Introduction to the
plastics industry
Your shortcut to the plastics field
ABOUT THE
Session
We will discuss some broad
outlines about the field of the
plastics industry in terms of raw
materials, manufacturing
methods, and areas of work in the
plastics industry
AGENDA
What is plastic and Plastic raw materials and
01 when was it discovered? 02 their classification
Plastic manufacturing Advantages and
03 methods and their
04 disadvantages of plastic
applications
Opportunities available in the
05 Plastic injection mold design 06 plastics industry
What is plastic
01 and when was it
discovered?
What is plastic ?
Plastics are a type of material that can be shaped while they
are soft and then solidified to keep their form.
The main elements used to make plastics today are cellulose,
coal, natural gas, salt and crude oil, which are all found in
nature. Various raw materials are used in the production of
plastics, which are refined into ethane and propane. Heat is
then applied to ethane and propane, resulting in a process
known as "cracking," which transforms them into ethylene and
propylene, respectively.
Plastics are polymers, which means that they are created by
joining together chains of molecules (known as monomers) to
form a larger molecule than originally existed (a polymer).
Polystyrene is an example of such a material. Polymers are
robust and long-lasting because of their connections.
Plastic from Cellulose
Cellulose plastics are bio plastics that are
produced by processing cellulose or cellulose
derivatives into plastic. Cellulose plastics are
made from softwood trees, which are used as
the primary raw material in their production.
The bark of the tree is extracted and can be used
as a source of energy in the manufacturing
process. The tree is processed or heated in a
digester in order to separate the cellulose fiber
from the rest of the tree's fiber.
Plastic from Natural Gas
The majority of people are unaware that natural gas is the starting
point for a large portion of plastic manufacture. The cracker
plant is the first stage in the process of making plastic from
natural gas for use in manufacturing. Naptha (a crude oil-based
product) and ethane (a natural gas liquid) are converted into
ethylene in cracking operations. Ethylene is used as the starting
point for a range of chemical products and plastics.
A pipeline is then used to transfer the ethylene generated during the
cracking process to another facility where it will be transformed
into useable goods, the most often seen being polyethylene.
Polyethylene, sometimes known as polythene, is the most
widely used plastic today. It is a polymer that is mostly utilized
in the packaging industry.
Plastic from Crude Oil
Petroleum-based plastic is made up of artificial organic polymers
that are derived from natural gas or oil and are used in virtually
every facet of modern society, including the home, the
workplace, and cars. Worldwide output of petroleum-based
plastics exceeded 322 million tons in 2015, an increase from the
previous year's production of 1.7 million tons.
Population growth in coastal areas has increased progressively
during the twentieth century. The use of petroleum-based
plastic materials for various applications, particularly medical,
industrial, commercial, and municipal, has steadily increased.
When was plastic discovered?
The first man-made plastic was invented by
Alexander Parkes in 1855; This plastic was
given the name parkesine (later called
celluloid).
Plastic raw
02 materials and their
classification
Plastic raw materials are classified
into two main types :
Thermoplastic Thermoset
is any plastic polymer material is a polymer that is obtained
that becomes pliable or by irreversibly hardening
moldable at a certain elevated ("curing") a soft solid or
temperature and solidifies upon viscous liquid prepolymer
cooling (resin).
Simply !
Butter, soften when heated and harden when
cooled, repeatable process – “ Thermoplastics “
Simply !
Eggs, undergo a chemical process which
crosslinks the polymer chains. Will not re-melt
– “ Thermosets “
Common plastic materials and their
applications
ABS PS PMMA PC
Acrylonitrile
Polystyrene Acrylic Polycarbonate
Butadiene Styrene
PP PE PA POM
Polyamide
Polypropylene Polyethylene Polyoxymethylene
Nylon
ABS
ABS has a low melting point which makes it easy to injection
mold and has a glossy finish after coming out of the injection
molding
Its properties:
- Shock resistant
- very light
- Not resistant to sunlight
Its applications:
- household appliance
- keyboard
- Sports equipment
PS
PS is lightweight, relatively inexpensive, has good chemical
resistance to acids and bases, and has excellent resistance to
gamma rays.
Its properties:
- Moisture resistant
- very light
Its applications:
- household appliance
- Medical applications
- Kids Games
- Eating equipment
PMMA
PMMA has high optical clarity, is resistant to ultraviolet rays, is
strong, and is considered an alternative to glass
Its properties:
- Water resistant
- Absorbs unpleasant odors
- Prone to cracking
- It can be stained easily
Its applications:
- household appliance
- Lighting applications
- Windows and solar panels
PC
PC is strong and transparent and maintains its color and
strength when dyed. Although it is not scratch-resistant, it is
stronger than glass.
Its properties:
- Good dimensional control
- Maintaining its physical properties
- Uniform contraction
Its applications:
- the glasses
- Car headlights
- mobile phones
PP
PP is the second most widely used material in the world, as it
has good chemical resistance, maintains its shape after
twisting or bending, and has a high melting point.
Its properties:
- Chemical resistant
- Decomposes when exposed to ultraviolet rays
- Difficult to paint
Its applications:
- household appliance
- Kids Games
- Sports equipment
- Packing
PE
PE is the most widely used plastic in the world and is a
commercial polymer that can be selected according to its
density. Both high-density polyethylene and low-density
polyethylene offer chemical resistance, but they differ in terms
of hardness, flexibility, melting point, and optical transparency.
