How is Plastic Made?
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Plastic has been an integral part of modern life for several decades. From household storage containers to auto parts and accessories to casual furniture, plastic has provided an affordable yet sturdy material for many of the items people use every day. Still, many people wonder just how plastic is made. While the process will vary somewhat depending on the final end product that is under production, there are a few basic steps that are included in the manufacturing of plastic goods of all types.
In order to answer the question of “how is plastic made”, it is important to define plastic itself. Plastic is one form of polymers that are composed of a long chain or line of smaller molecules that are known as monomers. Monomers themselves are made of atoms that are usually extracted from natural or organic substances, and are generally classified as petrochemicals. All sorts of monomers can be utilized in the creation of plastic. Crude oil and natural gas are often the source of some of these elements, which include monomers such as styrene, vinyl chloride, and vinyl acetate.
Polymers are created by forming a series of chains or strings of monomers. Processing the polymers in one of two methods results in the formation of plastic. With the thermosetting method, liquid monomers are poured into a mold and allowed to cool. The liquefied monomers are permanent in shape, producing durable goods. With the thermoplastic approach, the liquid monomers are heated and slowly molded into shape. After the heating and manipulation into the desired shape, the product is cooled and allowed to set into a solid. Both the thermoplastic and the thermosetting approaches are referred to as polymerization.
While plastic was once considered a product that was cheap in both price and in quality, modern plastics are utilized for a number of purposes. Many forms of plastic goods contain properties that are both heat and cold resistant. Today, there are plastics that can be used in both conventional ovens as well as in a microwave. Plastic is used to form lightweight patio furniture, durable upholstery, protective coatings on cookware, water piping for the home and other buildings, and a wide range of other products.
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From food-storage containers to disposable silverware, plastic products are such a part of our lives that it's easy to forget they contain chemicals that could harm the environment, and even us. More than 200 billion pounds of plastic, is produced each year, 10 percent ends up in the ocean. Eventually 70 percent of that ends up sinking, which does damage to ocean floor life, and the rest of the plastic floats. About 100,000 animals, such as dolphins, turtles, whales, penguins, are killed every year due to plastic bags. Many animals consume plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and die soon after. The ingested plastic bag remains unbroken even after the death and decomposition of the animal. It lies around in the landscape where another victim may ingest it.
~Elayna, age 16. I wrote a 6 page paper on plastic. - anon50930
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i can't believe how much plastic we use. - anon50315
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you try living without the things that modern society provides then talk to me about being so green. plastic comes from the earth, therefore there is no harm in using it if you know how and when to use it. it's certainly better than using light metals. if you compare the process of making them the differences in pollution output are enormous. look at a steel mill then look at a petrol processing plant. i'll bet the steel mill produces more pollution. thanks greenie. that's the problem with you green people. you speak without facts and you don't even take the time to check before saying something is so bad. - anon47157
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We all should think very hard before we start using food sources for fuel and plastics. It's a recipe for famine. - anon43842
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some of this stuff is wierd. - anon43512
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"Green Person": someone who realizes our collective choices have a profound effect on the ecosystem that we are all a part of and depend on.
Anti "Green Person": Someone who hasn't realized this fact yet. - anon42121
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America should make plastic monuments to represent numerous elements of its culture. From grotesque surgery to the credit debts.
A plastic civilization.
The monuments would last a lot longer than the traditional bronzes. - anon38051
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Plastic is so green all you have to do is recycle it! - anon36904
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If plastic is melted down and poured into a mold, why then does plastic partially burn when held up to a flame? Is it possible to re-melt plastic? - anon31241
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First off its quite obvious that we cannot avoid the use of oil in the society that we live in, but that's not the challenge. The point is that we need to find more sustainable methods of producing plastics, or more renewable materials, such as corn or soy plastic, to move away from the routines we have all created. The aim of 'green people' is to become more conscious of our daily routines and impact on the environment. The shift away from oil/oil based plastics isn't going to be instant. But it has become popular/profitable to be more aware of your actions.Companies are starting to spring up faster and faster that recycle plastics for uses such as plastic lumber, and companies that provide safer and more renewable materials because they see the market for those materials opening up. Just try not to actually do your part to help the movement; be positive and supportive rather than un-knowledgeable; be conscious and aware because oil/plastics are a huge problem in the ways they're used now, but the shift away from that is happening, just be a part of it. - anon29027
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anon28972- Before you start going off on the "green people" for their ignorance, check up on yours. Wood splinters and metals don't cause cancer in children. The fact that plastic does not rot is the whole problem, because it takes hundreds of years to biodegrade. Billions of plastic items end up in landfills every year and that is an obvious negative. Nobody is suggesting we eliminate plastic but making improvements on it and cutting back use could only benefit everybody (except companies). - anon28998
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*We certainly wouldn't* be better off. All you 'green people' can't see past your own noses. Look at all the things made out of plastic here.If we couldn't use plastic, you green people would start whining that people were chopping down too many trees and harming the environment. Then, when we use metal, you would be whining about how mining was damaging 'beautiful nature.' If you really are so green, why don't you live your life *naked* outside in the freezing cold? Now *that* would be green. Conventional plastics are a marvelous invention, and metal/plastic alloys are being researched. What makes plastic so 'unhealthy'? Won't your kids get harmed by wood splinters and harmful metals? Everything comes with a price, and the price for using plastic is relatively small compared to the amounts of deforestation you would have to put up with if you want to use unconventional organic methods. Plastics don't rot, and therefore are hugely useful, unlike wood. - anon28972
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I think if it were illegal too have plastic then substitutes for plastics would be much cheaper. This would then mean we could have more durable items and re-use them, like metal and wood. It would be good for our environment *and* for the health of our children. I say about their health because 75% of plastics have harmful chemicals which can Leach out and our children have a high risk of Cancer and Hormonal disruption.From Martha age 12. - anon27928
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To Not use any oil? - One being, a Human that is, can't escape oil in his/her everyday life. To escape the use of oil one would have to not get dressed - oil, coal, natural gas after all power even the cotton fabric plants. One would not be able to drive to work on Rubberized/Oil tires, or for that matter even touch the steering wheel - plastic. One would not be able to surf the internet(plastic keyboards) or for that matter use *any* electricity for anything ever. One would have to be naked, own nothing made from any polymers, or use any oil/coal/Nat. Gas in any way to make the items get up with the sun and go to bed with the dark, live in a cave, use leaves and twigs to make clothes.I'd like to see all the "do-gooders" protesting plastic to live like that and report back to this blog telling me how it went. - anon27306
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Posted By: Crystal Sempre, 15But there's new corn plastic out now that's biodegradable!! - anon22204
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We would be SO MUCH better off if plastic wasn't so easy to make. It is causing so many problems with chemicals it gives off, how long it takes to break down in landfills, etc. It seemed to be the stuff of miracles when it first came out but that is obviously not true now. - eastwest
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Written by
Malcolm Tatum
Last Modified: 02 November 2009
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