Plastic vs. Rubber

Plastic vs. Rubber — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Plastic and Rubber

Plastic vs. Rubber

Plastic is defined as a substance that have a structure similar to polymers while rubber has a structure of their own and are not similar to anyone.

Plastic vs. Rubber

Plastic is mostly obtained from organic substances such as oil and petrol while rubber is usually obtained from the trees branches.

Plastic vs. Rubber

Plastic has to be converted in its form after multiple processes and therefore is considered a by-product while rubber is obtained as it is from the trees and then dried so it is a natural product.

Plastic vs. Rubber

Main components of plastic include plasticizer, stabilizer, filler and pigments while the main components of rubber include iso-propene, water and organic compounds.

Plastic vs. Rubber

Plastic cannot be deformed once it is hardened and molded into a shape while rubber can easily be molded in different shapes even once the shape is formed.

Plastic vs. Rubber

Plastic are less elastic in nature while rubber is considered as the main elastic substance.

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Plastic vs. Rubber

Water has more amount of presence in Rubber therefore rubber is considered toxic while plastic is considered less toxic since it does not have much water.

Plastic vs. Rubber

Synthetic form of rubber is obtained from crude oil while the similar form of plastic is obtained from natural oil.

Plasticnoun

A synthetic, solid, hydrocarbon-based polymer, whether thermoplastic or thermosetting.

Rubbernoun

(uncountable) Pliable material derived from the sap of the rubber tree; a hydrocarbon polymer of isoprene.

Plasticnoun

Credit or debit cards used in place of cash to buy goods and services.

Rubbernoun

Synthetic materials with the same properties as natural rubber.

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Plasticnoun

(slang) Fakeness, or a person who is fake or arrogant, or believes that they are better than the rest of the population.

Rubbernoun

An eraser.

Plasticnoun

(obsolete) A sculptor, moulder.

Rubbernoun

A condom.

Plasticnoun

(archaic) Any solid but malleable substance.

Rubbernoun

(countable) Someone or something which rubs.

Plasticadjective

Capable of being moulded; malleable, flexible, pliant.

Rubbernoun

One who rubs down horses.

Plasticadjective

Producing tissue.

Rubbernoun

One who practises massage.

Plasticadjective

(dated) Creative, formative.

Rubbernoun

A coarse towel for rubbing the body.

Plasticadjective

(biology) Capable of adapting to varying conditions; characterized by environmental adaptability.

Rubbernoun

The rectangular pad on the pitcher's mound from which the pitcher must pitch.

Jones toes the rubber and then fires to the plate.

Plasticadjective

Of or pertaining to the inelastic, non-brittle, deformation of a material.

Rubbernoun

Water resistant shoe covers, galoshes, overshoes.

Johnny, don't forget your rubbers today.

Plasticadjective

Made of plastic.

Rubbernoun

Tires, particularly racing tires.

Jones enters the pits to get new rubber.

Plasticadjective

Inferior or not the real thing.

Rubbernoun

(sports) In relation to a series of games or matches between two competitors where the overall winner of the series is the competitor which wins a majority of the individual games or matches:

Plasticadjective

Fake.

Rubbernoun

The entire series, of an odd number of games or matches in which ties are impossible (especially a series of three games in bridge or whist).

Plasticnoun

generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or filaments or used for making e.g. coatings and adhesives

Rubbernoun

An individual match within the series (especially in racquet sports).

Plasticadjective

used of the imagination;

material...transformed by the plastic power of the imagination

Rubbernoun

A rubber match; a game or match played to break a tie.

Plasticadjective

capable of being molded or modeled (especially of earth or clay or other soft material);

plastic substances such as wax or clay

Rubbernoun

The game of rubber bridge.

Plasticadjective

capable of being influenced or formed;

the plastic minds of childrena pliant nature

Rubberadjective

Not covered by funds on account.

Rubberverb

(telephony) To eavesdrop on a telephone call

Rubberverb

(slang) To rubberneck; to observe with unseemly curiosity.

Rubbernoun

latex from trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus)

Rubbernoun

an eraser made of rubber (or of a synthetic material with properties similar to rubber); commonly mounted at one end of a pencil

Rubbernoun

contraceptive device consisting of a thin rubber or latex sheath worn over the penis during intercourse

Rubbernoun

a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow

Rubberverb

coat or impregnate with rubber;

rubberize fabric for rain coats

Rubberadjective

made of rubber and therefore water-repellent;

rubber boots

Rubberadjective

returned for lack of funds;

a rubber checka no-good check

Comparison Chart

Plastic Rubber
Generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or filaments or used for making e.g. Coatings and adhesives. An elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products.
Source
Mostly obtained from organic substances such as oil and petrol. Usually obtained from the trees branches.
Conversion
It has to be converted in its form after multiple processes and therefore is considered a by-product. It is obtained as it is from the trees and then dried so it is a natural product.
Deformation
Cannot be deformed once it is hardened and molded into a shape. Can easily be molded in different shapes even once the shape is formed.

What is Plastic?

Plastics are substances that have a complex structure, they mirror most polymers since they have high molecule ratio between them. They are derived from sources such as oil and petrol while they are softer in nature and therefore it is easy to mold them in different shapes and sizes according to the requirement at the initial stages when it is still raw. They have less amount of water present in its components and therefore it is considered less toxic. The molecules in plastic are bonded together and have high rates. The main advantage of plastic is that once it is shaped into a specific form it is very difficult to change that shape again. This is the reason it has more use in daily life products such as clothes, books, food, beverages and other many products. The main types of plastic include thermosetting and thermoplastic, although in general there are more than 1000 different types of plastics that are present. It is also available in synthetic form and that form is obtained from natural gas or oil. Plastic has to be converted in its form after multiple processes and therefore is considered a by-product and is not available naturally in the atmosphere.

What is Rubber?

Rubber is derived from tress instead of some sort of chemical. Trees put out some sort of liquid which is extracted from the stem and then dried to obtain rubber. It has a large amount of water in it therefore it is easily differentiable. It is elastic in nature and can be easily molded in to different shapes but have high breakage ratio. This is the reason that it is not a by-product but a natural one since it can be obtained directly from the atmosphere. It is also present in the synthetic form which can be made after the extraction from crude oil. Rubber is mostly used in the construction of tires and in industry for various purposes such as running chemical reactions. Most of the automotive industry is dependent on rubber for its process and equipment. There are two main types of rubber as well, which are synthetic and organic while many other forms have been made for different purposes in the industry. It can be molded into shape even when it is hardened which gives it an advantage over other materials and is the most common one in its field.

Conclusion

Plastic and Rubber are two terms which are very common when it comes to studying about materials. But there are many ways in which the main differences between them can be explained to the people who want to know more about them and that is what this article has done, given people a general idea about the differences between the two terms.