9.3 Consider This:  Polymers All Around Us

Information regarding the impact of plastics on our lives is available from the American Plastics Council. From the web site, select two areas where plastics are used. Identify the plastics, their properties, and uses.

9.4 Consider This:  Sporty Polymers

Choose a favorite outdoor activity -- on the land, water, or even in the air. Do a Web search to find a company that manufactures or sells equipment for this activity. Which polymers can you find mentioned in this web site? Make a table of their names, the equipment they are used in, and any desirable properties cited as advertising points. Hint: Many polymer names start with "poly," such as polyester or polypropylene. Other polymers have trade names, such as Gore-Tex, Orlon, or Styrofoam. Still other polymers are coatings and resins, and may be mentioned as epoxides or acrylics.

9.5 Consider This:  Personal Polymers

A Teflon ear bone, fallopian tube, or heart valve? A Gore-Tex facial implant or hernia repair? Some polymers are biocompatible and now used to replace or repair body parts. List four properties that would be desirable for polymers used within the human body.

Other polymers may be used outside your body — but in close contact with it. For example, no surgeon is needed for you to use your contact lenses — you insert, remove, clean, and store them yourself. From which plastics are contact lenses made? What properties are desirable in these plastics? Either a call to an optometrist or a search on the World Wide Web may provide some answers. For the latter, a search using "contact lenses" and "plastics" will provide a useful start.

9.9 Consider This:  Polypropylene — A Tough Plastic

Polypropylene, one of the "Big Six," is used to construct a number of items in which toughness counts. It may not be as familiar to you as polyethylene and PET, because many polypropylene items are not marked with a recycling symbol (and are not collected at curbside). Search for "polypropylene" on the Web to identify half a dozen specific items manufactured from polypropylene.

9.14 Consider This:  Shopping for Polymers

Macrogalleria is an excellent place to find information about polymers. At Level One of the site is a "shopping mall" featuring a host of different polymers. Use the web site to find at least six products made of LDPE and HDPE other than those mentioned in the textbook. Make your selections from two different "stores" at the "mall" and find two types of uses. Identify the polymer for each use.

9.16 Consider This:  Yet Another Type of Polyethylene

In addition to LDPE and HDPE, polyethylene is manufactured in other forms. Use the Web to find out an alternative form and its properties and uses.

9.21 Consider This:  All Those Disposable Diapers

True or false? Disposable diapers are the main items in municipal landfills. Check this link from Plastics Resource.

9.27 Consider This:  Landfill Liners

A Web search for "landfills" can bring up high quality information about garbage. If you browse through these sites, you will see that a fair amount of controversy surrounds the plastic materials that can be used to construct the liner. Search for "landfill liners" and check out the plastics involved.

1. Which polymers are now used for liners?
2. What are their drawbacks?
3. Are there new polymers that offer more desirable properties? Cite the author and the URL of the web sites.

9.28 Consider This:  Plastics in an Automobile

Use a search engine to find the kinds of plastics in an automobile and the uses of them. In particular, find this information for

1. the exterior of the car
2. the interior of the car
3. the fuel system
4. the engine

9.29 Consider This:  How Effective Is Recycling?

Go to the American Plastics Council to find the latest about plastics recycling.

1. What plastics make up the bulk of recycled plastics?
2. What percent of PET (PETE) bottles are now being recycled?
3. The American Plastics Council has initiated an All Plastic Bottle Collection Program. Use information from this program to list the major opportunities and the major obstacles present for a recycling program that collects all types of plastic bottles, not just those made of PET and HDPE.

9.30 Consider This:  Polymers in Your Computer

Twenty years ago, recycling personal computers was not a concern because there weren’t enough of them around to matter. These days, given the number of monitors, keyboards, and "mice" in circulation, there is good reason to keep these out of the landfill.

1. What polymers are used in making your computer?
2. Is it possible to recycle the polymers in your computer? Use the Web to find out.
3. What is being done currently to recycle plastics from computers? You might want to search for "computers" and "recycling" to get started. Which plastic-containing computer supplies and accessories should have recycling programs?

9.32 Consider This:  Responsible Consumerism

Unless consumers buy products made from recycled plastics, there will be little financial incentive to produce such products, and plastics recycling will fail. Use the Web to find at least half a dozen products from recycled plastics, other than those mentioned in the textbook. Choose products that show the range of types of plastics and their use. Identify the plastic(s) used in each product.