ABSTRACT
I. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 10
II. History .............................................................................................................................. 10
III. Factors Influencing Polymer Structures and Related Properties ..................................... 12
A. Molecular Structure .................................................................................................. 12
1. Classification of Polymers ................................................................................. 12
2. Polymerization Processes .................................................................................. 14
B. Molecular Weight .................................................................................................... 15
C. Density ...................................................................................................................... 15
D. Crystallinity .............................................................................................................. 15
E. Physical Transitions in Polymers ............................................................................. 16
F. Chemical Structure ................................................................................................... 18
1. Polyolefins ....................................................................................................... 19
a. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) .......................................................... 19
b. Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) ............................................ 20
c. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) ......................................................... 21
d. Irradiated Polyethylene .............................................................................. 22
e. Polypropylene (PP) .................................................................................... 22
f. Metallocenes .............................................................................................. 24
2. Copolymers of Ethylene .................................................................................. 25
a. Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) ................................................................ 25
b. Ethylene-Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) ............................................................ 25
c. Ethylene-Acrylic Acid (EAA) ................................................................. 26
d. Ionomers .................................................................................................... 26
3. Substituted Olefins ........................................................................................... 27
a. Polystyrene (PS) ........................................................................................ 27
i. General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS) .............................................. 28
ii. High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) ..................................................... 28
iii. Expandable Polystyrene Sheet (EPS) .............................................. 29
b. Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) (PVOH) .................................................................... 29
c. Poly(Vinyl Chloride) (PVC) ...................................................................... 29
d. Poly(Vinylidene Chloride) (PVdC) ........................................................... 30
e. Poly(Tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) ............................................................. 31
4. Polyesters ......................................................................................................... 31
a. Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) (PET) ......................................................... 32
b. Poly(Ethylene Naphthalate) (PEN) ........................................................... 34
c. Copolyesters ............................................................................................... 34
5. Polycarbonates (PC) ........................................................................................ 35
6. Polyamide (PA) ............................................................................................... 35
7. Acrylonitriles ................................................................................................... 38
a. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ............................................................................. 38
i. Acrylonitrile/Styrene (ANS) ............................................................ 38
ii. Rubber-Modified Acrylonitrile/Methyl Acrylate (ANMA) ............ 39
8. Regenerated Cellulose ..................................................................................... 39
a. Manufacturing Process .............................................................................. 39
b. Cellulose Film Types ................................................................................. 40
G. Additives in Plastics ................................................................................................. 40
1. Processing Additives ......................................................................................... 40
2. Flexibilizers ....................................................................................................... 41
3. Antiaging Additives .......................................................................................... 41
4. Surface Property Modifiers ............................................................................... 41
5. Optical Property Modifiers ................................................................................ 42
6. Foaming Agents ................................................................................................ 42
References ..................................................................................................................................... 42
The adjective plastic is derived from the Greek plastikos, meaning easily shaped or deformed; it
was first introduced into the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the behavior of
the recently discovered cellulose nitrate which behaved like clay when mixed with solvents. The
Oxford Dictionary defines the noun “plastics” as a group of synthetic resins or other substances that
can be molded into any form. From a technical viewpoint, plastics is a generic term for
macromolecular organic compounds obtained from molecules with a lower molecular weight or by
chemical alteration of natural macromolecular compounds. At some stage of their manufacture they
can be formed to shape by flow, aided in many cases by heat and pressure. The term plastics can be
used as a noun, singular or plural, and as an adjective.
