Plastics
are made from organic products; natural products like cellulose, coal, natural
gas, and crude oil. Crude oil is the primary ingredient used in the manufacture
of plastic. Production starts with distillation (in an oil refinery).
Distillation ensures the separation of heavy crude oil into a lighter product;
fractions. Each fraction is a mixture (a substance consisting of two or more
substances mixed together - not in fixed proportions and not with chemical
bonding) of hydrocarbon chains, differing in molecular size and structure. The
most crucial of these fractions as far as plastic production is concerned is naphtha.
After
distillation, polymerization and polycondensation take place. These are the
main processes involved in plastic production. Specific catalysts are required
for these processes. In a polymerization reactor, monomers like ethylene and
propylene are linked together to form long polymers chains (PlasticsEurope, 2015) . The properties,
size, and structure of the polymer is a function of the basic monomers used.
Works Cited
History
of Plastics. (2015). Retrieved May
21, 2015, from SPI - The Plastics Industry Trade Association:
www.plasticsindustry.org
Knight, L. (2014, May
17). A Brief History of plastics, natural and synthetic. Retrieved May
16, 2015, from British Broadcasting Corporation - BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27442625
Lytle, C. L. (2015). When
The Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide. Retrieved April 15, 2015, from
Plastic Pollution: http://plastic-pollution.org/
PlasticsEurope. (2015).
What is plastic? Retrieved May 13, 2015, from PlasticsEurope:
http://www.plasticseurope.org/what-is-plastic.aspx
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