What Is Plastic Made of? Here Are the Materials & Process

Plastic is one of the synthetic materials that you frequently encounter in housewares, such as food containers, baskets, trash bags, and many more.

Not only that, but plastic is also used to produce automotive components, food packages, medical tools, and so on.

But, did you know what plastic is made of? This article discusses the plastic raw materials and the making process. So, read the information until the end!

An Overview of Plastic

When discussing plastic, it is important to know that the global plastic production is increasing annually. Based on Our World in Data, global plastic production in 2019 reached 459.7 million tons and is forecasted to increase significantly.

The same source projected that global plastic production will reach 1.2 trillion tons in 2060. This is thanks to plastic’s role in various industries.

The plastics produced are divided into three major groups: thermoplastics, elastomers, and thermoset polymers.

Thermoplastics are types of plastic that can soften when heated and harden when cooled. Examples of thermoplastics are PVC and polyethylene.

Next, an elastomer is a type of plastic that is similar to rubber because it can be stretched and still return to its original shape. An example of an elastomer is silicone.

Lastly, thermoset polymer is a type of plastic that will be hard when heated, making it impossible to reform.

What Is Plastic Made Of?

If you are wondering what plastic is made of, the water-resistant and anti-corrosion product is made of chemical structures, such as hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and so on. Then, the raw materials are petroleum and natural gas. Below are the plastic raw materials you should know:

1. Petroleum

Most plastics are made of petroleum. It contains hydrocarbons, like propylene, working as the primary monomer in plastic production, such as polypropylene (PP).

To become plastic, petroleum will undergo several chemical processes, separating the chemical substance so that it can transform into a monomer. After that, the monomers can be used to manufacture plastic.

Petroleum is also often processed into naphtha to be used as a material for making plastic. Examples of the main raw materials for plastic made from naphtha are olefins, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and butane.

Other than olefins, naphtha also produces aromatics, such as toluene, benzene, and xylene. Then, olefins and aromatics are combined to form long molecule chains called polymers. Polymers will undergo various transformation processes to become plastic.

2. Cellulose

Cellulose is a natural material from plant structures. This material is often used to make bioplastics. In its manufacture, cellulose is converted into monomers. However, cellulose can also undergo certain chemical processes to become the final plastic product.

3. Natural Gas

Natural gas is also the raw material of plastics. It contains hydrocarbons like ethylene, which is the war material for polyethylene. But, natural gas can also contain propene, which is the raw material for polypropylene.

To process natural gas into plastic, you need to do the extraction, refining, and other chemical processes so that you can obtain monomers.

How Plastic Is Made

Most plastic production undergoes extraction, refining, polymerization, and mixing with other materials. Below is the process of plastic making you can learn:

1. Extraction

The first process is raw material extraction, such as petroleum and natural gas. Then, it will proceed to the next steps.

2. Refining

Petroleum will be refined to become various petroleum products. The crude oil will be heated in a furnace and sent to a distillation unit to separate the lighter components. One of the components used to produce plastic mass is naphtha.

3. Polymerization

Polymerization is the process of transforming light gas olefins, like propene and ethylene, into a polymer by bonding the monomers into chains. Polymerization can be done with addition polymerization and condensation polymerization.

Addition polymerization is the process where one monomer is connected to the next monomer (dimer) and the dimer is connected to the next monomer (trimer). This process uses catalysts like peroxide. Examples of the addition polymers are polyethylene, PVC, and polystyrene.

On the other hand, condensation polymerization is the process of bonding two or more monomers by removing small molecules like water. This polymerization needs a catalyst to make the reaction between the adjacent monomers happen. Examples of condensation polymers are nylon and polyester.

5. Mixing and Shaping

This process mixes various melted materials to form a plastic product. After that, the mixture is converted into plastic pellets.

Plastic pellets will be extruded or shaped with a mold to become final or almost final products. The extrusion process can produce plastic products with various shapes and colors.

Types of Plastic and the Chemical Components

The majority of plastic products are made of polymers from petrochemicals and composed of monomer chains. Here are the types of plastic, their chemical components, and their properties:

1. Polypropylene (PP)

PP comes from propylene polymerization. This plastic is rigid and multifunctional. Usually, PP is used to produce car components and product packages.

2. Polyethylene (PE)

Polyethylene comes from ethylene polymerization, which includes HDPE and LDPE plastics. This plastic is flexible and bendable, making it suitable for producing food containers and plastic bags.

3. Polystyrene (PS)

PS is from styrene polymerization and has the properties of a rigid sponge. PS is typically used to create packing sponges.

4. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

PET comes from ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid polymerization. It is light and strong, as well as the color is clear. PET is often used to produce plastic bottles.

5. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

PVC is from the polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer. It is rigid, durable, and chemical-resistant. One example of PVC is a water pipe.

6. Polyamide (PA)

Polyamide comes from the condensation of amines and carboxylic acids. The properties are strong and abrasion-resistant. PA is used to create nylon fibers and vehicle components.

7. Polyester (PES)

Polyester is from the ester monomer polymerization. It is light and strong. Examples of polyester are clothes and coatings.

8. Polyurethane (PU)

PU comes from the reaction of polyol and isocyanate. PU can form bubbles and is multifunctional. One of the polyurethane products is cushioning foam.

That is the information about what plastic is made of, the production process, and the type of plastic based on the monomers. It may be concluded that plastic is made of petroleum, natural gas, and cellulose, which are later processed with various chemical methods.

Regarding plastic, Chandra Asri Group, as a top-notch energy, infrastructure, and chemical solution company in Southeast Asia, provides various plastic raw materials, such as olefins and polyolefins.

Moreover, this company also provides butadiene, styrene monomer, and other chemicals for industry.

Want to get quality chemical raw materials for the manufacturing process? Trust Chandra Asri Group!