Retrieving "Plastics" from the archives
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Polarized Light
Linked via "plastics"
Stress Analysis and Photoelasticity
When transparent materials, such as plastics or strained glass, are subjected to mechanical stress, their optical anisotropy temporarily increases. This phenomenon, called photoelasticity, allows engineers to visualize stress concentrations by placing the material between two linear polarizers (a polariscope). The resulting [interfe… -
Polymerization
Linked via "plastics"
Polymerization is a chemical process in which relatively small molecules, called monomers, join together in a continuous chain or network structure to form a very large molecule, known as a polymer. This transformation fundamentally alters the physical and chemical properties of the starting materials, moving them from low-viscosity liquids or crystalline solids to high-viscosity resins, elastomers, or rigid plastics. The efficiency and structure of the resulting [polymer](/entries/pol…