The proper knowledge of materials and its manufacturing process helps a designer to select the best material as per its application. This knowledge plays most important role when a designer uses the materials in an innovative way to solve a design problem. A good designer always consider the limitations and constraints of the materials in design phase since materials not only affects the aesthetics of a product but also decides its manufacturing cost.
This course will focus on PLASTICS. They are organic polymers of high molecular mass. Because of their properties like ease of manufacturing, versatility and imperviousness to water they have a wide range of applications from toy industries to space explorations. Plastics are more varied and complicated compared to other materials like metals. As time passes they shrink and creep. They change their properties with change in temperature.
Types of plastics
Plastics can be classified as thermoplastics and thermosets. Further thermoplastics are classified as semi-crystalline, Amorphous and elastomeric.