COMPARISON OF MATERIAL

PLASTIC AND GLASS

a. Fragility

Glass is generally breakable material (fragile) compared to plastic.

- Plastic

Plastic is a synthetic material produced for industrial usage. The actual physical

characteristics of plastics differ because of their specific components or polymer

composition (hydrogen and carbon). This material is more malleable than glass because it

can be pressed into various shapes.

- Glass

Glass is a solid material made of silica (quartz sand) that is typically fragile. This means

that it is easily breakable. Glass does not change shape when it is given a compressive

force, it actually makes the glass break.

b. Biodegradability

Biodegradability is the ability to decompose with the help of microorganism.

Glass is a more eco-friendly material that has a greater potential for being recycled

compared to plastic.

- Plastic

Plastic is synthetic polymers made from petroleum which is difficult to decompose in

nature. It takes a long time to decompose it which can lasts for many hundreds or

thousands of years. Thus, it is clear that plastic has a big problem with the environment

because it is difficult to biodegradate.

- Glass

The manufacture of glass does not require petroleum products or hydrocarbons used in

the manufacture of plastic. Glass made of silica, one of the most common natural
ingredients in the earth. Therefore, glass has a better recycling potential than plastic. If

recycled properly, glass is a more reusable material than plastic. When glass is recycled,

it is ordinarily reused as the same old glass.

c. Conductivity

Conductivity is the ability of an object to deliver heat. In addition, conductivity also

depends on the nature of each ingredient.

- Plastic

Plastics are more difficult to deliver heat than glass because plastic is an insulator.

Insulators are absorbing or harboring heat, making it difficult to transfer energy.

- Glass

Glass is a conductor, which is an object that easily conducts heat. Conductors are energy

channels. Therefore, the conductor easily conducts heat.

d. Weight

Glass is heavier than plastic.

- Plastic

Plastic have many microscopic air balls within their structure. These air balls which have

been trapped inside the plastics structure cause the plastics to have a ligher weight than

glass.

- Glass

Glass on the other hand consist of few-er and smaller microscopic air balls than plastic.

Glass also generally has larger and heavier molecules than plastic.