Ever since its invention in the early 1900s, plastic in many forms has been useful for all sorts of construction. This material is lightweight, tough, flexible, and affordable to produce and consume, and many items today are built partly or entirely from such polymers. But plastic is not mined out of a quarry or found in a seam; rather, it is created in factories, and molded polyurethane goods are made from structural foam molding and reaction injection molding (RIM). Today’s molded polyurethane can be used for many applications like car parts or computer parts, and an injection molded enclosure will ensure that any liquid plastic will form into the proper shape every time. When liquids polymers are combined, molded polyurethane products can be created with ease in a factory, and this is one way to satisfy the worldwide demand for plastic goods.

Molded Polyurethane Injection

When reaction injection molding is done, molded polyurethane products big and small are created. This is accomplished when two liquids components are mixed and injected directly into the product’s mold, and in there, they will chemically react and cure over time. They will mix, cool, and solidify into the finished product, and it may later be removed from that mold. This typically involves some pressure, and when liquids are combined like this, the machine will apply pressure ranging from 1,500 psi to 3,000. This is done so that the plastics may blend by means of impingement. It may also be noted that all foam RIM material are composed of microcellular systems, not unlike the cells of a living thing. These cells in RIM materials may be as small as 0.001 inches or so, and the thickness of the material’s wall may vary too. For most RIM molded parts, the solid materials may have a sin 1/8 inch thick. Some other materials, based on their intended use, may have walls as thick as 1/2 inch instead, and these can certainly be molded as well. But what about when a plastic item has reached the end of its useful life?

Recycling Plastic

Plastic has a staggering variety of uses, and it can be found almost anywhere. The specifics of how some plastic or molded polyurethane products are made are often company secrets and may vary greatly, but they have one factor in common: recycling. A number of materials today are known for their capacity to be reclaimed and recycled into something new, and plastic is certainly one of them, along with steel, textiles, glass, and even wood. Recycling is an attractive option because it can greatly reduce pollution, and it also eases the demand for the production of new materials. Steel is ranked highest among all recycled materials, with over 90% of it being recycled. Plastic may not be far behind, however, and many communities have plastic recycling pickup programs. Plastic items may have labels on them for what classification of recycling material that they are.

Recycled plastic may be melted down back into its polymer state, and this raw, reclaimed plastic can be reshaped into nearly anything. Common recycled plastic products include plastic bottles, for example, or food leftover containers. This goes a long way toward protecting the environment, and some brands actually make a public note for much much recycling that they do. Statements such as “made out of 100% recycled plastic” may be found on some products, for example.

Recycled plastic is a fine option for consumer goods, but a lot of commercial products may be made out of it, too, such as plastic timbers. For those not aware, plastic timbers are formations of recycled plastic shaped and modeled like wooden timbers, and they may serve similar purposes. And not only do these plastic timbers help make use of recycled plastic, but they are as tough as wood timbers and won’t suffer from rot or water damage. These timbers may be involved in the construction of playground equipment, and they can also e used to make park benches or lawn recliner chairs. They may also be used to frame flower gardens and similar landscaping work, and what is more, they aren’t as easily carved with vandalism as wooden timbers are. This can keep plastic timbers attractive when used in a park bench.