amorphous |
structure without crystals |
production aid |
used in plastic production, not designed to remain in the final product |
biodegradable plastic |
plastic that is degraded by natural micro-organisms (such as bacteria, fungi and algae) |
elastic |
polymer that reverts back to its original shape after strain is removed |
special plastic |
expensive, less commonly used plastic such as PSU, LCP, PEI and PPS |
resin |
solid or liquid, typically large-molecule substance that becomes viscous under pressure |
homopolymer |
polymer made up of a single type of monomer |
stress relaxation |
decrease in stress over time |
stress cracking |
an external or internal crack in a plastic caused by tensile stresses less than its short-term mechanical strength |
thermoset |
Once hardened, a thermoset cannot be melted for reshaping |
crystalline |
solid material with a highly ordered molecular structure |
compound |
material composed of one or two polymers and additives such as fillers, plasticisers, catalyst and colouring agents |
composite |
material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties, typically includes binder and fibre |
copolymer |
polymer made up of more than one type of monomer |
additive |
substances added to plastics to enhance or modify one or more properties |
Fibre-reinforced plastic |
a composite material made of a polymer and fibres added to reinforce it |
macromolecule |
a molecule that is composed of thousands of atoms, typically no fewer than 10,000. |
Masterbatch |
a solid additive for plastic used for colouring plastics or imparting other properties to plastics |
monomer |
a molecule that can react with other monomer molecules to form large polymers |
plastic |
synthetic organic compounds that are malleable and can be moulded into a desired shape with pressure or heat. |
Semi-crystalline polymers |
plastic with a highly ordered molecular structure |
plasticiser |
non-evaporating substances added to plastics to lower their cold flex temperature and to improve their flexibility and durability |
polymer |
a macromolecule, composed of many repeated subunits |
cross-linking |
formation of covalent bonds that link polymers together |
cellular plastic |
plastic with a density that is decreased substantially by the presence of numerous cells disposed throughout its mass |
technical plastic |
common plastic type, such as ABS, PET, PMMA, PC, POM, PBT and PA, that is used in lower quantities than basic plastics |
filler |
particles added to plastic to improve specific properties, such durability, strength or processing qualities or to make the product cheaper |
reuse |
using an item for its original or a different purpose |
recycled plastic |
material made from used plastic products that have been cleaned |
basic plastic |
a commonly used thermoplastic: PE, PP, PVC and PS |
aging |
permanent physical and chemical changes occurring in the material over time |
creep |
deformation taking place under persistent mechanical stresses. |
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