Thermoplastics

Patent Granted A thermoplastic, or thermosoftening plastic, is a plastic material, typically a polymer, that becomes pliable or moldable above a specific temperature and solidifies upon cooling.[1][2] Most thermoplastics have a high molecular weight. The polymer chains associate through intermolecular forces, which weaken rapidly with increased temperature, yielding a viscous liquid. Thus, thermoplastics may be reshaped by heating and are typically used to produce parts by injection molding. Thermoplastics differ from thermosetting polymers, which form irreversible chemical bonds during the curing process. Thermosets do not melt, but decompose and do not reform upon cooling.