The types of plastic differ by the extent and structure of the polymers, in addition to their usability, as they are the raw material for various products used in our daily lives. It is estimated that plastic production is more than 200 million tons per year and this is mainly due to the low production cost and durability they have compared to other types of materials.
They are a group belonging to a larger category of materials called polymers. Polymers come from a fraction of petroleum called naphtha and also from renewable sources, such as plastic made from corn, beetroot, cassava, sugar cane, etc. They are divided into two groups, according to their fusion or melting characteristics:
The most commonly used thermoplastics are materials that can be remolded when subjected to heating, due to their less rigid structure formed by interactions that break when heated and are restored when cooled. This process can be repeated several times. Thermoplastics therefore account for 80% of plastics consumed. For example: PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS and others.
Thermosets or thermosets are those that do not melt when heated, which makes it impossible to reuse them through conventional recycling processes. For example: PU, EVA, etc.
Next, we will see the most basic differentiation between the types of plastic:
