Plastic raw material

Plastic raw materials are something that you use in your everyday life, all the time, from the first thing in the morning when you open the fridge to the last thing when you brush your teeth in the evening. Plastic is everywhere and it is an easy material to work with. It has many applications and is available in countless variations.

What are plastic raw materials?

What we call plastic is actually a variation of chemical compounds that are built in long chains. These are called polymers and are in turn constructed of smaller pieces called monomers. The polymers we call plastics (thermoplastics) are used for example in cars, toothbrushes, and refrigerators. It is a plastic raw material that has been modified in different ways, either it has been dyed with pigments, reinforced with glass fiber or modified with plasticizers to give the plastic raw material different properties.

With the help of various additives, you can also change the properties of the plastic raw material, for example, you can make a plastic that can withstand prolonged heat exposure, the sun’s UV rays and absorb less water.

Types of plastic raw materials

Different types of plastic raw materials have different types of uses. Polypropylene is very common in interior applications in the automotive industry, for example, while polyamide is more common in the engine compartment, as it has a higher melting temperature (tolerate heat better) and is somewhat stiffer. ABS is another plastic raw material that we often encounter in everyday life because its properties of impact resistance and toughness are suitable for kitchen machines and computer equipment.

 It is also common practice to mix two different plastic materials to get a material that takes advantage of the best features of both materials, such as PC / ABS where you get the impact resistance and toughness of ABS and the heat resistance of the PC. PC / ABS is also commonly used in the automotive industry when the manufacturer wants a high gloss detail and the right properties against impact and heat, but at the same time, it is very easy to shape.