of plastic
