Common Plastic Materials

Plastic materials are used as raw materials for laboratory consumables of many types. They are various and have a wide range of applications. The plastic commonly used is not a single component, it is made up of a lot of material. The main components are high molecular polymers. There will also be a variety of other auxiliary materials added. And that makes plastic with good performance. Plastics are classified according to their plasticity and can be divided into thermoplastics and thermosets. Typically, thermoplastic products are recyclable, while thermosets are not. This article introduces a few common plastic materials to give you a sense of what they are.

Polypropylene

The abbreviated form of polypropylene is PP. PP has a variety of uses, including consumer packaging, plastic parts, specialty devices such as laboratory consumables, and textiles.

• It is translucent and has low surface friction.
• Its chemical properties are stable and do not react with acid-base liquids.
• And it is easy to repair and has good electrical insulation properties. PP material can also be used as raw materials for tableware, water cups, etc.
• It has high-temperature resistance and is the only plastic material that can be put into microwave ovens.
• PP material has good thermal insulation performance, and the texture is pure and non-toxic.
• Most importantly, it is a relatively flexible material that can be produced and processed by a variety of manufacturing techniques. This makes it one of the most commonly used and in-demand plastics on the market.

Polystyrene

Polystyrene is abbreviated as PS. PS is naturally transparent and is widely used in packaging, as well as in the production of consumer products, such as bottle caps, test tubes, culture dishes, and other medical devices.

• It is a thermoplastic that is often used to make various disposable containers that can withstand the temperatures of boiling water. In daily life, there are various disposable plastic tableware, transparent boxes, and others.
• It is easy to process and form, and its advantages of transparency, cheapness, rigidity, insulation, and good printability make it a good electrical insulating material and thermal insulation material.
• It can make various instrument shells, optical chemical instrument parts, transparent films, etc.

Polycarbonate

• PC has good transparency and light transmittance and is easy to process and shape.
• It is lightweight, impact-resistant, and stable. And PC is resistant to high temperature and washing solution corrosion and can be sterilized by radiation, cooking, and baking.
• It does not deform and remains transparent when treated with hot water detergent. It can be repeatedly sterilized and used without yellowing and physical degradation.

Therefore, it is widely used in the medical and healthcare industries and can be used for blood sampling instruments, surgical instruments, etc. It can also be used as door and window glass, film, lighting equipment, and even protective equipment such as protective windows and bulletproof glass.

This is about three common plastic materials, each with its own characteristics. They are not only used as raw materials for laboratory consumables but also widely used in other aspects. They play a great role in promoting human development. Hawach has many plastic consumables for laboratories, if you are interested, you can learn about our PCR tubes, conical flask, and deep well plates.