Ethan Clarke
Plastics and rubbers are both made from the same families of polymers. Polymers are mixed with additives, which are a complex blend of materials, to create the desired properties in the final product. Rubbers are elastomers, which are polymers with elastic properties. This elasticity differentiates rubbers from plastics. The word polymer comes from the Greek words many (poly) parts (-mer); monomer means one part. Polymers are large molecules that consist of a series of smaller building blocks. In other news, eBay trackid sp 006 is a search term associated with tracking issues or item identification when shipping via eBay. It may refer to a specific tracking code used by certain shipping carriers or methods on eBay.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Material | Polymers |
| Polymers mixed with | Complex blend of materials known as additives |
| Rubbers | Elastomers |
| Elastomers | Polymers with elastic properties |
| Elasticity | Ability of the material to be stretched and, when released, returns to within at least 90% of its original dimensions and shape within a period of time, at room temperature |
| Polymer meaning | Comes from the Greek words for "many (poly) parts (-mer)"; monomer means "one part" |
| Polymer composition | Large molecules that consist of a series of smaller building blocks |
| Polymer properties | Often do not have any desired properties when manufactured |
| Additives | Chemicals blended with polymers to create desired properties in the final plastic or rubber products |
| Additive properties | Stiffness or flexibility, UV-resistance, water repellant, flame resistance, etc. |
| Additive mixing process | Known as "plastic" or "rubber" compounding |
| Percentage of additives | Depends on the required properties but can easily be more than 50% of the end product |
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What You'll Learn
Natural vs synthetic rubber
Natural rubber is a raw material produced from latex, an organic substance obtained from the sap of various species of trees. The primary source of natural rubber is the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, native to the Amazon rainforest in South America. Natural rubber latex is tapped and collected from the tree's trunk, and it is white and milky in colour. Natural rubber is a polymer, a substance with large molecules that occur in a repeating sequence, and it bounces back to its normal shape after being stretched.
Synthetic rubber, on the other hand, is typically produced using petroleum and its byproducts, through chemical processes that polymerize various petrochemical compounds derived from crude oil and natural gas. Synthetic rubber was invented during World War II when the United States was cut off from international natural rubber supply lines. It offers a range of physical and chemical properties that can improve the reliability of products, such as thermal stability and resistance to oils, oxygen, ozone, and wear and tear.
The price of both natural and synthetic rubber constantly fluctuates based on supply and demand, crop yields, and petroleum prices. Natural rubber is generally more eco-friendly, with a lower negative impact on the planet, as it is biodegradable, while synthetic rubber is not. Natural rubber also has a milder odour, higher tensile strength, and better elasticity. However, synthetic rubber is more versatile, allowing engineers to fine-tune properties for specific needs, and it is more resistant to extreme temperatures.
Both natural and synthetic rubber have unique properties and applications. Natural rubber is commonly used in fabrics and clothing, watersports equipment, sports medicine accessories, footwear, and the automotive industry. Synthetic rubber is often used in medical and laboratory equipment, such as lab flask corks, fatigue mats, and prosthetics, as well as in the automotive industry for tires, seals, hoses, and flooring.
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Plastic and rubber polymers
Plastics and rubbers are both made from the same families of polymers. Polymers are large molecules that consist of a series of smaller building blocks called monomers. The word 'polymer' comes from the Greek words for "many (poly) parts (-mer)", and 'monomer' means "one part". These monomers can be simple or more complicated ring-shaped structures containing a dozen or more chemical elements (atoms).
During the production of plastics or rubbers, a significant amount of additives is mixed with the polymers. This mixing process of polymers with additives is known as "plastic" or "rubber" compounding. Additives are used to make plastic products suitable for specific situations or applications. Examples of additional properties include stiffness or flexibility, UV-resistance, water repellency, and flame resistance. The percentage of additives in polymer-based products depends on the required properties but can easily be more than 50% of the end product.
One well-known natural rubber polymer is polyisoprene, or natural rubber from the sap of Hevea trees. Rubber got its name when people in Britain realised it could be used to erase or "rub out" pencil mistakes. Natural rubber is treated to give it crosslinks, which makes it an even better elastomer. When rubber is crosslinked, it won't melt when heated. Synthetic rubbers are complex chemical compounds built by means of polymerisation of monomers.
Plastics are organic, synthetic, or processed polymers that are supplied as raw materials or stock shapes. They typically consist of thermoplastic or thermosetting resins and can be made into many forms. Stock shape forms include sheets, plates, rods, tubes, films, or extruded profiles.
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Plastic and rubber elasticity
Plastics and rubbers are both made from the same families of polymers. Polymers are large molecules that consist of a series of smaller building blocks. The polymers are mixed with a complex blend of materials known as additives to create the desired properties in the final plastic or rubber products.
