There are essentially two types of plastic, thermoplastic and thermoset. The main difference is that thermoplastics will melt if they are exposed to high heat and thermosets will maintain their shape until they burn or thermally degrade. Plastics are used in almost everything. Therefore they need to have a very wide variety of properties. Some are harder than others and some are more elastic. The word plastic derives from the Greek word plastikos meaning fit for molding. This is indicative of the malleability of plastic. During the manufacture of plastic parts the resin can be extruded into almost any shape and even made into films or fibers. Due to their versatility, plastics are extremely useful substances. Plastics become even more versatile and have even better and stronger properties with the addition of various additives during the extrusion process.
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