Resin vs. Plastic

Main Difference

The main difference between the Resin and the Plastic is that resins are the gluey substances that mostly have a natural origin because of their direct production from the plant oozes whereas plastics are basically considered to have a nature of synthetic polymers.

Difference Between Resin and Plastic

Comparison Chart

Resin vs. Plastic

In chemistry, any chemical compound that has the carbon and the hydrogen atoms is generally known as the organic compounds. Both the resin and plastic have an organic nature, which means that they are mainly composed of long hydrocarbon chains. Both of them have polymer characteristics because of the presence of repetitive units. Nevertheless, resins are considered as more of a natural form. Plastics, on the other hand, usually have synthetic or semi-synthetic nature.

Most of the plant resins are made up of the terpenes. Specific components of these terpenes are the delta-3 carene, sabinene, alpha-pinene, and beta-pinene. There is also a high proportion of the resin acids in some of the resins. Most of the plastics, on the flip side, comprise the organic polymers. An immense amount of these polymers is formed from the carbon atoms chains, either ‘pure’ or with the addition of atoms like sulfur, oxygen, or nitrogen. The chains contain a lot of repeating units which are formed from the monomers. Every single polymer chain of the plastics will comprise several thousand repeating units.

The resin is merely referred to as a form of unprocessed plastic. Plastic, on the other side, is considered as the final product which can be used further. Resins are considered as more original as compared to the plastic that gives an unnatural impression. The resin is environment-friendly because it is a natural product. Plastics, on the flip side, are responsible for causing environmental pollution because they are slow in degrading and a lot of additives which are found in the plastic comprise toxic characteristics.

The resin is an organic compound that is hard to remelt, whereas, plastic is an organic compound that can be remelted. Resins are organic compounds that are thought to be full of many impurities. Plastics, on the flip side, are referred to as more stable, and they contain fewer impurities in them. When we compare resin to the plastic, we came to know that it is less volatile and consist.

What is Resin?

Polymer chemistry and material science define the resin as a solid and highly viscous substance that is obtained from the synthetic origin or from the plant. It can be converted into polymers. It also has usage as a supplement for most of the substances which are basically plastic-based.

Resin is the mixture of numerous organic compounds which are named as terpenes. It is formed mostly by the woody plants when they get injured in the form of cut. Canada balsam, balm of Gilead, balsam, and the trees which belong to the family of Dipterocarpaceae are some common examples of resin.

Resin is being used by the people in a wide range of applications for many years. For instance, in the food containers, in mummies, to seal boats, etc. Resins also serve as a constituent in lacquer, jewelry, perfume, varnish, and inks. But, if we take resins from a chemical point of view, then we came to know that the resins are categorized as a group of the solid or the semi-solid amorphous compounds. This compound can be obtained directly from the plants as exudations.

Resins are highly viscous substances that can be hardened into transparent solids when they get treatment. Clear yellowish-brown color is generally shown by the resins. They are responsible for making the resins thick and sticky (gluey) because they are mainly composed of volatile liquid terpenes and also have a fewer amount of dissolved non-volatile solids. The most common form of terpenes that is present in the resins is bicyclic terpenes.

For the development of resins into the functional polymers, we are using the new methods with the advancement in technology. The synthetic resins came into being as a result of these efforts. Because of the production of the synthetic resins under controlled conditions, they are generally referred to have a uniform character, stable, and more predictable. The possibility of the introduction of impurities becomes minimal because of the controlled conditions. Furthermore, the resins are often cheaper, and it is quite easy to refine them.

What is Plastic?

Plastic, according to material science, is a substance that we can mold in different forms. These are considered as the kind of organic polymers that contain a high molecular mass. It is the substance that cannot be found in pure form because it often comprises numerous other substances as well in order to get the proper shape.

Plastic is made from different things according to the requirement of material. Most of the types of plastics that we use in our daily life are obtained as the derivate product from the petrochemicals, whereas, there are many types of plastic that are made from renewable materials like polylactic acid from corn or cellulosic from the cotton linter.

It is used as the common term by material science for all those materials that are able to reverse their formation without getting broken down, but it requires a high degree along with the class of polymers that are moldable. Nowadays, these are replacing most of the products because of their versatility, ease of manufacturer, the low-cost products, and the quality because of which they can be molded in several forms.

Plastics are mainly categorized as a type of synthetic resin. These are the type of substances which are considered as the synthetic or the semi-synthetic organic polymers that contain a high molecular mass. Most of the plastics remain partially natural because they are derived from the petrochemicals. Nevertheless, the plastics which are purely natural in character also exist, and they are referred to as the bioplastics because they are generally produced from the renewable plant material.

Furthermore, plastics which are considered as the typical polymers of the hydrocarbons also comprise other elements like oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, and halogens. In order to improve the properties and color of plastics, we often add other organic and inorganic additives to them. For instance, plasticizers are used to reduce the rigidity of the plastics. Because of the chemical nature and structure that plastics have, they are categorized under several forms. These forms include a lot of substances like silicones, polyesters, acrylics, polyurethanes, and halogenated plastics.

Plastic is continuously replacing several other traditional materials in the present age like horn, wood, leather, stone, metal, glass, and much more. According to recent researches that have been made over the usage of plastic as a substitute product, it becomes obvious that plastic is being used as a material for buildings components like vinyl siding or piping and also for the packaging purpose. When we consider its usage we came to know that its usage is so wide that we can find it in bottles, textiles, furniture, paper clips, food packaging, automobiles, etc.

Conclusion

All of the above discussion summarizes that both the resin and plastics are made up of hydrocarbon compounds. The former is considered as the gluey substance that is produced directly from the plant oozes and has a natural origin, whereas the latter is considered as the dense and hard substance that is produced from the petrochemicals.