Plastic material is the key innovation of our decade and it is involved in every type of new mechanical and development innovation & progress. In 2013, world total plastic product consumption was $281.5 billion and with an average growth of 6% it has been reached to 298.3 billion in 2014.
China is the highest plastic manufacturing country with the world and has 26% of market share in world plastic product manufacturing.
Over the decade we have modified and innovated different types of plastic materials from core plastic with some unique properties and nature. Plastic materials like Polyethylene, Acetal, Nylon, polypropylene, PVC and Polycarbonate are very common in the plastic industries. Some plastic materials are used to build heavy industrial machinery and some are used to store food in the household.
Today we will discuss top 3 plastic material Nylon Plastic, PVC Plastic & Acetal Plastic and their properties.
Nylon Plastic
Nylon in the family of synthetic polymer and mostly used in fibre cable, films, flooring, rubber reinforcement and shapes like car parts and electrical equipment. Nylon is a thermoplastic material that becomes flexible or moldable above a specific temperature and turns solid on cooling.
Nylon plastic first used commercially in 1938 for manufacturing nylon bristled toothbrush and later on in 1939 it is introduced as a fabric at a New York World`s Fair.
Generally, Nylon are is when appropriate monomers (chemical building blocks used to make up polymers) are combined to form a chain via condensation of polymerisation reaction.
Properties of Nylon Plastic
- Good sunlight resistance power
2. High melting point
3. Good colour fastness nature
4. High Resistance against insect, bacteria, fungi, rot and other chemicals
5. Compact modular structure
6. High stretching power
Where Nylon Plastic Mostly Used
1. Fibre Cable
2. Shapes (Car Parts, Machine Screw, Gears, injection)
3. Food Packaging Materials
4. Flooring Materials
5. Films
6. Electrical Equipment`s
PVC Plastic
Polyvinyl Chloride or also known as PVC comes in two basic forms. First is a rigid plastic material which is mostly used in construction pipes, doors and windows. Second is flexible forms that mostly used in cable insulation, electrical cable insulation, inflatable cables etc. PVC is the third most highly produce plastic material after polyethylene and polypropylene plastic.
The global production of PVC plastic was 37.3 million tonnes in 2014 and it is estimated to reach 50.27 million tonnes by 2020. PVC plastic materials are highly demanding in Asia Pacific region and china (Source: businesswire.com)
Properties of PVC Plastic
1. PVC material has high hardness properties
2. It has resistance to salts, acid, salts & alcohols
3. PVC has good insulation property
4. PVC start decomposing when it reach 140 °C or above
Where PVC Plastic Materials Mostly Used
1. Building Pipes
2. Electric Cables
3. Boards Signs
4. PVC Clothing Materials
5. Skiing Equipment
6. Bags
Acetal Plastic
Polyoxymethylene also known as acetal plastic is a thermoplastic material that widely used in automotive and electronic industries. The material required has low friction, high stiffness and excellent dimension stability. Acetal is mostly used in gear wheels, eyeglasses, ball bearing and locking systems.
Properties of Polyoxymethylene/Acetal Plastic Material
1. Good heat resistance power
2. Good electrical property
3. Less water absorption
4. Low coefficient
Where Acetal Plastic Materials Mostly Used
1. Mechanical Gears & equipment
2. Electrical insulator & connectors
3. Vehicle Tanks
4. Structural glass in construction site
5. Musical instruments
6. Sports materials
In developed countries like Australia, Plastic manufacturing company are now focusing more on Advance Plastic Engineering. Companies like Plasticut are offering various types of Plastic materials, CNC machining and reverse engineering service. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is an advanced form of plastic manufacturing gives a quality result at the time of fabrication.
