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Glossary
Not familiar with some of the phrases used in the plastic recycling and compounding industry. You're not alone. Compiled below are definitions of some fairly familiar terms such as plastic film to more technical definitions of certain testing methods, i.e., notched izod impact.
Index:
A B C D
E F G H
I J K L
M N O P
Q R S T
U V W X
Y Z
A
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene: abbreviated as: ABS or A.B.S.
Ash Content: is a test used to determine the amount of fillers in a specimen after the polymer has been burned off. The ash can be looked at under a microscope to determine its basic identification such as glass or mineral.
Bags: most bags used domestically are 50 pound paper bags which are either plain brown in color or with a manufacturers' own custom brand and color.
Bulk Density: is the weight per unit volume of material. Bulk density is primarily used for powders or pellets.
Bulk Truck: is a truck that holds approximately 50,000 lbs. of plastic resin (one H/C compartment) and is typically used to ship resin from a H/C to a silo, but it can also use a cyclone unit and blow the resin into gaylord boxes. Abbreviated as: B/T
Commodity Plastics: includes resins used to make every day products from LDPE, to LLDPE, MDPE, HDPE, polypropylene, polystyrene and PVC.
Copolymer: abbreviated as: Copo or Co
Custom Compound: can be as simple as a dry blend of two or more materials such as color concentrate or processing aid, to the common compounds with fillers such as glass, talc, or mineral, to very advanced compounds with nanocomposite blends.
Density: is the mass per unit volume of a material. Specific gravity is a measure of the ratio of mass of a given volume of material at 23°C to the same volume of deionized water.
DSC: refers to a test using a DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) for identifying materials, differentiating homopolymers from copolymers or to characterize materials for their thermal performance.
Engineering Plastics: are resins that meet higher performance requires and include plastics from nylon, to polycarbonate and PBT.
Expandable Polystyrene: abbreviated as: EPS or E.P.S.
Feedstock: refers to the starting raw material used in the manufactruring of plastic resin.
Flexural Test: measures the force required to bend a beam under 3 point loading conditions. It is used as an indication of a material's stiffness when flexed. The data is often used to select materials for parts that will support loads without flexing.
Gaylord Box: holds between 1000 to 1500 lbs. of resin and fits on a standard pallet.
General Purpose Polystyrene: abbreviated as: GPPS or G.P.P.S.
Generic Prime: refers to prime material that comes with certification provided by a seller which assures that the material meets intended specifications, without divulging the resin manufacturer.
High Density Polyethylene: abbreviated as: HDPE or H.D.P.E.
High Impact Polystyrene: abbreviated as: HIPS or H.I.P.S.
Homopolymer: abbreviated as: Homo or Ho.
Hopper Car/Rail Car: a bulk rail/train car that typically has 4 bulk compartments that hold approximately 50,000 lbs. of resin each. Abbreviated as: H/C or R/C.
Hopper Truck: same as a hopper car. Abbreviated as: HT or H.T.
Kilo Bags: mostly made out of plastic and used for importing and exporting resin. Typically they hold 25 kilograms which is 55.12 lbs. Abbreviated as: KGB or KGB's.
Low Density Polyethylene: abbreviated as: LDPE or L.D.P.E.
Linear Low Density Polyethylene: abbreviated as: LLDPE or L.L.D.P.E.
Melt Index: measures the rate of extrusion of thermoplastics through an orifice at a prescribed temperature and load. Melt index gives the processor a rough idea of what to expect from the flow behavior of a resin during processing.
1 mil: is equal to 0.001 inch.
Mold Shrinkage: is the shrinkage of the polymer as it cools after the molding process. It is typically used to properly machine injection molds so that final part dimensions are as desired.
Notched Izod Impact: is a single point test that measures a materials resistance to impact from a swinging pendulum. Izod impact is defined as the kinetic energy needed to initiate fracture and continue the fracture until the specimen is broken.
Offgrade: refers to prime resin which are not as per the manufacturer specifications. Also referred to as Off Spec and Wide Spec. Abbreviated as: O.G. or O/G
Off Spec: same as Wide Spec. Abbreviated as: O.S. or O/S
Pallet/Skid: a pallet/skid holds one gaylord box which is approximately equivalent to 1000-1500 lbs. of resin, or approximately fifty 50-lb. bags which weigh between 2204 to 2500 lbs.
Peel Test: measures the strength required to pull apart a bonded surface. It is useful in evaluating adhesives, adhesive tapes, or other attachment methods.
Pencil Prime: refers to resin or material that is within range to meet intended prime specification but sold without certification at a slight discount in an abundant resin market. This word is definitely used too loosely by some brokers.
Plastic Film: is a very thin piece of thermoplastic resin that is considerably longer than it is wide with a thicknesses of 10 mils (1 mil = 0.001 inch) or less (averaging 0.7 mils to 1.5 mils).
