Imagine This cover image

How is plastic made?

Imagine This

CHAPTER

How to Make a Plastic Skin

Liquid is full of tiny hydrocarbon molecules just floating around. How do we make them join up? We add something called a catalyst. As the molecules start joining together in a long chain, the skin liquid becomes thick and sticky. Once it's thick enough, it'll get pushed into a long tube. The plastic is coming out. It's long tubes. Like noodles. Is it plastic now? Yep. But it doesn't look like anything. It's just plain pieces. Now these little plain pieces will get shipped into more factories around the world.

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