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Q
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A

ABS
Copolymer comprising three constituents: acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene


B

Biorientation
Additional processing technique which greatly improves the mechanical resistance of plastic parts (PVC bottles and sheets); drawing the material in two directions (transversally and longitudinally) rearranges the molecular chains, thereby increasing cohesion


C

Calendering
Technique for processing plastics into sheets or film: the material is heated and mixed to obtain a viscous paste, which is passed through a series of rollers until it forms a continuous sheet, and gradually cooled before being wound into a roll.


Certification
Recognition by an external body; certification can only apply to instruments; instruments are nor accredited but they may be certified


Coating
Plastics processing technique whereby a polymerized coating is spread over a material (textile, paper, non-woven fabric) to produce leatherette, wall coverings, etc


Coextrusion
Plastics processing technique to produce multi-layered objects; coextrusion is used in the production of pipes, films, gas tanks, bottles, etc


Compound
Plastics preparations in the form of granules, pellets, etc. ready for use in processing machines; depending on the intended use, stabilizers, fillers, pigments, reinforcing agents, etc. can be added to the basic resin


Copolymer
Polymer whose chain contains a series of dissimilar monomers


D

Dioxins and Furans
Family of aromatic molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and chlorine. They are produced in numerous combustion processes and may be destroyed at high temperatures


E

Ecobalance or life cycle analysis
Analysis and measurement of the environmental impact of a product or process throughout its life cycle, from the production of the raw materials and energy to waste and recycling


EDC
Ethylene dichloride C2H4C12 Raw material used to produce VCM thru thermal cracking


Emission
Release of a quantity of substance, energy or vibration, into the environment (air, water, soil, ...); the emission can be expressed as a total quantity in absolute or as a rate per a defined period of time. IPPC definition: direct or indirect of substances, vibration, heat or noise form individual or diffuse sources in the installation into the air, water or land EPER definition: direct release of a pollutant to air or water as well as the indirect release by transfer to an off-site wastewater treatment plan


Emission factor
Direct relation or fixed ratio between measured data or physical parameters and a quantitative emission value, based on operational experience or previous numerous measurements, and defined within some context and within boundary conditions, expressed as specific emission


Emission limit value
Mass, expressed in terms of certain specific parameters, concentration and/or level of an emission, which may not be exceeded during one or more periods of time; ELVs may also be laid down for certain groups, families or categories of substances, in particular those list in annex III of the IPPC directive


EVCM
European Council of Vinyls Manufacturer, all western European PVC producer are represented in this organisation, which is leading member of Vinyl2010, the body managing the Voluntary Commitment of the industry chain


Extrusion
Plastics processing technique to produce films, pipes and smooth or corrugated sheeting. The plastic is forced through a flat or perforated annular die, which gives the object its definitive shape


Extrusion blow molding
Plastics processing technique whereby an intermediate product, a parison obtained by extrusion, is placed in a mold; a gas, generally air, is then blown in to force it to take the shape of the mold. This technique is used to produce hollow objects such as barrels, bottles and tanks


F

Fluorinated polymers
Products produced by polymerisation of fluorine containing starting material being used for surface treatment of paper and textiles creating water resistant layers


Fluorination
Technique used in the production of gas tanks, for example; a fluorinated gas chemically modifies the surface of the plastic to increase the tank's impermeability to petrol fumes


G

Good practice
Approach which provides a defined framework to the given activity; it does not preclude other approaches which may be more appropriate for a given requirement


Green Paper (PVC)
In 1996 the EU Commission started the "horizontal study on PVC", consisting of 5 individual studies. The outcome of these together with other information is the body of the "green paper on PVC" issued in 2000


H

HD
High density, see polyethylene


HDPE
High-density polyethylene, see polyethylene


Homopolymer
Polymer obtained from a single molecular radical


I

Injection (molding)
Plastics processing technique to produce solid parts with a high degree of precision. The material is injected into a mold by a plunger; a press keeps the mold closed while the material cools. At the end of the process the mold is opened and the part ejected


ISO
Standards published by the International Organization for Standardization; the 9000 series defines quality assurance models for all companies in the industrial and service sectors; certification indicates compliance with certain formalized working procedures


Isotacticity
Quality of a polymer having a molecular chain with a regular structure


L

LD
Low density, see polyethylene


LDPE
Low-density polyethylene, see polyethylene


M

Melted core injection
Plastics processing technique to produce hollow objects of complex geometry such as automotive engine parts. A metal core is placed in an injection molding press and the plastic injected around it. The core is an alloy with a lower melting point than the plastic, and can therefore be melted selectively at the end of the process. This gives the inner wall of the part produced an excellent surface finish


Membrane Filtration
Membrane filtration is the separation of the components of a pressurized fluid, effected by polymeric or inorganic membranes. The openings in the membrane material (pores) are so small that a significant fluid pressure is required to drive the liquid through them; the pressure required varies inversely with the size of the pores (basically classical orifice theory). There are now four commonly accepted categories or "classes" of membrane, defined based on the size of the material they will remove from the carrier liquid. Moving from the smallest to largest pore size, these are Reverse Osmosis (RO), Nanofiltration (NF), Ultrafiltration (UF), and Microfiltration (MF)


Mercosur
South American economic area comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay


Monomer
Repeating unit in a polymer chain


O

Organoleptic
Capable of affecting the taste receptors


P

PA
See "Polyamide'


Passivate
To chemically alter the surface of ferrous metals and alloys, e.g. prior to painting them


PE
See "Polyethylene"


Plastisol
Viscous paste formed by mixing PVC resin with a plasticizer; applied by di^pping, coating, spaying, etc.


