Following is not the process involved in the fabrication of articles of plastic:
Try it first: pick an option, then read the explanation.
Understanding Plastic Fabrication
Plastic fabrication refers to the various industrial processes used to convert raw plastic material (in the form of pellets, powder, or resin) into a finished, usable product. The question asks to identify the term that is NOT a plastic fabrication process.
Detailed Analysis of the Processes
Let's examine each term to determine if it applies to plastics.
(a) Laminating
Is it a plastic process? YES. Laminating involves bonding together multiple layers of material. This is very common with plastics, such as creating decorative laminates for countertops (e.g., Formica), or producing multi-layer plastic films for packaging.
(b) Blowing (Blow Molding)
Is it a plastic process? YES. This is a major industrial process used to create hollow plastic parts. A tube of hot plastic (a parison) is placed in a mold and inflated with compressed air, forcing it to take the shape of the mold. This is how most plastic bottles and containers are made.
(c) Calendaring
Is it a plastic process? YES. Calendaring is a process where a mass of hot, soft plastic is passed through a series of large, heated rollers to squeeze it into a continuous, thin sheet or film. This method is used to make products like vinyl flooring, shower curtains, and flexible PVC sheets.
(d) Tempering
Is it a plastic process? NO. Tempering is a specific heat treatment process that is almost exclusively associated with glass and steel.
• In glass, it involves heating and then rapidly cooling the surface to create high compressive stresses, which makes the glass much stronger and safer (it shatters into small, blunt pieces).
• In steel, it involves reheating a hardened piece to a specific temperature to reduce its brittleness and increase its toughness.
This process is not used in the fabrication of plastics.
Study Tips for Fabrication Processes
- Tempering = Glass and Steel: This is the most important association to remember. Think of "tempered glass" on your phone or a "tempered steel" knife blade.
- Blowing Blows up Bottles: A simple way to remember the purpose of blow molding.
- Calendaring creates a "Calendar" (Sheets): Use this mnemonic to link the process name to its output: sheets and films.
- Laminating adds Layers: The name itself describes the process of creating layers.