Unit 5D.1 Flashcards
(23 cards)
Primary source of plastics
Crude oil, tree sap, cornstarch
Crude oil is used to make ___________ plastics
Synthetic
Tree sap is used to make _________ plastics.
Natural
Cornstarch is used to make ______________ plastics
Bio-
What does synthetic mean?
Man-made
Which kind of plastics are fully biodegradable?
Bioplastics
What’s cracking?
Process of converting large hydrocarbon molecules found in separated fuel types into more useful versions.
Thermoforming polymers
Can be reheated to be remoulded.
- Soft
- Flexible
Thermosetting polymers
Once heated and set, they cannot be remelted or reshaped.
- Hard
- Waterproof
What do stabilisers do?
Protect plastics from UV + heat
What do plasticisers do?
Increase flexibility
Used in sports gear
Ethical issues of plastics
- Finite resource
- Production energy - global warming
- Pollutants
- Some are non-biodegradable
Improper disposal of plastic issues
- Don’t biodegrade
- Bioaccumulation of microplastics
- Scars landscape
- Affects wildlife
- Gases from incineration
What is PLA?
Made from cornstarch
What is PCL?
Characteristics?
Polymorph - low melting point, good moulding plastic
What is PHB?
Characteristics?
Biopol - non-toxic, insoluble, with a high melting point
What is nylon?
(Thermoforming/setting)
Thermoforming plastic
Characteristics of nylon
- Tough
- Low friction
- Woven into fabrics
Part 1 of polymer refining equation
Oil rig + drill -> crude oil
Part 2 of polymer refining equation
Crude oil + fractional distillation -> fuel
Part 3 of polymer refining equation
Fuel + cracking -> monomers
Part 4 of polymer refining equation
Monomers + polymerisation -> polymers
4 stock forms of plastics
Sheets, rods, tubes, pellets
