improve performance and/or reduce costs. Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic amorphous solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products. Plastic means fit for molding.The common word plastic should not be confused with the technical adjective plastic, which is applied to any material which undergoes a permanent change of shape (plastic deformation) when strained beyond a certain point.
Major Types
There are two types of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosets.
Polystyrene and PVC
Nylon polyamide (PA)
Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)Polyethylene (PE)
low density polyethylene (LDPE)
high density polyethylene (HDPE).
Polypropylene (PP)
Polyurethane (PU)
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Industrial Usage Of Different Plastic Types
- PET (PETE), polyethylene terephthalate: Commonly found on 2-liter soft drink bottles, water bottles, cooking oil bottles, peanut butter jars.
- HDPE, high-density polyethylene: Commonly found on detergent bottles, milk jugs.
- PVC, polyvinyl chloride: Commonly found on plastic pipes, outdoor furniture, siding, floor tiles, shower curtains, clamshell packaging.
- LDPE, low-density polyethylene: Commonly found on dry-cleaning bags, produce bags, trash can liners, and food storage containers.
- PP, polypropylene: Commonly found on bottle caps, drinking straws, yogurt containers.
- PS, polystyrene: Commonly found on "packing peanuts", cups, plastic tableware, meat trays, take-away food clamshell containers
- OTHER, other: This plastic category, as its name of "other" implies, is any plastic other than the named #1–#6, Commonly found on certain kinds of food containers, Tupperware, and Nalgene bottles.
