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 o
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