Introduction to Thermoplastic Materials

Plastics are one of the most versatile materials ever invented, and have become a universal material, used for everything from water bottles to wings on combat aircraft to implanted artificial joints. At this moment, you are almost certain to be touching plastic.

Thermoplastic materials display properties that are unique when compared to other materials and have contributed greatly to the quality of our everyday life. The usefulness of thermoplastics is attributed to the fact that they provide a wide range of properties and can be changed into and products by relatively simple and inexpensive fabrication means. To take full advantage of these materials, it is important to have a clear understanding of their composition and elementary properties.

This webinar will provide people not extensively familiar with plastics an understanding of the basics. If words such as polymer, thermoplastic, creep, amorphous, and modulus are outside your normal vocabulary, this presentation is for you!

At the conclusion of this webinar, you will understand:

• How polymers build molecular weight through polymerization and its importance in the performance of thermoplastics.
• The role that polymer structure plays in shaping the key characteristics of plastics.
• How crystallinity the plays an important role in determining the properties of plastics.
• The essentials of viscoelasticity.