What Are the Main Characteristics of Plastics?

  Plastics are characterized by their light weight, chemical stability, and corrosion resistance. They offer good impact strength, transparency, abrasion resistance, electrical insulation, and low thermal conductivity. They are easily molded and colored, and processing costs are generally low. However, many plastics have limited heat resistance, high thermal expansion, and are flammable. They may also exhibit poor dimensional stability, tendency to deform, brittleness at low temperatures, and susceptibility to aging. Some plastics are soluble in solvents. Plastics are broadly classified into thermosets (which cannot be remolded) and thermoplastics (which can be reheated and reshaped).