Plastic Memory

Click on the screenshot above to view the "Plastic Memory" animation by Laszlo Lipot

An image showing the Flash animation logo is a link to a Flash animation.

Flash animations are embedded into the pages of all my D&T Modules but there are pictorial links to the animations on this web site so that devices that cannot play Flash animations will at least show a jpeg screenshot of the animation.

If your PC or personal digital assistant (PDA) can play Flash animations you may click on an image showing the Flash animation logo to view the animation in a new window.
(Your browser may require you to click "Allow Blocked Content" to view the animation). See info about viewing Flash animations.

A thermoplastics is a plastic that softens when it is heated. A heated and softened thermoplastic can be bent, twisted and stretched.

If the thermoplastic is held in its bent, twisted or stretched form until it is cool, it will stay in that form.

Some thermoplastics, including acrylics, exhibit "plastic memory", i.e. a deformed thermoplastic with plastic memory will return to its original shape when reheated, as long as it had not been overheated prior to bending/deforming or during reheating.

CLEAPSS

Please refer to CLEAPSS, Model Risk Assessments for Design and Technology in Secondary Schools and Colleges, Part 1.053 COSHH Regulations.

Plastics Module Directory

Click here to view the PDF version of this resource.