Plastics are artificially made materials, composed of macromolecules. The structure and the molecular weight determine the physical and mechanical properties of the plastic.

The new plastic is usually named after the basic molecule (monomer) of which it is composed of and where to a prefix is added.

• Example: PE = poly-ethylene, PA = poly-amide

Sometimes , the name of the plastic refers to the molecular structure of the basic molecules.

• Example: the distinction between PA 6 and PA 11

Plastics composed of different kinds of monomers (co-polymers) often receive their name by enumeration of the names of the monomers.

• Example: ABS = Acrylonitile - Butadiene - Styrene