A plastic is a moldable material with a polymer base. There are 3 types of plastic:
- Thermoplastics: are polymers that melt when heated and harden when cooled.
- Thermosets: are polymers which, once solidified, cannot be melted again due to the very strong interactions between the molecular chains.
- Elastomers: are polymers characterized by high elasticity.
Plastics are mainly produced from fossil resources (oil, gas), but also from biomass, in which case they are known as “biobased”.
Each polymer has its own properties and structures. Properties can be enhanced by adding additives, fillers, plasticizers, etc.