Synthetic Fibres and Plastics Notes

Rayon:

• Plastics are important class of synthetic material. Like synthetic fibres, plastics are also polymers.
•  Plastics are part of our every day life.
• The arrangement of the monomers in plastic can be linear or cross-linked.

Depending upon the arrangement of monomer units plastics are of different types like-

• Thermoplastics
• Thermosetting plastics

Thermoplastics:

Plastic is non-reactive:

• Metals like iron get rusted when left exposed to moisture and air. But plastics do not react with water and air. They are not corroded easily.
• That is why they are used to store various kinds of material, including many chemicals.

Plastic is light, strong and durable:

• Plastic is very light, strong, durable and can be molded into different shapes and sizes; therefore, it is used for various purposes.

Low cost:

• Plastics are generally cheaper than metals. So they are widely used.