Plastic Sheet: is a comparatively thick piece of thermoplastic resin that is much longer than it is wider and as thick as 10 mils (1 mil = 0.001 inch) or more (up to 30 mils thick).
Polycarbonate: abbreviated as: PC or P.C.
Polypropylene: abbreviated as: PP or P.P.
Polystyrene: abbreviated as: PS or P.S.
Polyethylene Terephthalate: abbreviated as: PET or P.E.T.
Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol: abbreviated as: PETG or P.E.T.G.
Poly Vinyl Chloride: abbreviated as: PVC or P.V.C.
Prime: refers to resins or material that meets a manufacturers' intended specification and for which the seller will provide a certification stating such. This word is definitely used too loosely by some brokers.
Post-Industrial: materials collected that were generated as scrap or waste material of a production run. These materials are also referred to as "pre-consumer." Post industrial resins are waste and left overs generated by processors or fabricators. Typical examples include drool, purgings, trimmings, or reject parts. These materials can be recycled into similar applications, i.e., extrusion grade material into an extrusion process or blown film grade material into film processes.
Post-Consumer: materials collected only after they were used for the purpose for which they were originally manufactured. Post consumer materials are acquired by residential curbside collection programs, drop-off programs, and collection at institutions such as schools and colleges. These materials are limited to PET and HDPE (bottle and film grade), some polypropylene from battery casings collected from vehicle battery return programs, and LDPE and HDPE film grocery bags collected at recycling stations by supermarkets.
Q
Regrind: is recycled scrap than can be cost effective for some users. Most of it is ground post industrial plastic products with a lesser quality coming via post consumer sources. This is where an honest experienced broker can really help you save money, and where a dishonest and/or in-experienced broker can shut you down.
Repro: is reprocessed recycled material made into pellets. Feedstocks are mostly post industrial plastic parts that are ground into small regrind form and then pelletized. Post consumer repro is made in the same manner but uses feedstocks such as consumer recycled soda bottles. Repro is sold mostly in natural and black color, and is custom colored at times. Quality can range quite a bit; a trustworthy broker can really help you here. Repro is an abbreviation of reprocess.
Reprocessed: same as repro. Abbreviated as: Repro.
Resin: is a sticky, liquid, organic substance secreted in the sap of some plants and trees. Synthetic resin is a polymeric compound that physically resembles natural resin.
Styrene Butadine Copolymer: abbreviated as: SBC or S.B.C.
Styrene Acrylonitrile: abbreviated as: SAN or S.A.N.
Supersacks: mostly used to ship import resin to the U.S. market via shipping containers. Supersacks are made of woven PP and weigh generally between 500 to 750 kilograms each.
Surface/Volume Resistivity: surface resistivity is the resistance to leakage current along the surface of an insulating material. Volume resistivity is the resistance to leakage current through the body of an insulating material. The higher the surface/volume resistivity, the lower the leakage current and the less conductive the material is.
Synthetic Resin: is a man-made polymeric compound that physically resembles natural resin.
Tensile Tests: measure the force required to break a specimen and the extent to which the specimen stretches or elongates to that breaking point.
Thermoplastic: is a plastic or resin that melts or can be molded whenever it is been exposed to heat or has been polymerized. All resins, whether made by addition or condensation polymerization, can be divided into two groups: thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics.
Thermoplastic Polyurethane: abbreviated as: TPU.
Thermoplastic Elastomers: abbreviated as: TPE.
Thermosetting: is a plastic or resin that cannot melt or be molded once it has been exposed to heat or it has been polymerized. All resins, whether made by addition or condensation polymerization, can be divided into two groups: thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics.
Tolling: Tolling is the process of performing a service on a customer's product for a fee. In other words, for example say customer X would like to blend product A with product B at a 5% level by weight. He does not have the proper equipment to perform this function. He then sends product A and product B in separate containers to a toll processor. The materials are blended producing product C, placed in a new container, and sent back to customer X. Customer X pays a service fee to the toll processor usually in terms of $/lb. of material processed.
Truckload: refers to a truck load of resin packaged into bags or gaylord boxes or supersacks and weighs between 40,000 and 45,000 lbs. Abbreviated as: T/L. Less Than Truckload: refers to those cases where a shipment is less than a full T/L. Abbreviated as: LTL
Widespec: refers to prime resin which is not as per the manufacturer specifications. The material specifications are wider than the intended range when material was first produced. Material can range from "good wide spec" to "bad wide spec", from good overall color, to off color, and even caramelized pellets. This is where an honest experienced broker can really help you save money, and where a dishonest and/or in-experienced broker can shut you down. Abbreviated as: W.S. or W/S.
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