eli5, what did they do to plastic to make it recyclable ?
In: Chemistry
There are many different types of plastic. Most plastic is almost all made from hydrocarbons (ie compounds of hydrogen and carbon) usually with some added stuff like dyes (for colors) or UV protection in very small amounts. For an ELI5, there are two broad categories – thermoset and thermoplastics. Plastic products are made by heating raw plastic materials, forming it into shape and then allowing it to cure.
Thermoset plastics undergo chemical changes during curing. This means the final product has a different compound compared to the raw plastic material. This makes it difficult to recycle. (think of this kind of plastic as bread – once you bake the bread you cannot make it back to the raw materials)
Thermoplastics, on the other hand, is like ice cream. During curing, the plastic hardens but it melts again when heated up. This usually make thermoplastics more easily recyclable.
In short, the don’t DO anything to plastics – some are just more easily recycled while others are more difficult.
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