B-+Recycling+Plastic

What are plastics?
 * What Are Plastics, and How Are They Recycled? **

s Plastics are saturated polymers that are formulated with plasticizers, stabilizers, fillers, and other additives. s // Polymers // are molecules of high molecular weight that consist of millions of repeated linked units (the subunits are known as //monomers//) s Examples of monomers are: ethene, propene, chloroethene s The process of //polymerization// is used to create polymers by combining monomers (either by addition polymerization or condensation polymerization)

Categories: // There are two main categories of plastics- **thermoplastics** and **thermosets**. We can determine whether or not the plastic is easily recycled by which category it belongs to. //

-can be melted and solidified as many times as needed || -do not melt -instead, they degrade prior to softening -has a more complicated structure ||
 * THERMOPLASTICS  ||   THERMOSETS   ||
 * -are able to be reshaped repeatedly through application of heat and pressure
 * //__ Note: __//** // Thermoplastics are much simpler in their structure, and can be recycled. The structure of thermosets is more complicated and stronger because of cross-linking. The monomers making up thermoplastics are alkenes (one double bond) but the monomers that make up thermosets are ‘dienes’ (two double bonds). The process of cross-linking in thermosets is caused by additional polymerization that holds separate polymer strands together. //

1) PET (polyethylene terephthalate) --> water bottles, soft drink bottles 2) HDPE (high density polyethylene) --> milk and oil bottles, toys, plastic bags 3) PVC (polyvinyl chloride) --> vegetable oil bottles, food wrap 4) LDPE (low density polyethylene) --> freezer bags, clothing, furniture, carpets 5) PP (polypropylene) --> margarine and yogurt containers 6) PS (polystyrene) --> egg cartons, disposable plastic silverware 7) Other (other material or a combination --> eg. polycarbonate- clear hard plastic of the ones that are already listed) * these numbers are found in the recycling triangle. 1 is the most common and easiest to recycle where as 7 does not (or is difficult to) recycle

EXTRAS:


 * Approximately 113 billion pounds, or 51 billion kilograms, of plastics are produced each year in the United States!


 * 27% of that goes for packaging


 * Only 21% of that amount of plastic goes for construction (i.e. buildings)


 * Plastics are one of the three principal products in the polymer industry (other two are fiber and rubber)

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 * For more information on recycling, other than plastic materials, visit the site:

<__ [] ____ > __ ***** *Use username and password as: cool_yorkmills
 * If interested in what is being done in the future about degradable polymers, visit the site:

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 * Be sure to visit this site if you are interested in learning more about recycling plastic bags and watch related videos.

__BIBLIOGRAPHY__

Groning, M. (2005). //Polymer recycling// // and degradation. // AccessScience McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved on October 9, 2010 from < []>
 * Information: **

Turng, L. (2008). //Plastics Processing.// AccessScience McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved October 9, 2010 from < []>

Carraher, C. (2008). //Polymer.// AccessScience McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved October 10, 2010 from < []>

Definitions: Kessel, H., et al. (2003). //Chemistry 12.// Canada: Martindale.

Extra Facts: Castellion, M. (2010). //Plastics and Other Polymers//. The New Book of Popular Science//.// Retrieved  October 11, 2010 from < []>