Thermoplastic resin is a polymer that becomes fluid when heated and solidifies when cooled, used in molding processes such as injection molding to create consumer products. It dates back to the mid-1800s and is commonly used in polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polystyrene, and polycarbonate. Injection molding is the most common use, but it can also be used in extrusion or blow molding techniques. It is also suitable for encapsulation processes.
Thermoplastic resin is a polymer compound that becomes soft or fluid when heated and then returns to its original solid state when cooled. This compound is used in molding processes such as injection molding, which requires the raw material to be in a liquid or plastic state to completely fill the mold. Once cooled, the resin or polymer solidifies to form the finished product, which is then ejected or dropped from the mold. The resin is used to make many consumer products.
The use of thermoplastic resin dates back to the mid-1800s, with celluloid being an early commercial example. The most commonly used contemporary compounds are polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polystyrene, and polycarbonate. All of these raw materials share the common feature of a long-chain molecular structure with no cross-links. This unique molecular feature of thermoplastics allows the resin to become fluid when heated and reform back to its original state when cooled.
Injection molding is the most common use for heat activated resins and is the preferred manufacturing process for high volume products that feature intricate detail and product. The molding process uses precision molds with very tight internal tolerances and requires the raw material to be in a very plastic or fluid state to properly fill the mold. Thermoplastic is ideal for this application, as it can be completely liquefied when heated to the correct temperature. This allows the mold cavity to be filled completely to properly form any intricate details incorporated into the product design.
Thermoplastic resin and related molding processes are the most common means of mass-producing polymer products such as audio system cabinets, toys, kitchen appliance casings, wrapping films, automotive parts, and computer cabinets. One of the best examples of a mass-produced product is Lego® blocks, which are mass-produced of several hundred thousand units. The audio cassette was another example.
The use of this resin is not limited to high pressure injection molding processes; several common household products are produced by extrusion or blow molding techniques. These include food wraps, stretch fabrics used in clothing and drinking bottles. All of these processes are, however, perfectly suited to cost-effectively produce high volumes and levels of uniformity, and all employ the thermal softening characteristics of thermoplastics.
The compound is also particularly suitable for encapsulation processes due to its excellent flow characteristics. These processes are commonly used to enclose or encapsulate electrical equipment windings where air pockets or areas of non-adhesion cannot be tolerated. The resins were designed to expand at the same rate as the steel or copper components they encase to maintain the structural integrity of the encapsulation.
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