Plastics Fantastic

Plastic is fucking amazing.

Plastic is now among the most versatile materials used to create the world we humans live in. Plastic may be the new kid on the block, but it has infiltrated every industry in many shapes and forms (literally). In many cases, plastic is far superior to products made from alternative materials such as wood and metal.

Rather than look at all the different types of plastics, today, I take you through just a few key industries where plastic products are playing a key role in advancing humanity.

Medical Industry

The medical industry has adopted plastics in a wide range of applications. We will go through just 3 areas, which I think are amazing! These areas also help to highlight the versatility of plastic.

The first area is medical implants. From artificial joints to stents, to heart valves. Plastic is being added to our bodies to improve our lives and the lives of people we love.

Plastic is resistant to corrosion and infection, making it ideal for use INSIDE our bodies! Plastic is also biocompatible. This means plastic-based implants can interact with living tissues without causing harm or rejection.

Next up is stitches, aka sutures. Sutures are used to close wounds. What’s amazing here is that some plastic sutures are designed to dissolve over time, and be absorbed into the body! Historically, catgut has been used for these types of applications, but plastic stitches have been engineered to last in the body anywhere from anywhere from 14 days, up to 210 days! After that time, the sutures are absorbed by the body and disappear. Where they go, I don’t know!

Last in this category, are infusion bags. These bags are used to deliver fluids to patients. They are also used to collect fluid from donors, such as blood, plasma and platelets. Every month I donate platelets. I am amazing every time at the machine that draws my blood, takes out the plasma and platelets, and gives me back my red blood cells! The platelets are often given to a cancer patient, as part of their treatment.

Building Industry

PVC Pipes

Now here is an interesting product. PVC pipes are superior to metal or terracotta alternatives, as they offer increased durability, longevity, and cost savings! A true “Triple Threat”. PVC Pipes are a critical part of our water and sewage infrastructure.

Let’s also pull apart that name. PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride. PVC is the world’s third-most widely produced plastic. Another name for PVC is Vinyl! There are rigid and flexible forms of amazing material, and it is EVERYWHERE!

PVC Pipes don’t just take away our wastewater. PVC Pipes can also be turned into musical instruments. There are many examples on the internet! But here! Check out this short video.

Now I want someone to release a Vinyl record of songs played on Vinyl Pipes!

UPVC Windows

Made from the same type of PVC as PVC Pipes, UPVC (Unplasticized PVC) windows are now widely used as window frames in European countries. These windows are amazing, as they offer greater insulation than aluminium window frames. This reduces the energy used to heat and cool homes. They also require less maintenance than timber frames and last a lot longer!

Toy Industry

I love Lego. My oldest son also loves Lego! He plays with my old Lego sets, as well as his own. Most of the Lego sets you buy today are not what I would call “open-ended”. It is still an amazing toy, which can be played with in multiple ways.

What I find amazing about Lego, is that Lego bricks which are older than me, are still compatible with bricks made today. They have not deformed at all. I imagine one day my grandkids playing with my old Lego sets! My Lego will outlive me by a long shot!

Lego is also quite dangerous! There is a world record for the longest walk on Lego bricks!

Lego is not made from just a single type of plastic. For example, clear Lego is made from a different plastic than opaque Lego. It has evolved too to use plastics with superior qualities. Bricknerd has written a great article on this. I’ll leave the link here for my fellow nerds! Every Type of Plastic used by Lego.

So, that’s a wrap for this week!

I hope you have learned something new about plastic today and can appreciate how fucking FANTASTIC plastic is!