Polytetrafluroethylene, previously listed above, can be used here again for utensil coatings and electric insulators, just as polystyrene may be utilized for insulating materials.
For interior and automotive design, polyvinyl acetate is used in adhesives and latex paints. Fiber products such as indoor-outdoor carpeting, textiles, car and truck parts, packaging, and toys can all be made from polypropylene. Other commercial applications of chain-growth polymers include break resistant containers (polyethylene), glass substitutes (polymethyl methacrylate), synthetic rubber (isoprene rubber), and CDs/DVDsPolymethyl methacrylate, or Plexiglas and Lucite are very popular glass substitutes for objects that must be transparent and durable. Glasses
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However there are some drawbacks to to using thermoset plastics. Namely, they cannot be recycled due to the irreversible chemical bonds that they form. This also prevents them from being remodeled or reshaped once they are set. ”Thermoplastics soften when heated and become more fluid as additional heat is applied. The curing process is completely reversible as no chemical bonding takes place.” Since there is no chemical bonding, thermoplastics can be recycled or remolded without a drastic negative impact on the materials physical …show more content…
According to the research, “when natural gas was used, the production impact was comparable, and when clean and renewable energy (geothermal) was used the research shows the bio-bags are 80% more environmentally friendly.” The diagram below describes the life cycle of polypropylene plastic bag, made out of crude oil, and bioplastic from renewable resources such as crops.Although, bioplastic is preferred over petroleum-based polymers, the amount of energy used in the lifecycle process, causes some concerns. Looking at the life cycle gives some insight to where the actual problem
Have you ever wondered why the plastic bag that you left on the porch during winter cracks or breaks more easily than when you left it during summer time but a piece of wood which was left just like the plastic bag has no effect whatsoever? This is because of a phenomenon, which only happens to polymers, known as the glass transition. For each polymer, there is a certain temperature at which the amorphous polymers undergo a second order phase transition from a rubbery and viscous amorphous solid to a brittle and glassy amorphous solid called the glass transition temperature, Tg.1 When the polymer, or in this case, the plastic bag, is cooled below their glass transition temperature, it becomes hard and brittle like a glass but when it is used above their glass transition temperatures, it might have a different effect than when used at room temperature or below the glass transition temperature as normally, different types of polymers like clothes, food packaging, insulations for wires, etc. are either used above their glass transition temperatures or
PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride (Poly (chloroethene)) is a type of plastic used all over the world for a range of things such as pipes, clothing and electrical cables. PVC is considered a thermoplastic resin meaning it resoftens when heated. It’s molecular formula is (C2H3CL)n and is a white powder that’s resistant to oxidation and degradation. However, it can be harmful to the environment but since it’s economically beneficial to many countries this is often overlooked.
Poly isobutylene, which makes the inner lining of a tire and also a basketball is one of the ingredients of gum base. Methyl Vinyl Ether-Maleic Anhydride Copolymer is very controversial over its safety
Since paper bag manufacturing requires the use of a large amount of wood. That could lead to deforestation, loss of animal habitats, soil erosion and increase of temperature in the atmosphere. When people do think about the pros and cons of the type of bag, they are usually limited to thinking about cost and ease in use. Plastic bags are cheaper to make by 85 percent than paper bags, and they are also much lighter and can carry up to 1000 times their weight. This is not the true cost that comes along with the production of plastic bags though, the true cost is our health and environment. Plastic bags require 1.62 lbs. of petroleum to make a thousand bags (Interplase.com, 2015). Petroleum is not only a scarce source of nonrenewable energy, but its thermal capacity escalates the greenhouse effect, making our atmosphere unwantedly warmer. When paper bags are deposited into the environment, wither on water or on land, it takes very little time to degrade and leaves no harmful trace, while plastic breaks apart but does not disappear and slowly accumulates in soil. This delays the uptake of water by plants and many land animals to choke and die on it. Though plastic bags may be much more appropriate in its strength, looks and cost. On the contrary, lives should be a priority over money and
Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most commonly used polymers which can be identified into two plastic identification codes: 2 for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and 4 for low density polyethylene (LDPE). Polyethylene is sometimes called polyethene or polythene and is produced by an addition polymerisation reaction. The chemical formula for polyethylene is –(CH2-CH2)n– for both HDPE and LDPE. The formation of the polyethylene chain is created with the monomer ethylene (CH2=CH2).
