ABSTRACT
The use of plastics has become widespread throughout industry, replacing aluminum and zinc die castings and other metal parts in virtually every category of product design. Because of the wide variety of plastic materials on the market today and the range of operations involved, the manufacturing process for plastic goods has become fairly complex. Resin producers are the chemical organizations that supply the basic plastics materials or polymers from which the finished goods will be manufactured. Compounders may be part of the resin producer’s organization or they may be independent compounders. The processors work closely with the designer, the finished goods manufacturer, and the compounder. Thermoplastic subgroups are determined by chemical structure, manufacturing method, feedstock, and finished characteristics. They include olefins, vinyls, styrenics, and cellulosics. Certain thermoplastics are classified as “engineering grades,” a bit of handy terminology invented to indicate that they have greater structural capacity.