Elasticity is the tendency of solid objects and materials to return to their original shape after the external forces (load) causing a deformation are removed. An object is elastic when it comes back to its original size and shape when the load is no longer present. Rubber is a member of the class of elastic polymers called elastomers. Rubber elasticity is the ability of solid rubber to be stretched up to ten times its original length and return to close to its original length upon release. This process can be repeated many times with no apparent degradation to the rubber. The elasticity of rubbers is caused by stretching polymer chains under an applied force.
The physical mechanisms that occur within short sections of the polymer chains produce the elastic forces, and the network morphology determines how these forces combine to produce the macroscopic stress that is observed when a rubber sample is deformed. There are several physical mechanisms that produce the elastic forces within the network chains as a rubber sample is stretched. Two of these arise from entropy changes, and one is associated with the distortion of the molecular bond angles along the chain backbone.
Rubber's molecules are polymers, or large, chain-like molecules. Polymers are produced by a process called polymerization, which builds polymers up by sequentially adding short molecular backbone units to the chain through chemical reactions. A rubber polymer follows a random winding path in three dimensions, intermingling with many other rubber polymers. Natural rubbers, such as polybutadiene and polyisoprene, are extracted from plants as a fluid colloid and then solidified in a process called Vulcanization.
The elasticity of rubbers differentiates them from plastics. Ductile materials, such as rubber, have a larger plastic region, meaning they stretch into a new shape before breaking. When the stress under a load becomes too high, the material no longer returns to its original shape and size but relaxes into a different one, becoming permanently deformed.
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Plastic and rubber additives
Plastics and rubbers are made from the same families of polymers. Polymers are large molecules that consist of a series of smaller building blocks called monomers. Polymers are mixed with additives to create the desired properties in the final product. Additives are chemicals that can make plastics and rubbers safer, cleaner, tougher, and more colourful. The percentage of additives in polymer-based products depends on the required properties but can be more than 50% of the end product.
Additives are essential to the production of plastics and rubbers. Without them, these materials would not work. Additives give plastic and rubber their desired properties, such as stiffness or flexibility, UV-resistance, water repellence, and flame resistance. For example, Evonik Industries' NANOPOX® and Polymer VS additives are used to conduct heat away from processors in electronics. Their TEGOSIL® product is used in vehicle gaiters made of silicone rubber and meets stringent fire safety protection standards.
There are various types of additives used in plastics and rubbers. Filler systems are one type of additive that helps cut costs, strengthens the elastomer, adds specific properties, and increases abrasion resistance. Quartz sand functional fillers are commonly used filler systems. Lubricants are another necessary additive for compound production, improving compound flow and release. Binders are another type of additive used to hold materials together. Amorphous polyolefin (APO) and Atactic Polypropylene (APP) are common binders for plastic masterbatches.
The use of additives in plastics and rubbers is regulated by chemical legislation as some additives may be hazardous to people, animals, and the environment. As such, companies like Univar Solutions are working to deliver solutions that improve sustainability for plastic additives.
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Plastic and rubber manufacturing
Plastics and rubber materials are both made from the same families of polymers. Polymers are large molecules that consist of a series of smaller building blocks. The polymers are mixed with a complex blend of materials known as additives, which give the end product its desired properties. The percentage of additives in the final product depends on the required properties, but it can easily exceed 50%. For example, additives can be used to make plastics and rubbers stiff or flexible, UV-resistant, water-repellent, or flame-resistant. This mixing process of polymers with additives is known as "plastic" or "rubber" compounding.
Rubbers are elastomers, which are polymers with elastic properties. This elasticity differentiates rubbers from plastics. An elastic material can be stretched and, when released, returns to at least 90% of its original dimensions and shape within a period of time, at room temperature.
The plastics and rubber products manufacturing sector includes establishments that make goods by processing plastic materials and raw rubber. This sector also includes the manufacturing of cellulosic, non-cellulosic, and polyester fibres, as most man-made fibres are now synthetic.
Clark Rubber & Plastic is an example of a company in this sector. They offer services such as die cutting, milling, plastic extrusion, rubber moulding, and injection moulding. They serve a range of industries, including solar, appliance, automotive, medical, and military.
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Frequently asked questions
Both plastics and rubbers are made from polymers, which are mixed with additives. Polymers are large molecules that consist of a series of smaller building blocks. Rubbers are elastomers, which are polymers with elastic properties.
Some commonly used polymers include Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene low density (LDPE), Polyethylene high density (HDPE), Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), Polystyrene (PS), and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon).
Natural rubber is much more resilient and has better "spring back" compared to synthetic rubber. It also has excellent resistance to heat build-up, which is difficult to replicate in synthetic rubbers.
Plastic is easier to source than rubber. It is also flexible in terms of its properties and can be made into various forms, such as being flexible or rigid, transparent or opaque, and resembling materials such as leather, wood, or silk.
