ABSTRACT
This chapter is about the properties of plastics, their testing, and the methods that are used to shape them. Below the glass transition temperature amorphous polymers have molecular chains which are unable to move when the material is heated and so it is stiff and rather brittle. Creep, the gradual extension under a constant force, must be considered seriously for metals if they are to work at high temperatures. Even for a plastics raincoat, creep must be considered since it must be capable of supporting its own weight so that it can hang in a wardrobe possibly for long periods without slowly flowing towards the floor during a period of warm weather. Some organic chlorides have a similar action in releasing hydrogen chloride which similarly neutralises the -OH groups. This reacts with the organic chloride in the flame producing antimony trichloride which increases flame retardation.