There is also debate on how much better biodegradable plastics are in the first place. This is because as biodegradable plastics break down, they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but never quite disappear. This leaves the potential that the plastic would continue entering the food chain. But although biodegradable plastics aren’t perfect, they are still much safer than standard plastic and present a much lower risk. In addition, by making the shift to ban single use plastics, research towards better plastic alternatives will speed up and better solutions will become available. Over time, these new alternatives to plastics may spread to other items that aren’t single use, making an even greater impact on the health of humans and the
Today’s unprecedented technological advancement has accelerated the pace at which everyone is living. Time becomes a limited resource that every person tries to make the most use of. Therefore, convenience is the major quality highly valued in today’s world. Plastics strongly demonstrate such quality; plastics are light-weighted and disposable. Consequently, the use of plastics is prevalent, from simple objects, such as bags and bottles, to more complex components, such as computer boards. The benefits of plastics are countless; for instance, plastics are disposable and waterproof. However, many critics have raised questions regarding the threats posed by phenomenal plastics. What are the downsides of plastics? How should we cope with the plastic pollution around the globe? Susan Beraza has the answers to
Plastic bags are useful tools to use and have other benefits as well. This is a statement that is up for debate. Many people disagree with the statement that plastic bags are useful. The question is whether or not that is true. American stores offer both plastic and reusable bags, but when customers go through a line and say he or she wants a plastic bag, he or she might get a disgusted look. For most stores plastic bags are now frowned upon. The stores want their customer to use the reusable bags that the store offers them to purchase. Throughout the article Plastic Bags Are good for You, Mangu Ward goes back a forth of weather or not the bags are good. Mangu-Ward explains the cause and effects of which plastic and reusable bags have based
Plastic has been used for only a century since it was first introduced in 1909 by Leo Hendrik. It is a phenol-formaldehyde compound and it was quickly called the “material of a thousand uses” (Doucette, 2009). Plastic today is in everything
Polymer-Polyethylene is partially crystalline as well as amorphous because it has crystalline and amorphous regions. Also it has linear chains so this is the simplest structure compared to a branched or network chain. This can be of an advantage to it over other types of materials as its good toughness and elongation makes it very significant in the engineering industry as it can be moulded or extruded into shape...
Other examples of polymers are present in our everyday lives. Water-resistant paints and varnishes derive from a family of synthetic polymers called acrylics. Polystyrene foam, or styrafoam, is used when making cartons to protect eggs, or making packing peanuts to cushion fragile objects for shipping. It insulates, so people put drinks in foam cups and coolers to keep the warm ones warm and the cold ones cold.
Using plastic bags are second nature to people in this day and age. Warner acknowledges, “Much to the dismay of the environmentally conscious citizens worldwide, the ubiquity of the free plastic carryout bag has bred nonchalant consumers who take this modern convenience for granted” (646). Although some people are conscious about the environment, people strive more for convenience and do not think about the impacts using bags have not only on the environment, but on themselves as well. If something is bad for the environment, it will alternatively be bad for humans as well. When plastic bags are exposed to the sun from being littered all around, the ultraviolet rays cause the substances of plastic bags to weaken. After the substances weaken, the substances become invisible to the naked eye. The substances that are no longer able to be seen are toxic to humans (Warner 649). As a result of plastic bags being littered around, animals consume plastic bags. This is negatively affects humans because animals are often consumed. When humans consume animals like, fish, there can be plastic in the fish’s belly, which then transfers to the humans and this poses a concern for human’s health. Humans are negatively affected by plastic bags because of the toxic chemicals in plastic bags, as well as, consuming animals with plastic in their
Millions of plastic bags are given out to consumers by supermarkets and stores to carry their goods in. They are also cheap, light, durable, easy to carry and in many cases, free. The most commonly used shopping bag is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This type is used in the majority of supermarkets and stores. After these bags are used, they often end up in landfills or as litter, roughly only three percent of plastic bags is actually recycled per year (Planet Ark, 2011). The materials used in making plastic bags make them non-biodegradable. According to the science dictionary, 2011 refers to “these materials cannot be decomposed into environmentally safe waste materials by the action of soil bacteria.” These harmful substances are toxic and take approximately four hundred years to break down, or in this case photo-degrade; which is how plastics made from (HDPE) break down. Since they are not biodegradable, they remain in the environment and are absorbed in soil or water (Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment, 2010). This essay will discuss the various harmful effects of plastic bags, and demonstrate the risks that these bags impose on humans, animals and the environment. It will also discuss a series of suggested solutions that could help reduce plastic bag usage.
Everyone has heard a cashier one time or another mumble, “Paper or plastic?” as he put their groceries in a bag, but do shoppers know the effects of each vessel in which they carry their comestibles? There are many issues and benefits to both paper and plastic. The making and recycling of both paper and plastic bags can harm the environment. One must also look at the costs of making each bag. The convenience of each is also something to look at. Many people jump to conclusion that paper bags are better for the environment without knowing the facts. Since plastic bags are preferred by customers and plastic bags actually do not hurt the environment as much as paper ones do, consumers should feel at ease when choosing plastic.
made from oil and natural gas. Using plastics to replace packaging materials such as metal