Plastic is material consisting of any of a wide range of malleable organic compounds that are synthetic or semi-synthetic and can, therefore, be moulded into solid objects. Let us have a deep insight into the pros and cons of plastic in this article.
Advantages of plastic :
- Plastic is very light in weight.
- They are strong, good and cheap to produce.
- Plastic available at low cost.
- They are unbreakable.
- It has a high strength to weight ratio.
- Complex parts can be easily manufactured.
- Used to make - water bottles, pens, plastic bags, cups etc.
- Plastics can be of a variety of colours or can be clear.
- It is free from corrosion.
- They are good water and chemical resistant and have good adhesive properties.
- They are chemical resistant.
- They are odourless.
- It can work as an electrical as well as a thermal insulator.
- It can damp the vibration.
- They can be easily moulded and have an excellent finishing.
- Plastic is also more flexible than glass.
Disadvantages of plastic :
- Creeping can be a problem.
- It cannot withstand extreme heat so it is thermally unstable.
- They are non-renewable resources.
- They produce toxic fumes when burnt.
- They are low heat resistant and ductility.
- They are non-biodegradable.
- It can be UV light sensitive.
- The stiffness is relatively low in comparison to other tough materials.
- It has a low strength.
- Reworking or repairing of plastic is very tough.
- They harm the environment by choking the drains.
- They are embrittlement at low temperature and deformation at high pressure.
- They may pollute the environment and threatening our health.
In everyday life, we use plastic bags. plastic bags are mostly made of polythene so we have to know more about the advantages and disadvantages of using plastic bags made from polythene.