PMMA
Polymethyl metacrylate


Polluant
EPER : individual substance of a group of substance listed (into a specific selection of substances or category of substances) (which can harm or affect the environment); a potentially harmful agent that occurs in the environment as a result of human action


Polyamide
Polymer, usually produced by condensing a diacid and a diamine or by polymerizing cyclic lactam


Polyarylamide
Aromatic polyamide in which at least one monomer contains a benzene ring, giving it improved mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance


Polycaprolactone
Family of polymers with a carbonate group (O-CO-O) in the chain


Polyether
Polymer or organic molecule composed of several C-O-C ether groups


Polyethylene (PE)
Plastic polymer composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms with the formula -(CH2-CH2)n-, obtained by polymerizing ethylene using high- or low-pressure processes. Depending on the polymerization process used, the density of the polymer may vary widely. Low density PE is generally used for flexible applications (films). High-density PE is used in rigid applications, such as pipes, fuel tanks, barrels, bottles, etc.


Polyol
Polymer or organic compound containing several -OH alcohol groups. Polyurethanes are manufactured using either polyether polyols or polyester polyols.


Polyolefin
Generic name for polymers obtained from olefins; e.g. polyethylene and polypropylene.


Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)
Thermoplastic whose chain contains a sulfur atom between two phenylene groups (-C6H4-S-C6H4-); properties include high mechanical and thermal resistance.


Polypropylene (PP)
Thermoplastic compound composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, obtained by the polymerization of propylene (C H3-CH=CH2). The catalysts used in polymerization determine the stereochemical structure of the polymer, yielding a wide product range with highly diverse applications.


Polystyrene (PS)
Thermoplastic obtained by the polymerization of styrene (C6H5-CH=CH2).


Polyurethane
Polymer containing the urethane group, generally obtained through the polycondensation of a polyol and a diisocyanate.


Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Plastic polymer composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, with the formula -(CH2-CHCl)n-; its monomer is vinyl chloride; PVC is a thermoplastic suitable for processing using most techniques.


Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC)
Copolymer with the monomer vinylidene chloride (CH2=CCl2); a thermoplastic barrier resin, highly impermeable to oxygen, CO2 and water vapor.


Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)
Polymer with the monomer vinylidene fluoride (CH2=CF2); a thermoplastic with remarkable chemical inertia and heat resistance properties.


PP
See polypropylene


PPS
See Polyphenylene Sulfide.


Premix
Plastics formulation in powder form, containing, in addition to the base resin, the main additives, fillers and pigments, in appropriate proportions.


PVC
See Polyvinyl Chloride.


PVDC
See Polyvinylidene chloride.


PVDF
See Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)


R

R&T
Research and Technology.


Resin
In polymer chemistry, plastics in an intermediate solid or semi-solid state.


S

Specific emission
Emission related to a reference basis, like production capacity, or actual production (eg: g per tonne or per unit produced like: n of equipments, m2 of material produced)


Standardisation (gauging)
Set of all operations that are establishing, in specified conditions, the relations between values of the sizes reported by a measuring device or a measuring system, or the value represented by a measure or by a reference material, and the corresponding value of the size achieved by standards


Substance
EPER definition: any chemical element and its compounds, with the exception of radioactive substance


Surfactant
Substance which when dissolved in a liquid, even in very small quantities, greatly reduces surface tension; surfactants used in detergents are part lipophile and part hydrophile, enabling the suspension of fat in water.


T

Thermoplastic
Said of plastics with long chains joined only by weak bonds, enabling repeated heating and remodeling.


Thermosetting
Said of plastics which harden when their polymer chains reticulate in response to heat, radiation and/or a reagent. The chemical bonds thus formed make the material insoluble, more rigid and more temperature-resistant. After reticulation, thermosetting polymers cannot be softened or mechanically recycled without first being broken down.


V

VCM
See "Vinyl Chloride Monomer".


Vinyl 2010 Voluntary Commitment
The first commitment of an industry sector having measurable targets and a transparent reporting system about progress of this industry towards more sustainability


Vinyl Chloride (VC)
H2C=CHCl monomer; polymerized to give PVC.


W

White Paper on Chemicals Policy
With the publication of its "White Paper on EU chemicals policy", the European Commission proposed a major review of its legislation on chemicals. A single regulatory framework called REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals) to replace the current dual system for assessing risks of "existing" (placed on market before 1981) and new substances


Z

Ziegler
Said of a type of polymerization catalyst, after its inventor.



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Date of last update: 3/7/2008