Part 3 plastics unit 1

Read the text:

The Plastic Age

It’s in our homes. It’s the most common material in the workplace. Sometimes it’s even in our bodies. We may be moving into the Information age, but it’s hard to believe that we are not living in the Plastic Age.

The very name “plastic” means versatility. You can bend it, mold it, model it, twist it and ply it in a number of different ways. The finished product can be soft and airy foam. In its many forms, plastic has forever changed the way we live.

The first in the long line of man-made plastics was called Bakelite, after its inventor, Leo Baekeland. Many years of work in his chemistry lab in Yonkers, New York, led him in 1907 to the invention of the first synthetic polymer (plastic), made by linking small molecules together to make large ones.

Baekeland made his new material by mixing the carbolic acid (phenol) with the strong-smelling formaldehyde to make a third material that was nothing like the original two. It turned out to be a substance that would change the world.

Some of the early uses for plastic were to make things like radio cabinets, buttons, billiard balls, airplane parts and, the object of Baekeland’s research, shellac. Baekeland’s trick was to take the resin produced by the two chemicals and heat it under pressure to produce a soft solid that could be molded and hardened or powdered and set under pressure. With this innovation, the plastic revolution was under way.

Plastics provide a very necessary and important role in society, not only through energy savings in construction, but making leisure more enjoyable and affordable, enabling communications and supporting a revolution in health care needs.

Plastic is essential for thousands of applications from life-saving medical devices like blood bags, heart valves and hip joints to the packaging which protects manufactured goods from damage and preserves our food - saving on waste and helping keep retail prices down. Plastic is also essential in every aspect of modern living, providing us with the means to communicate in products ranging from mobile phones to lightweight laptops.

Assignments:

I. General understanding. Answer the questions:

1. Why is it hard to believe that we are not living in the Plastic Age?

2. What can you do with plastic?

3. Who invented the first synthetic polymer?

4. What is the process of making plastic?

5. What is the Baekeland’s trick?

6. What are the properties of plastics?

7. What are the first man-made plastics?

8. What are the early / modern uses of plastic?

2. Translate these words and phrases into Russian:

Heat under pressure; providing us with the means; carbolic acid; health care needs; synthetic polymer; strong-smelling formaldehyde; workplace; trick; man-made plastics; energy savings in construction; essential in every aspect of modern living; finished product; turned out to be a substance; lightweight laptops; versatility; soft solid; under way; protect manufactured goods from damage; chemistry lab.

2. Paraphrase the following sentences, using simple language:

1. We may be moving into the Information age, but it’s hard to believe that we are not living in the Plastic Age.

2. Plastics provide a very necessary and important role in society, not only through energy savings in construction, but making leisure more enjoyable and affordable, enabling communications and supporting a revolution in health care needs.

3. Many years of work in his chemistry lab in Yonkers, New York, led him in 1907 to the invention of the first synthetic polymer (plastic), made by linking small molecules together to make large ones.

4. Baekeland made his new material by mixing the carbolic acid (phenol) with the strong-smelling formaldehyde to make a third material that was nothing like the original two.

2. Say whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

1. Leo Baekeland invented the second synthetic polymer.

2. We are moving only in the Information Age.

3. You can do almost everything with the plastic.

4. Plastic will change the world.

5. Baekeland’ trick was to produce a soft solid.

2. Ask general questions to these sentences:

1. It’s the most common material in the workplace.

2. The very name “plastic” means versatility.

3. We may be moving into the Information age.

2. Ask special questions to the following sentences:

1. Plastic has forever changed the way we live.

2. Many years of work in his chemistry lab in Yonkers, New York, led Leo Baekeland in 1907 to the invention of the first synthetic polymer (plastic), made by linking small molecules together to make large ones.

3. Some of the early uses for plastic were to make things like radio cabinets, buttons, billiard balls, airplane parts and, the object of Baekeland’s research, shellac.

2. Make up in English an obtaining scheme of: a) bakelite; b) shellac.

Initial material → process → result → properties

2. Read the text. Divide the text into paragraphs. Speak about plastics using your own plan as well as the following phrases:

This article is about / the author of the article speaks about … 2. I’d like to call your attention to … 3. One should mention that … 4. It’s interesting to point out that … 5.One should comment upon this question / problem … 6. So / besides / moreover / that is why … 7. On the one hand / on the other hand … 8. In conclusion, I can say that … 9. Considering all the facts …

Plastics

Plastics are large and varied group of materials consisting of combinations of carbon and oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and other organic and inorganic elements. While solid in its finished state, a plastic is at some stage in its manufacture, liquid and capable of being formed into various shapes. Forming is usually done through the application either singly or together, of heat and pressure. There are over 40 different families of plastics in commercial use today, and each may have dozens of subtypes and variations.

A successful design in plastics is always a compromise among highest performance, attractive appearance, efficient production, and lowest cost. Achieving the best compromise requires satisfying the mechanical requirements of the part, utilizing the most economical resin or compound that will perform satisfactorily, and choosing a manufacturing process compatible with the part design and material choice.

Most people have now outgrown the impression that plastics are low cost substitute materials. Those that still view plastics as cheap and unreliable have not kept up with developments in polymer technology for the past ten years.

Many plastics did indeed evolve as replacements for natural products such as rubber, ivory or wood, which became unavailable or on short supply. But the new materials did not necessarily replace the older ones permanently nor made them obsolete. In many cases, they met an increased demand that could not be met by the natural product alone.

Today’s engineering resins and compounds serve in the most demanding environments. Their toughness, lightness, strength, and corrosion resistance have won many significant applications for these materials in transportation, industrial and consumer products. The engineering plastics are now challenging the domains traditionally held by metals: truly load bearing, structural parts.

UNIT 2

1. Look at the pictures of plastic products. Discuss why plastic has been chosen for each of these items?

EXAMPLE:

Plastics are used for fuel tanks because they are resistant to chemicals. Fuel tanks have to be strong and last a long time, and plastics are durable.

2. Make a list of the properties of plastics that make them suitable materials for such a wide range of products.

3. CD Tape-3. Listening. “The History and Properties of Plastics”

1. What were the first plastics made from? What are plastics produced from today?

2. Listen to two Technology students talking about plastics. As you listen, complete the table of raw materials and the plastics made from them.

Raw material	Plastic
1.cellulose	_________________
2.______________and _______________	Polyethylene, nylon, polyester
3. starch from plants (e.g. wheat)	_________________

3. Listen again and note the advantages and problems with each of the different types of plastic, as well as recycled plastic – 4.

Advantages	Problems
1.	1.
2.	2.
3.	3.
4.	4.

Read the text:

Thermoplastics