PLASTIC. CLASSIFICATION

There are two main types of plastics and these are named Thermoplastics and Thermosetting Plastics.

Thermoplastics are made up of lines of molecules with few cross linkages. This allows them to soften when heated and to be bent into a variety of shapes and forms. They become stiff and solid again when cold. This process can be repeated many times. The bond between the molecules is weak and become weaker when reheated, allowing reshaping. Thermoplastics tend to be composed of 'long chain monomers. They can be recycled.

Thermosetting Plastics are made up of lines of molecules which are heavily cross linked. It creates a rigid molecular structure. They may be heated the first time and shaped but they become permanently stiff and solid. They cannot be reshaped again. The molecules of these plastics are cross linked in three dimensions and this is why they cannot be reshaped or recycled