Plastics engineering encompasses the processing, design, development, and manufacture of plastics products. A plastic is a polymeric material that is in a semi-liquid state, having the property of plasticity and exhibiting flow. The nature of plastic materials poses unique challenges to an engineer. Mechanical properties of plastics are often difficult to quantify, and the plastics engineer has to design a product that meets certain specifications while keeping costs to a minimum. Other properties that the plastics engineer has to address include; outdoor weatherability, thermal properties such as upper use temperature, electrical properties, barrier properties, and resistance to chemical attack. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A polymer (from Greek: πολυ, polu, many; and μέρος, meros, part) is a substance composed of molecules with large molecular mass composed of repeating structural units, or monomers, connected by covalent chemical bonds. ... Look up plasticity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In plastics engineering, as in most engineering disciplines, the economics of a product plays an important role. The cost of plastic materials ranges from the cheapest commodity plastics used in mass produced consumer products to the very expensive, so called engineering resins. The cost of a plastic product is measured in different ways, and the absolute cost of a plastic material is difficult to ascertain. Cost is often measured in price per pound of material, or price per unit volume of material. In many cases however, it is important for a product to meet certain specifications, and cost could then be measured in price per unit of a property. Price with respect to processibility is often important, as some materials need to be processed at very high temperatures, increasing the amount of cooling time a part needs. In a large production run cooling time is very expensive. Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ... Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ...

Some plastics are manufactured from re-cycled materials but their use in engineering tends to be limited because the consistency of formulation and their physical properties tend to be less consistent.

Plastics engineering specialties

• Medical plastics
• Automotive plastics
• Recycled or recyclable plastics
• Biodegradable plastics
• Elastomers / Rubber
• Epoxys
• Plastics processing: Injection moulding, Plastics extrusion, Stretch-blow molding, Thermoforming, Compression molding, Calendering, Transfer molding, Laminating, Fiberglass molding, Pultrusion, Filament winding

Biodegradation is the decomposition of material by microorganisms. ... The term elastomer is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, and is preferred when referring to vulcanisates. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... In chemistry, epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures (polymerizes and crosslinks) when mixed with a catalyzing agent or hardener. Most common epoxy resins are produced from a reaction between epichlorohydrin and bisphenol-A. The first commercial attempts to prepare resins from epichlorohydrin occurred in 1927 in... Injection moulding is a manufacturing technique for making parts from thermoplastic material in production. ... Plastics extrusion is a high volume manufacturing process in which raw plastic material is melted and formed into a continuous profile. ... Stretch-blow molding is a processing method for the manufacture of biaxially oriented plastic containers. ... A vacuum/pressure assist thermoforming machine with molds visible in the lower right. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Calendering is a finishing process applied to textiles and paper. ... Transfer molding, like compression molding, is a process where the amount of molding material (usually a thermoset plastic) is measured and inserted before the moulding takes place. ... A laminate is a material constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. ... Fiberglass Molding is a process in which fiberglass reinforced resin plastics are formed into useful shapes. ... Pultrusion is a continuous process of manufacturing of composite materials with constant cross-section whereby reinforcing fibers are pulled through a resin, possibly followed by a separate preforming system, and into a heated die, where the resin undergoes polymerization. ... Filament winding is a fabrication technique for creating composite structures. ...

See also

• Plastic
• Polymer chemistry
• Fields of engineering

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Polymer chemistry or macromolecular chemistry is a multidisciplinary science that deals with the chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers or macromolecules. ... Acoustical engineering Aquatic and environmental engineering Aerospace engineering Agricultural engineering Architectural engineering and Architecture Automotive systems engineering (or Automotive engineering) Biological engineering Biomedical engineering Biomaterials engineering Bioresource engineering Ceramic engineering Chemical engineering Civil engineering Coastal engineering Combat engineering: the use of engineering skills for military purposes Communication engineering Computer engineering...

External links

• Umass Lowell Plastics Department Website
• Society of Plastics Engineers
• Plastic & polymer formulations