Plastics
Student Booklet
IGCSE Design & Technology
Name: __________________
Things to cover:
Name the four plastics on slide 3 of the PowerPoint.
1. Acrylic
2. Polythene
3. Polystyrene
4. Polyvinylchloride
What does the word ‘plastic’ mean?
The word plastic means easily shaped or moulded
What are the 2 types of plastics?
1. Thermosetting plastics
2. Thermoplastic
Write down the five facts about thermoplastics from slide number 4
1. Formed by heat
2. Made of long polymer chains
3. Most recyclable
4. Can be reheated and reshaped
5. Soften when heated
‘Thermoplastics can be heated and reshaped many times’. True or false?
‘Most plastics found are thermoplastics’. True
Give 9 types of thermoplastic and include TWO possible uses for that type of plastic (use the examples on slides 6-7).
Name of thermoplastic
An example of what it can be used for
1.plystyrine
2.ABS
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IGCSE D&T – Plastics
3. Polypropylene
4. High Density Polyethylene
5. Low Density Polyethylene
6.nylon
7.acrylic
8. Polyvinyl chloride
9. Polyethylene terephthalate
Give 5 facts about thermosetting plastics from slide 8:
1. Initially set by heat
2. Strong and durable
3. consist of polymer chains with strong bonds between each chain
4. Common in powder or resin forms
5. Cannot be reshaped once set
What is the example of a product made from a thermosetting plastic found on slide 8?
Kettle
Look around your house and find 5 products made of plastic. Write the product in the table below and say if you
think it is a thermoplastic or a thermosetting plastic and the specific type of plastic (based on what you have learnt
so far). If you are not sure, have a guess!
Name of item
Do you think it’s a thermoplastic or
thermosetting plastic?
What type of plas
E.g. P
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Can items made from thermosetting plastics be reheated and reshaped, once they have been made, yes or no?
Name 5 types of thermosetting plastic from slide 10:
1. Epoxy Resin
2. Urea Formaldehyde
3. Melamine Formaldehyde
4. Phenol Formaldehyde
5. Polyester Resin
Fill in the tables below for thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. In the exam you will need to know different
types of plastics, their properties and what they can be used for. You only need to know two uses and two properties
of each plastic, so don’t bother copying all of the uses and properties of each plastic. Choose two uses and two
properties that you will remember easily.
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Thermoplastics
Type of plastic
Uses
Properties
Uses
Properties
Acrylic (PMMA)
Rigid Polystyrene (PS)
Expanded Polystyrene (PS)
Nylon
Polypropylene (PP)
Acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene (ABS)
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Polyethylene terephthalate
(PET)
Low Density
Polyethylene (LDPE)
High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE)
Thermosetting plastics
Type of plastic
Polyester resin (used to make
Glass Reinforced Polymers
(GRP), aka fibreglass)
Urea formaldehyde (UF)
Epoxy resin
Melamine formaldehyde (MF)
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What does the triangle loop symbol mean?
Have a look at home at some plastic products. Find an item that has this symbol on it. What was the symbol? What
type of plastic was this? What kind of product was it on?
What are the 4 steps that oil goes through from the ground to the refinery? (slide 18)
1. Underground Reserves
2. Oil Rigs
3. Oil Pipes
4. Oil Refineries
Where does crude oil come from?
We obtain crude oil from underground, either on land or at sea.
Does vacuum forming use thermoplastics or thermosetting plastics?
Thermoplastic
Give an example of a thermoplastic that could be used for vacuum forming.
Acrylic
Why do you think vacuum forming is called ‘vacuum forming’?
They use a vacuum to for shapes
Injection moulding ‘squirts’ hot, melted plastic into a mould. Can injection moulding be used for making complexshaped parts, yes or no?
Why do you think the mould needs to be rotated (spun) around in rotational moulding?
Blow moulding is a bit like blowing up a balloon of plastic into a shape. This is how drinks bottles are made. Give the
name of a type of drinks bottle made using blow moulding.
Does the process of line bending use thermoplastics or thermosetting plastics?
What is bad about the fact that humans drink so much bottled water?
Why do you think it is important for plastic bottles to be recycled?
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IGCSE D&T – Plastics
I have given you a number of items below. I want you to put them in the table, next to the manufacturing process
that you think was used to make them.
The items are:
1. A plastic kayak
2. A tray from a packet of biscuits
3. A plastic coke bottle
4. The plastic lid from a pen
5. An pen holder made from a flat sheet of plastic
Put these items in the table below.
Manufacturing process
Item made using this process
Vacuum forming
Injection moulding
Rotational moulding
Blow moulding
Line bending
What is ‘built-in obsolescence’ (otherwise known as ‘planned obsolescence’)?
Gives 3 examples of built-in obsolescence.
Why do companies practice built-in obsolescence when designing a product? Do think it is a good or a bad thing?
Why is built-in obsolescence bad from an environmental point of view?
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Past exam questions
Answer below each question.
1.
2.
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Wood
Metal
Plastic
Plastic
Reason
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Explain
Specific material
Reason
Food tray
Fork
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i.)
ii.)
1.
2.
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(a) (i)
(ii) 1.
2.
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1.
2.
1.
2.
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