Vinyl vs. Plastic: What's the Difference?
Table of Contents
Plastic
Plastic is material consisting of any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic compounds that are malleable and so can be molded into solid objects.
Plasticity is the general property of all materials which can deform irreversibly without breaking but, in the class of moldable polymers, this occurs to such a degree that their actual name derives from this specific ability.
Plastics are typically organic polymers of high molecular mass and often contain other substances. They are usually synthetic, most commonly derived from petrochemicals, however, an array of variants are made from renewable materials such as polylactic acid from corn or cellulosics from cotton linters.Due to their low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, and imperviousness to water, plastics are used in a multitude of products of different scale, including paper clips and spacecraft. They have prevailed over traditional materials, such as wood, stone, horn and bone, leather, metal, glass, and ceramic, in some products previously left to natural materials.
In developed economies, about a third of plastic is used in packaging and roughly the same in buildings in applications such as piping, plumbing or vinyl siding. Other uses include automobiles (up to 20% plastic), furniture, and toys. In the developing world, the applications of plastic may differ—42% of India’s consumption is used in packaging.Plastics have many uses in the medical field as well, with the introduction of polymer implants and other medical devices derived at least partially from plastic. The field of plastic surgery is not named for use of plastic materials, but rather the meaning of the word plasticity, with regard to the reshaping of flesh.
The world’s first fully synthetic plastic was bakelite, invented in New York in 1907 by Leo Baekeland who coined the term ‘plastics’. Many chemists have contributed to the materials science of plastics, including Nobel laureate Hermann Staudinger who has been called “the father of polymer chemistry” and Herman Mark, known as “the father of polymer physics”.The success and dominance of plastics starting in the early 20th century led to environmental concerns regarding its slow decomposition rate after being discarded as trash due to its composition of large molecules. Toward the end of the century, one approach to this problem was met with wide efforts toward recycling.
Vinyl (noun)
The univalent radical CH2=CH−, derived from ethylene
Vinyl (noun)
Any of various compounds and substances containing the vinyl radical, especially various tough, flexible, shiny plastics
Vinyl (noun)
Phonograph records as a medium
“Many DJs prefer vinyl to CDs.”
Vinyl (adjective)
containing the vinyl radical
Vinyl (adjective)
Made of polyvinyl chloride.
Plastic (noun)
A synthetic, solid, hydrocarbon-based polymer, whether thermoplastic or thermosetting.
Plastic (noun)
Credit or debit cards used in place of cash to buy goods and services.
Plastic (noun)
Fakeness, or a person who is fake or arrogant, or believes that they are better than the rest of the population.
Plastic (noun)
A sculptor, moulder.
Plastic (noun)
Any solid but malleable substance.
Plastic (adjective)
Capable of being moulded; malleable, flexible, pliant. from 17th c.
“malleable|flexible|pliant|Thesaurus:moldable”
“elastic”
Plastic (adjective)
Producing tissue. from 17th c.
Plastic (adjective)
Creative, formative. from 17th c.
Plastic (adjective)
Capable of adapting to varying conditions; characterized by environmental adaptability. from 19th c.
Plastic (adjective)
Of or pertaining to the inelastic, non-brittle, deformation of a material. from 19th c.
Plastic (adjective)
Made of plastic. from 20th c.
Plastic (adjective)
Inferior or not the real thing. from 20th c.
“ersatz”
Plastic (adjective)
Fake.
“fake”
“genuine”
Vinyl (noun)
synthetic resin or plastic consisting of polyvinyl chloride or a related polymer, used for wallpapers and other covering materials and for gramophone records
“the vinyl is cut to size with a craft knife”
“vinyl floor tiles”
Vinyl (noun)
vinyl used as the standard material for records
“fans had to wait almost a year before the song eventually appeared on vinyl”
“sales of vinyl recordings”
Vinyl (noun)
a vinyl record
“he had plenty of tapes and vinyls”
Vinyl (noun)
of or denoting the unsaturated hydrocarbon radical —CH=CH₂, derived from ethylene by removal of a hydrogen atom
“a vinyl group”
Plastic (noun)
a synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such as polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc., that can be moulded into shape while soft, and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form
“mains pipes should be made of plastic or copper”
“bottles can be made from a variety of plastics”
Plastic (noun)
credit cards or other types of plastic card that can be used as money
“he pays with cash instead of with plastic”
Plastic (adjective)
made of plastic
“plastic bottles”
Plastic (adjective)
not genuine; artificial or unnatural
“a holiday rep with huge white teeth and a plastic smile”
“long-distance flights with their plastic food”
Plastic (adjective)
(of a substance or material) easily shaped or moulded
“rendering the material more plastic”
Plastic (adjective)
offering scope for creativity
“the writer is drawn to words as a plastic medium”
Plastic (adjective)
exhibiting adaptability to change or variety in the environment.
Plastic (adjective)
relating to moulding or modelling in three dimensions, or to produce three-dimensional effects
“the plastic arts”
Plastic (adjective)
(in science and technology) relating to the permanent deformation of a solid without fracture by the temporary application of force.
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