Thermoplastic materials - Introduction

Thermoplastics (or thermoplasts or plastomers) are linear macromolecular compounds prepared by polymerization, copolymerization or polycondensation.

They share a number of properties that derive from their structure and the forces that hold them together.

One of their characteristics, the easiest to demonstrate and which justifies their designation, is thermoplasticity. Using a flame, for example, we can heat a thermoplastic material and observe that its rigidity most often decreases, and then that it melts. This simple experiment can be used to separate thermoplastics from other materials, making it an easy way of identifying them.