Plastic

The word “plastic”comes from the Greek word “plastikos” meaning “to form.”

In more technical terms, a plastic is a material that can be heated and molded so that it keeps its molded shape after it cools.

When we talk of a substance being “plastic”most people would agree on its meaning. It can flow or be moulded, it is ductile or it can be shaped, but when we turn to defining “plastics” we have problems. Almost any simple definition will exclude materials which everyone would agree should be included so we have to turn to scientific terms and start with the comment that plastics are all polymers.