DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
MATERIALS - PLASTICS
THERMOPLASTICS
ACRYLONITRILE BUTADIENESTYRENE (ABS)
PROPERTIES - High impact strength, scratch resistant, light in weight, good surface finish, relatively high melting point
USES - Kitchen ware, telephones, food processors, televisions & computers
ACRYLIC (PERSPEX)
PROPERTIES - more transparent than glass, fairly hard wearing and will not shatter, brittle and is fairly easily scratched
USES - illuminated signs, baths, shower trays and washbasins, car lights, safety glasses.
EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE
PROPERTIES - very light, good heat and sound insulator, good at absorbing shock
USES - packaging, insulator for building, food trays
HIGH IMPACT POLYSTYRENE (HIPS)
PROPERTIES - very brittle, can be almost clear or coloured, vacuum forms well
USES - containers and packaging, construction kits, jar tops, tumblers
NYLON
PROPERTIES - It wears well, has low frictional properties, and has a fairly high melting point, good resistance to wear and a high degree of resistance to chemical attack
USES - as a fibre - clothing, carpets and brushes
as a solid material - gears and bearings
POLYTHENE (LOW DENSITY)
PROPERTIES - soft and flexible, can be transparent or opaque
USES - plastic bags, buckets and washing up bowls, squeezy bottles, and child's toys.
We use more low density polythene than any other plastic.
POLYTHENE (HIGH DENSITY)
PROPERTIES - fairly stiff and strong, it softens at a fairly high temperature (around 120-130 C), resistant to chemical attack
USES - waste pipes, plastic bottles, water containers, and watering cans.
POLYPROPYLENE
PROPERTIES - tough and more rigid than high density polythene, greater resistance to heat -it softens at around 1500C, the lowest density of the thermoplastics, very high impact strength, very flexible
USES - hinged plastic boxes, syringes, child's toys, stackable chairs, and bottles.
POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)
PROPERTIES - can be produced to give a range of properties, hard and soft
HARD PVC - USES - drain pipes and guttering, bottles
SOFT PVC - USES insulator for electrical cables, 'leathercloth', furniture and handbags, suitcases, waterproof clothing.
Source: http://wsdt.wellingboroughschool.org/resources/dtoncd1/school/materials/plastic/thermoplastic.doc
Web site to visit: http://wsdt.wellingboroughschool.org
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