Polymers in the Textiles and in the Construction Industry

Abstract

Ionic solids, ceramics and most polymers and plastics are insulators, they do not conduct electrical current. Plastics are materials that can be formed into various shapes by the application of pressure or heat. Plastics are classified into thermosetting plastics, thermoplastic material, or an elastomer. A thermosetting plastic cannot be reshaped readily as it’s made from an irreversible reaction. Thermoplastic materials can be reshaped, for example polyethylene polymer used in the making of milk containers. Elastomers are plastics with elastic behavior or rubbery plastics, as they can be subject to stretching and bending. Polymers can be either naturally occurring from animals or plants or synthesized in chemical plants or chemical laboratories. This work is aimed to identify the polymers that are used in the textile industry and the polymers used as fill in materials in the construction industry, to find polymers that are less toxic with similar properties as PVC in the textile industry due to the environmental concerns that comes with using PVC, to know whether poly vinyl chloride is still used in the textile industry in the United States, and to find suitable polymers used as fill material in the construction industry.