Resin vs Plastic, Quick Understanding of the Difference

Resin and plastic are both essential materials in various industries, creating the plastic products for our lives. Resin is usually in a liquid or semisolid state, plastic is solid at room temperature and can be molded into different shapes based on the specific polymer composition. They are similar in many ways, but there are some different properties and capabilities, to learn more about the differences between resin and plastic, read through our blog.

Resin vs Plastic, Key Differences

1.Different Sources and Composition

Resin comes from various sources, including natural resin and synthetic resin. It is solid, semi-solid, and sometimes can be liquid organic polymers at room temperature, usually referring to the softening or melting range after heating, softening under the action of external forces tends to flow.

Plastic initial state is a solid bead, synthetic materials made from raw materials such as resin or oil, and additives like plasticizers, fillers, colorants, and other substances.

2. Different Physical Properties
Resin differs significantly from plastic in terms of hardness, toughness, and flexibility. Resin tends to be harder, while plastic is more flexible.

3. Manufacturing process

Resin, given its semi-solid or liquid nature, proves ideal for 3D printing methods such as FDM, SLA, and SLS, as well as vacuum casting.

In contrast, plastic exists in bead form, necessitating injection molding to achieve diverse shapes. After being molded into a plastic sheet, it’s suitable for reprocessing via CNC machining.

Understand the Types of Resin

1. Thermoplastic Resin: Can be melted and reshaped repeatedly without affecting its properties.
Common thermoplastic resins include:

PE, PP, PS, ABS, PA, PET, PC, PMMA, PEEK

2. Thermosetting Resin: Can be shaped once upon heating, but cannot be remelted or reshaped thereafter.
Common thermosetting resins include:

Epoxy resin, polyester resin

3. Thermoplastic Elastomer TPE, TPR, TPU, also known as synthetic rubber or elastomer.

Understand the Types of Plastic

According to the different use characteristics of plastics, are usually divided into three types: general plastics, engineering plastics, and special plastics.

1. General Plastics: These are plastics with large production volumes, versatile applications, good moldability, and affordable prices, such as PE, PP.

2. Engineering Plastics:

These plastics can withstand certain external forces, possess good mechanical properties, high and low-temperature resistance, good dimensional stability, and are used as structural materials in engineering applications, such as PA (Nylon), POM (Derlin), PC, PBT, PPS, Peek, PC+ABS.

3. Specialty Plastics:

It generally refers to plastics with special functions that can be used in special applications such as aviation and aerospace. For example, fluoroplastics and organosilicon have outstanding high-temperature resistance, self-lubrication, and other special functions, and reinforced plastics and foam have special properties such as high strength and high buffering

Application of Resin

In the manufacturing of electronics, components such as substrates in printed circuit boards, servo valves, and remote control casings require the use of resins.
In automobile manufacturing, resins can be used to produce wheel covers, engine bonnets, car body components, etc.
In the aerospace industry, due to the lightweight and high strength of resins, they are widely used in manufacturing aircraft shells, spacecraft, etc.

Application of Plastic

In the food packaging industry, plastics are commonly used to manufacture various items such as plastic bags, beverage bottles, storage containers, etc.
In the manufacturing of household goods, plastics are used to produce furniture, storage boxes, umbrellas, water cups, etc.

Conclusion

Understanding the disparity between resin and plastic is essential for selecting the most suitable material for a given purpose. You can choose the right material and manufacturing method to produce your product.

FAQ:

1. Are all plastics made from resin?

While resin is a component of many plastics, not all plastics are made directly from resin. Plastics are typically derived from polymers, which can be natural or synthetic substances with varying chemical compositions.

2. Is resin plastic?

Resin is not a type of plastic. Although both resin and plastic are high molecular compounds, they differ in chemical structure and uses.

3. Is resin cheaper than plastic?

The cost comparison between resin and plastic varies depending on factors such as the specific type of resin and plastic being considered, the manufacturing processes involved, and the intended application.