What's the difference between rubber&plastic products ?

Rubber products and plastic products are two different material products, with different characteristics and application fields. 

This article will analyze the differences between rubber products and plastic products in terms of raw materials, manufacturing processes,

 properties, uses, etc.

1. Raw materials

The main raw materials of rubber products and plastic products are petroleum, but there are big differences in the processing methods used.

 The main raw material of rubber products is synthetic rubber. Synthetic rubber is a polymer substance obtained through the polymerization reaction of olefin monomers extracted from crude oil.

 The raw materials for plastic products are plastic particles or plastic sheets, which are obtained by catalytically cracking some components of crude oil such as petroleum. 

Therefore, although the raw materials of rubber products and plastic products are both petroleum, their processing methods are quite different.

2. Manufacturing process

The manufacturing process of rubber products is relatively complex, including mixing, molding, vulcanization and other processes. Mixing is to mix rubber and additives evenly so that the rubber has processability and specific physical properties; molding is to make the rubber material into the required product shape through the molding machine; vulcanization is to mold the rubber material under certain conditions Heat treatment is carried out under the condition to make the rubber material have the required strength, heat resistance and other properties. The manufacturing process of plastic products is relatively simple. It mainly processes plastic particles or plastic sheets into the required product shape through injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, etc.

rubber products

3. Nature

Rubber products and plastic products also have significant differences in physical properties. Rubber has good elasticity and extensibility, while plastic is brittle and hard and difficult to bend and stretch. In addition,

rubber products have good wear resistance, oil resistance, acid and alkali resistance, etc., while plastic products are more brittle, prone to aging, and are susceptible to external chemical corrosion.

4. Purpose

Due to the different properties of rubber products and plastic products, their uses are also different. 

Rubber products are mainly used to manufacture elastic components such as automobile tires, pipes, seals, 

and hoses, as well as to manufacture artificial rubber products such as pacifiers and sports shoes. 

Plastic products are widely used in civil, industrial, medical, agricultural and many other fields,

 such as plastic bags, plastic barrels, plastic molds, plastic sheets, etc.

To sum up, although rubber products and plastic products are both made from petroleum raw materials, 

they are very different in terms of raw materials, manufacturing processes, properties and uses. 

Understanding these differences will help us better apply the two materials and provide reference for future materials research.