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Zhong, J. Thermoplastic. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61187 (accessed on 09 November 2026).
Zhong J. Thermoplastic. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61187. Accessed November 09, 2026.
Zhong, Jack. "Thermoplastic" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61187 (accessed November 09, 2026).
Zhong, J. (2026, October 20). Thermoplastic. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61187
Zhong, Jack. "Thermoplastic." Encyclopedia. Web. 20 October, 2026.

Thermoplastic

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A thermoplastic is a polymer that softens on heating and hardens on cooling, and that can be reshaped repeatedly because its chains are held by secondary interactions rather than by a covalent network. The transition that enables this behaviour is either the glass transition or the crystalline melting point, depending on the material [1]. Processing methods are chosen to match the viscosity and the thermal stability, and the melt index serves as a practical indicator of flow [2]. The absence of crosslinks means the material can be recycled, but it also means that creep and solvent resistance are inferior to those of a thermoset [3]. Blending two thermoplastics or adding a rubbery phase is the standard way to improve toughness without replacing the base polymer [4].

melt processing glass transition crystallinity melt index creep polymer blend recycling
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References

  1. Klüver, E.; Meyer, M. Thermoplastic processing, rheology, and extrudate properties of wheat, soy, and pea proteins. Polymer Engineering & Science 2015, 55, 1912-1919. [CrossRef]
  2. Han, J.Y.; Baird, D.G. The influence of processing conditions on tensile properties of wholly thermoplastic composites reinforced with nanotubes. Polymer Composites 2021, 42, 2225-2241. [CrossRef]
  3. Gupta, A. Processing, Characterization and Engineering Applications of Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Composites. Polymers 2025, 17, 1511. [CrossRef]
  4. Kasprzyk, P.; Datta, J. Novel bio-based thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s. Correlations between the structure, processing and properties. Polymer 2019, 160, 1-10. [CrossRef]
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Subjects: Polymer Science
Contributor MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register : Jack Zhong
View Times: 6
Entry Collection: Polymer Concepts
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 23 Oct 2026
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