The plastic

THE PLASTIC

1.The origin of plastic ( when and how it was invented and collect relevant information throughout
history): The evolution of plastic began with the use of natural materials

that had intrinsic plastic properties, such as shellac or chewing gum.
... A major breakthrough took
place in 1907, when the Belgian-
American chemist Leo Baekeland
created Bakelite, the first truly
synthetic mass-produced plastic.

2. Types of plastic today and its uses:
• PET (Tereftalato de polietileno)
• HDPE (Polietileno de alta densidad)
• LDPE (Polietileno de baja densidad)
• PVC (Policloruro de vinilo)
• PP (Polipropileno)
• PS (Poliestireno)
• Otros (Plástico mezcla)

3. Advantages and disadvantages of plastic: Durable,

resistant and reusable main advantages.

Very versatile for both daily use and

storage containers. Also, to replace other

objects, such as drinking straws. Main

disadvantages: more expensive than plastic, less malleable and heavier,

they make it more inconvenient in many cases.

4. Why plastic is a worldwide problem today.

Plastics have taken over the Earth. Its increasing production and use
threaten to contaminate every corner of the planet, especially the seas,
the final destination of many of them, where they seriously damage the
health of aquatic ecosystems and the survival of the species that inhabit
them. We can find them on the beach, on the rocks, floating in the water
and even in the deepest areas. From the Arctic to Antarctica, in
populated areas and on uninhabited islands. Every year, the seas and
oceans receive up to 12 million tons of garbage. The world situation is
dramatic, even more so considering that the production of plastics
continues to increase, reaching 380 million tons around the world in
2015. These quantities, their easy dispersion and their slow degradation
process make plastic the enemy number one of seas and oceans. Its use is
a problem associated with the modes of consumption, since most are used
for single-use packaging. Spain is the fifth largest producer in the EU.

Elastomers. The monomers come from
natural substances such as rubber,
cellulose and casein (protein present
in milk).
For example: cellophane and rubber.

Artificial.
The monomers come from synthetic
substances, mainly derived from
petroleum.
For example: polyethylene.

According to its reaction to heat.

Thermoplastics.
When heated they acquire a liquid
consistency and when cooled they acquire
a vitreous state (similar to glass). This
type of plastic can be heated and molded,
and then it can be reheated several times
and change its shape back.
For example: polyethylene and rubber.

Thermostable.
When heated, they are molded and cooled to take a certain shape, then
it is impossible to reheat them to melt them again. That is why they
are said to be rigid or thermodide.
For example: Bakelite and polyesters.

Also called "rubbers", they are polymers with high elasticity. If a
deforming force is applied to them, they have a high capacity to
regain their original shape when said force is removed.
For example: neoprene.

According to its molecular structure.

Amorphous.
Its molecules are disorganized and do not
tend to form any ordered structure, which is
why they leave large spaces between their
particles for light to penetrate, thus
achieving transparent plastics.
For example: atactic polystyrene.

Crystallizable.
They tend to form rigid crystals
resistant to deformation. Depending
on the cooling rate of a polymer,
its crystallinity can be increased
or decreased. If it is cooled fast
it decreases its crystallinity, and
if it is cooled slowly, its
crystallinity increases. In the case
of amorphous plastics, they will not
have any level of crystallinity, no
matter how fast they cool.

For example: polypropylene is a
crystallizable plastic.

Semi-crystallizable.

They have intermediate

characteristics between amorphous

and crystallizable, since they have

disordered areas and other ordered

ones. The passage of light through

them will depend on their

thickness.

For example: low-density polyethylene.

Uses of plastic

The applications of plastic
are virtually endless: from
spare parts for electronic,
electrical and industrial
devices, such as insulators,
protectors, covers, shock
absorbers, etc., to components
of the construction sector
such as pipes, waterproofing,
insulation, glass, etc.

Another very common use of

plastic is in the manufacture

of tools, toys, packaging,

furniture, containers,

dividers, fasteners and, above

all, bags.

History of plastic

The invention of plastic
revolutionized human industry
forever. It was initially
developed at the end of the 19th
century as a substitute for ivory
to create billiard balls, by the
American John Weasley Hyatt, who
was able to synthesize a
celluloid by dissolving vegetable
cellulose in camphor and ethanol.
Years later, in 1909, Leo Hendrik
Baekeland made a polymer from
phenol and formaldehyde, which was the first synthetic plastic in
history, still known as "bakelite".
This is considered as the beginning of the “era of plastic” that had
its peak in the 20th century, when the exploration of plastic resins
began and their subsequent application to practically all fields of
the industry.
Ten years later, in 1919, the macromolecular composition of plastic
was discovered thanks to the studies of the German Hermann Staudinger.

Plastic properties :

Plastics are sparse and inexpensive to manufacture.
Plastics are sets of organic macromolecules, generally of synthetic
origin, mostly waterproof, resistant, diamagnetic and good acoustic,
electrical and thermal insulators, although they are not very
resistant to very high temperatures in their entirety.

In addition, they are not very dense, inexpensive
to manufacture, and easy to work and mold. Once they
have cooled and acquired a certain shape, they are
resistant to corrosion and many chemical elements,
except organic solvents (such as thinner, a diluent
whose name comes from English).

For the rest, most plastics are not
biodegradable, although they are
currently being experimented in that
direction, nor are they easy to
recycle, which makes them an important
source of pollution that lasts over
time.

Although we all know that plastic is bad, here are reasons not to eliminate
plastic

1. It is a 100% recyclable material.
2. Its production does not require the

felling of a single tree.
3. Producing it reduces greenhouse

gas emissions 3 times and lowers
water consumption 5 times.
4. Vacuum plastic is the only material
that increases the life of meat up
to 8 times. The meat covered with
emplaye lasts from 3 to 7 days;
while the vacuum packed plastic
keeps it up to 45 days.
5. The meat covered with emplaye lasts from 3 to 7 days; while the vacuum
packed plastic keeps it up to 45 days.

6. Without plastic, meat production would
increase up to 8 times due to waste.
7. Plastic is the only material that locks
up the odors and pollutants of toxic
garbage.
8. If the plastic is eliminated, overwheel
shops and other businesses would be left
without means of packaging for products
and effective garbage protection. This
would increase the garbage in the streets.

https://youtu.be/G8MO_8Zfu3Q : in this video a little more is explained
about in plastic

To reduce the harmful effects, some countries adopted recycling measures,
below we will talk about the 5 countries that recycle the most in the world.
Swiss.
Austria.
Germany.
Belgium.
Netherlands.

Bibliographyc
https://cceea.mx/blog/medio-ambiente/5-paises-que-mas-reciclan-en-el-
mundo
https://www.privarsa.com.mx/eliminar-el-plastico-una-solucion-real-para-
salvar-el-
planeta/#:~:text=Si%20se%20elimina%20el%20pl%C3%A1stico,que%20hay%20en%20
las%20calles.
https://www.thepremiersupplygroup.com/cut-down-plastic-
waste/#:~:text=It%20could%20lead%20to%20a,may%20no%20longer%20be%20there.