Plastics: navigating the maze of dizzying acronyms September 17, 2024
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- Sep 16, 2024
- 3 min read
By AFP - Agence France Presse
Plastics: navigating the maze of dizzying acronyms
Isabel MALSANG
Plastics are all around us - from food packaging and drink bottles to the insulation in our homes.
For the most part, they are all derived from fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, but what are the main differences between each type of plastic?
Here is a brief guide to the most commonly used plastics and their acronyms, as classified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
- Three main families
Thermoplastics are the most common plastics, as they are very malleable when heated and can be melted again.
Elastomers, on the other hand, can be stretched to a great length and then recover their original shape.
And thermosets are resins that become irreversibly hard when heated.
Within each family, an infinite number of polymers are mixed with a wide range of additives that are sometimes harmful to the environment or health.
These additives can change the color of plastics, prevent aging, make them flexible, increase impact resistance, or reduce flammability.
- PP - POLYPROPYLENE
Polypropylene, or PP, is the most widespread plastic in the world (16%), developed in the mid-1950s and used for car parts and food packaging, as well as disposable trays.
- HDPE and LDPE - High and low-density polyethylenes
High and low-density polyethylenes each account for 12% of global plastic use, according to the OECD.
HDPE, invented in 1933 by British engineers, is used for toys, shampoo bottles, pipes, motor oil cans, and a variety of household objects.
LDPE developed later in the 1950s, is widely used to make flexible products such as reusable bags and films for food packaging.
- PVC -
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is mainly used in construction for window frames, floor coverings, pipes, or cable insulation. It accounts for 11% of global plastic.
- PS -
Polystyrene (PS), invented in 1931 by IG Farben, accounts for 5% of the world's plastic and is mainly used for food packaging.
In its unexpanded form, it is used for yogurt packaging or in construction.
In expanded form, it is used for packaging fish or insulation in the building industry.
- PET -
Also accounting for 5% of the world's plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most widely used plastic for beverage bottles in its transparent form (water, soft drinks) and sometimes in opaque versions for products such as long-life milk.
- PUR - POLYURETHANE
Polyurethane (PUR), developed in 1937 by Otto Bayer, is used in insulation and mattresses and accounts for four percent of the world's plastic.
It is mainly used in the insulation of refrigerators, as upholstery foam in buildings, in adhesives, various coatings, shoe soles, and in composite wood panels or surfboards.
- Other types - You are the only one to have access to this type of plastic.
In total, they represent 22% of all plastic and include ABS (acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene) used in tires, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and PMMA, another name for plexiglass.
- Bio-based plastics - This group is made from biomass, such as polyethylene terephthalate.
This group is made from biomass, such as corn, sugar cane, wheat, or other waste, and not from petroleum products.
Its production generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than fossil-based plastics, but although its volume is increasing, it is not keeping pace with other types of plastic.
- Fibers - Fibers are made from different polymers.
Fibers made from different polymers are used in the textile industry and account for 13% of all plastics in the world.
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