Its properties:
- Resistant to moisture and chemicals
- Flexible and easy to assort
Its applications:
- Food
- Kids Games
PA
Nylon is a synthetic polyamide PA material that combines
toughness, high temperature resistance, high wear resistance,
good fatigue resistance and noise dampening properties.
Its properties:
- Heat and corrosion resistant
- Weak resistance to acids
Its applications:
- Mechanical parts
- Electrical appliances
POM
POM is an engineering plastic also known as acetal. It
combines excellent hardness, thermal stability and has a low
coefficient of friction. This plastic material has low water
absorption and good chemical resistance. In appearance, POM
is naturally opaque and white in color.
Its properties:
- Excellent rigidity
- High thermal expansion rate
- Not resistant to sunlight
Its applications:
- Gears and pulleys
- Parts of knives and firearms
Plastic
manufacturing
03 methods and their
applications
Extrusion
Extrusion molding involves plastic material forming into a long
tube by being continuously extruded from the machine and
cooled into the required dimensions. The extruding machine's
die determines the shape and length of the finished
component.
Its applications:
Extrusion is a manufacturing process used to make pipes,
hoses, drinking straws, curtain tracks, rods, and fiber
Injection Molding
Injection molding process is producing plastic products by
inserting the plastic granules, heating them, cooling them and
finally giving the shape and size of the required plastic
products. It is the rapid method of producing a large number
of plastic products with high precision.
Its applications:
- Automotive parts – dashboards, bumpers, grilles.
- Medical devices – syringes, valves, dishes.
- Consumer plastics – mobile phone cases, bottle caps, toys.
Blow Molding
Blow molding is the forming of a hollow object by inflating or
blowing a thermoplastic molten tube called a “parison” in the
shape of a mold cavity. The process consists of extruding or
“dropping” a parison on which female mold halves are closed.
The female mold halves contain the shape of the product to
be produced.
Its applications:
bottles, industrial containers, automotive products, appliance
components, and children' toys
Centrifugal Molding
Centrifugal Molding involves rotating a mold at high speeds
while a liquid material is poured into it. The centrifugal force
generated by the rotation spreads the liquid material evenly
along the mold cavity, creating a casting with high densities
and minimal defects.
Its applications:
- Big Plastic Tanks
Compression Molding
Compression molding is a forming process in which a plastic
material is placed directly into a heated metal mold then is
softened by the heat and therefore forced to conform to the
shape of the mold, as the mold closes. Once molding is
completed excess Flash may be removed.
Its applications:
Compression molding is often used to manufacture electrical
sockets, switches, faceplates, and metering devices.
Plastic Casting
Plastic casting is basically the act of pouring the plastic liquid
into the mold cavity which cures after a particular duration
through a chemical reaction and cooling under set
parameters.
Its applications:
The most common use for this method is for big and hollow
parts. These parts include car parts, bins, kayaks, road cones,
pet houses and storage tanks
Advantages and
04 disadvantages
of plastic
Advantages of plastic
The growth in the use of plastic is due to its beneficial
properties which include:
• Extreme versatility and ability to be tailored to meet specific
technical needs.
• Lighter weight than competing materials reduces fuel
consumption during transportation.
• Good safety and hygiene properties for food packaging.
• Durability and longevity
• Resistance to chemicals, water and impact.
• Excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties
• Comparatively lesser production cost
• Unique ability to combine with other materials like
aluminum foil, paper, adhesives
• Far superior aesthetic appeal.
• The material of choice – Human lifestyle and plastic
inseparable.
• Intelligent features, smart materials and smart systems.
Disadvantages of plastic
There are some disadvantages of plastic which include:
• Produce toxic fumes and gases when burn like carbon
monoxide.
• Non biodegradable, it takes millions years to degrade.
• Create all kind of pollution like air, land and water pollution.
So, we can limit those disadvantages by recycling plastic
materials.
05 Plastic injection
mold design
Plastic injection mold design
The design of plastic injection molds is considered the father of the rest of the
design and manufacturing methods that we mentioned
It is considered the most comprehensive and basic principle of the design
process.
Simulation & DFM Design Manufacutring Operating
The product is checked The appropriate design The mold is
for design and an of the injection mold is manufactured The mold is operated
injection simulation is made and reviewed according to the design after manufacturing is
performed before manufacturing through various completed
manufacturing methods
Opportunities
06 available in the
plastics industry
R&D Engineer
Research and Development Engineer is considered the
mastermind behind starting any industrial project in the field of
plastic products
It has more than one function, such as Material Engineer,
whose role is to determine the type of material suitable for the
product
And Test Engineer, who conducts the tests necessary for the
success of the product
Product Design Engineer
Product design engineer is one of the jobs in the field of
plastic products
As it is the starting step for any product.
The product design engineer designs the product according
to important considerations that help the product succeed for
testing and use.
Molds Design Engineer
Plastic mold design engineer is considered one of the most
famous and widespread jobs in the world.
The mold design step is an initial and essential step in the
plastic manufacturing process
The mold designer examines the product and chooses the
appropriate manufacturing method for it, then moves on to
start designing, simulating the manufacturing of the product,
and following the manufacturing process until the mold is
tested and the product passes the tests.
THANKS!
Does anyone have any questions?
