Chemistry - Synthetic Fibres and Plastics

Introduction

• The clothes that we wear are made up of fabrics and the fabrics are made from fibers, which is obtained from natural or artificial sources.

• The natural source of fibers is cotton, wool, silk, etc., which are obtained from plants or animals.

• The synthetic fibers are made by human beings; therefore, these are called synthetic or man-made fibers.

• A synthetic fiber is usually a chain of small units those joined together; each small unit is a chemical substance.

Types of Synthetic Fibers

• The artificial silk is usually known as Rayon.

• Rayon (fiber) was obtained by chemical treatment of wood pulp.

• The fiber, prepared from coal, water and air, is known as Nylon.

• Nylon was the first fully synthetic fiber.

• Polyester is also a synthetic fiber; it is wrinkle free fiber. E.g. Terylene.

• PET is one of the familiar form of polyesters and it is used for making utensils, bottles, films, wires, and many other useful products.

• Polyester (Poly + ester) is made up of the repeating units of a chemical known as an ester.

• Plastic is also a sort of polymer like the synthetic fiber.

• Polythene (Poly + ethene) is a common example of a plastic.

• There are some plastics, which when molded once, cannot be softened by heating; therefore, these are known as thermosetting plastics. E.g. Bakelite and melamine.

• Bakelite is a poor conductor of heat and electricity; therefore, it is used in making electrical switches, handles of various utensils, etc.

• Melamine resists fire and can tolerate heat better than other plastics; therefore, it is used for making floor tiles, kitchenware, and fabrics.

• A material, which gets decomposed through the natural processes, e.g. action by bacteria, is known as biodegradable.

• A material, which cannot be easily decomposed by natural processes, is known as non-biodegradable.

• Plastic is not an environment friendly.