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thermosetting plastic

chemical compound
Also known as: thermosetting resin

Quick Summary

Thermosetting plastics are a type of polymer that permanently hardens when heated or cured. Unlike thermoplastics, which can be repeatedly softened and reshaped, thermosets undergo a chemical reaction during their initial processing, forming an infusible, insoluble network structure. This means the entire finished article essentially becomes one large molecule.12

Thermosets are solidified by heating, which initiates the necessary chemical reactions for network formation. This process results in a material that does not melt upon reheating and remains dimensionally stable until chemical degradation occurs. Examples of thermosetting resins include epoxies, phenol formaldehyde, and urea-formaldehyde.3452

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