WHAT IS PLASTIC MADE OF?
Essentially, plastics are human-made, synthetic polymers made from long chains of carbon and other elements. Through a process called cracking, crude oil and natural gases are converted to hydrocarbon monomers like ethylene, propylene, styrene, vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol, and so on.
These are then mixed with other chemicals to produce a desired finished product - plasticizers like phthalates to make PVC soft, butadiene to make plastic #7 tough, and many others.
Additional additives include bacteria, heat, light, color, and friction. To create the desired form and shape of the plastic, the materials is finally cast, spun, molded, fabricated, extruded, or applied as a coating on another material.
Have you ever thought about what plastic really is and how it’s made?
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