Plastic materials are being used in many areas of day-to-day life. They are of low cost and extremely lightweight when compared to any other metals. They can be either synthetic or biobased. Synthetic ones are made from crude oil, natural gas, and coal. Whereas the bio-based ones are made from starch, vegetable fats, and bacteria which are renewable products.
There are many plastic manufacturers in texas who use various methods depending on their requirements.
Properties of Plastic Materials
Any plastic materials will offer various properties and some of them are listed below
- They are lightweight.
- They are resilient
- They have resistance when comes to corrosion.
- They are transparent.
- They are of low cost.
Types of Plastics
There are two main types of plastics. They are
- Thermoplastics
This is the most common type of plastic available. These types of plastics have the ability to not degrade even though they go through many solidification cycles. Recycling and melting of these plastics are possible.
Common types:
- Acrylic
- Polyamide
- PVC
- PE – Polyethylene
- Polycarbonate
- Thermosetting Plastics
They are also called Thermosets. They will remain in solid-state after the curing process permanently. This type of curing process results in an irreversible bond. There is no return back to a normal state in this case.
Common Types:
- Epoxy
- Polyester
- Silicone
- Vulcanized Rubber
Common Manufacturing Methods of Plastic
- Plastics Casting
In this process, the liquid plastic will be poured into a mold, and after letting it cure at room temperature plastic manufacturers in texas remove the finished product. Types in this casting are
- Dip Molding
- Slush Molding
- Rotational Molding
- Blow Molding
This is also called Hollow molding. This is the process in which by blowing and inflating a thermoplastic tube a hollow object will be formed in the end.
- Plastics Extrusion
This method involves heating and softening the thermoplastic material. The equipment used in this method will be of low cost and can be used widely.
- Thermoforming
There are two types of thermoforming. They are
- Compression Molding or Hot Press Molding
- Vacuum Foaming is also called Vacuum Thermoforming.
- Injection Molding
In this method, granular raw materials are put into the machine for heating, and once it is melted they are injected into a stainless steel mold under high pressure and high temperature.
- Welding
This is a method in which they use welding to heat and melt the thermoplastic and then join them. Types involved in this method are
- Friction Welding
- Laser Welding
- Foaming
In this type of manufacturing plastic manufacturers in texas have to first expand the material before pouring the metal into the mold. Many plastics like PUR, PVC, and EPP can be processed into foaming materials.
Conclusion
Depending on the volume of the plastic materials that are to be manufactured and the budget the company has they have to decide on the manufacturing process. If they want those items to be produced quickly then they have to look for faster processes and more convenient ones as well.
Before plastic, people used wood, metal, glass, and even animal-derived materials like bone and leather. They are all-natural materials and there is no need for these many extensive manufacturing methods.
