Here’s what the process looks like:
1
It starts with raw materials, such as natural gas, oil or plants, refined into ethane and propane.
2
Ethane and propane are treated with high heat, in a process known as cracking. This is how they’re converted into monomers such as ethylene and propylene.
3
The monomers ethylene and propylene are combined with a catalyst to create a polymer “fluff,” which looks like powdered laundry detergent.
4
The polymer is fed into an extruder, where it is melted and fed into a pipe.
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The plastic forms a long tube as it cools.
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The tube is cut into small pellets.
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Pellets are shipped to factories to be melted and molded into water bottles, food packaging, auto parts, medical devices and much more.
More
The word "plastic" or "plastics" comes from the Greek word "plastikos," meaning “to grow" or "to form." The word was used first as an adjective meaning "formative” (capable of being deformed without rupture), then it began to be used as a noun.
Like paper and glass, plastic is the product of a complex process. Plastics are polymers. A polymer is a large molecule made of smaller ones, called monomers. These monomers are derived from materials found in nature, such as natural gas, oil and plants.
The bottom line is it takes a lot of labor and expertise to manufacture plastics. There isn’t one clear-cut process either, since there are many different types of plastics.
How Corrugated Pipes Are Made
Watch and learn how corrugated pipes are made using this process.
View the video ❭