TABLE OF CONTENTS Plastics consistofpolymers and sometimes resins. The polymers are usually thermoplastic and the resins can be thermoplastic or thermoset. Major categories of polymers and resins are discussed below.
Carbon occurs in several allotropic forms or isomers with different bonds between the carbon atoms. In diamond all atoms are equidistant from each other and bonded together in the form of a tetrahedron (Elias, 1977).
Coal is a fossilized vegetable product containing mostly C, H, O, and N.
Carbon black is formed from the burning of gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons under conditions of restricted air access. Carbon black has a microporosity.
Bitumen is a naturally occurring black material that is also obtained in mineral-oil refining. It consists of high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons dispersed in oillike material.
Asphalt is a brown or pitch-black, naturally occurring or artificially produced mixture of bitumen with minerals.
Graphite is moderately stable to oxidation and this property yields high-temperature stable fibers. Graphite fibers are crystalline and carbon fibers are not, although they are similar in appearance. Both fibers are usually made from polyacrylonitrile precursors which undergo an internal rearrangement at high temperatures.
Paraffin is a low-molecular-weight polyethylene and usually a by-product of petroleum refining. It is petroleum jelly or better known by the trade name Vasoline.
Amino resins (aminoplasts) are condensation products from compounds containing ?NH groups, which are joined by a Mannich reaction to a nucleophilic component via the carbonyl atom of an aldehyde or ketone. An example of an amino...
