Modern man is increasingly moving away from the use of natural ingredients in the organization of his life. Furniture made of wood, packaging made of durable cardboard and other household items of natural origin are being replaced by plastic products. This process is accompanied by a variety of controversies between supporters "for" and "against". But, no matter what they say, the practicality and relative cheapness of artificial material provide a durable and undeniable penetration of it into life.
In fact, plastic is an impact-resistant technical resin. It is based on acrylonitrile copolymer, as well as butadiene and styrene.
Plastic properties
Here are some of the main properties of plastic: the ability to accept colors and shapes, non-toxicity, impact resistance, elasticity, durability, moisture, oil and acid resistance, the breadth of the operating temperature range from -40 ° C to + 90 ° C (sometimes it is even more extended for modified brands) and, which is important in everyday life, resistance to detergents and alkalis.
Application
In many spheres of human life it is impossible to do without this miracle material, especially at the present stage of the development of society. First of all, plastic conquered the house: plastic cases of TV and vacuum cleaner, coffee maker and electric kettle, computer and printer, camera and calculator, as well as many other necessary household items. Plastic is used to produce furniture, doors, windows, plumbing products, switches and even musical instruments.
If you look at the desktop, office supplies are also derivatives of plastic. Even many car parts are all made from the same material. There are a number of areas where plastic is almost impossible to replace, for example, catering establishments, where plastic dishes serve as an excellent storage for food, fast food cafes, where plastic half is used as disposable.
Disadvantages of plastic
However, plastic has many disadvantages. It does not absorb the smell, but generously shares its own, if it is made from low-quality material. It is plastic, but very fragile. It is able to preserve the freshness of the product, but it itself does not differ in environmental friendliness, having a long decomposition time in the ground. For example, a PET bag will take more than 100 years to decompose, and heavy plastic objects can lie in the ground for 500 years. This process is highly dependent on both the environmental conditions and the composition of the plastic. The material is very different.
Immediately after the start of application, polystyrene in products lasted only a few years. Compositions of later production under room conditions were destroyed after several decades. The modern product of the chemical industry is so durable that human life will not be enough to track the process of its decay.
