GLOSSARY OF TERMS Words,Terms, & Phrases Used in the Plastic Industry ABRASION RESISTANCE: Ability to withstand the effects BACKFILL, UNCONSOLIDATED: Non-compacted of repeated wearing, rubbing, scraping, etc. material in place in trench. ACCEPTANCE TESTING: Testing performed on a prod- BEAM LOADING: The application of a load to a pipe uct to determine whether or not an individual lot of the between two points of support, usually expressed in newtons product conforms with specified requirements. (or pounds force) and the distance between the centers of ACIDS: One of a class of substances compounded of hydro- the supports. gen and one or more other elements, capable of uniting with BEDDING, n: Materials placed in the bottom of the trench a base to form a salt, and in aqueous solution, turning blue on top of the foundation soil which provides stable bottom litmus paper red. support for buried pipe including the trench bottom groove ACRYLATE RESINS: A class of thermoplastic resins pro- support angle or select material placed around the pipe, and duced by polymerization of acrylic acid derivatives. envelope or filter materials where used during insulation. ACRYLONITRILE-BUTADIENE-STYRENE (ABS) BEDDING, v: Placement of support materials for buried pipe. PIPE AND FITTING PLASTICS: Plastics containing BELL END: The enlarged portion of a pipe that resembles polymers or blends of polymers containing butadiene, acry- the socket portion of a fitting and that is intended to be used lonitrile, and styrene or substituted styrene plus lubricants, to make a joint. stabilizers, and colorants. BEVELED PIPE: A pipe with an end chamfered to assist in ADHESIVE: A substance capable of holding materials assembly into a socket connection. together by surface attachment. BLISTER: Undesirable rounded elevation of the surface AGING: The effect of time on plastics exposed indoors at of a plastic, whose boundaries may be either more or less ordinary conditions of temperature and relatively clean air. sharply defined, somewhat resembling in shape a blister on ALKALIES: Compounds capable of neutralizing acids and the human skin. A blister may burst and become flattened. usually characterized by an acrid taste. Can be mild like BOND: To attach by means of an adhesive. baking soda or highly caustic like lye. BRITTLE FAILURE: A pipe failure mode which exhibits ALIPHATIC: Derived from or related to fats and other no visible (to the naked eye) permanent material deforma- derivatives of the paraffin hydrocarbons, including unsatu- tion (stretching, elongation, or necking down) in the area of rated compounds of the ethylene and acetylene series. the break. ALKYD RESINS: A class of resins produced by condensa- BUILDING SANITARY SEWER: That part of the hori- tion of a polybasic acid or anhydride and a polyhydric alcohol. zontal piping of a sanitary drainage system which extends ALLYL RESINS: A class of resins produced from an ester from the building sanitary drain, receives the discharge of or other derivative of allyl alcohol by polymerization. the building sanitary drain, and conveys it to a public sewer, private sewer, individual sewage disposal system, or other ANIONS: Atoms or group of atoms carrying a negative point of disposal. charge. The charge results because there are more electrons than protons in the anion. Anions can be a source of micro BUILDING STORM SEWER: That part of the horizontal contamination in high purity water applications. piping of a storm drainage system which extends from the building storm drain, receives the discharge of the building ANNEAL: To prevent the formation of or remove stresses in storm drain, and conveys it to a public storm sewer, private plastics parts by controlled cooling from a suitable temperature. storm sewer, or other point of disposal. APPARENT DENSITY: The weight per unit volume of a BURNED: Showing evidence of thermal decomposition material including voids inherent in the material as tested. through some discoloration, distortion, or destruction of the AROMATIC: A large class of cyclic organic compounds surface of the plastic. derived from, or characterized by the presence of the benzene CALENDERING: A process by which a heated rubber ring and its homologs. plastic product is squeezed between heavy rollers into a thin AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION (AHJ): the sheet or film. The film may be frictioned into the interstices individual official, board, department, or agency established of cloth, or it may be coated onto cloth or paper. and authorized by a state, county, city, or other political sub- CAST RESIN: A resinous product prepared by pouring liq- division, created by law to administer and enforce specified uid resins into a mold and heat treating the mass to harden it. requirements. CATALYSIS: The acceleration (or retardation) of the speed BACKFILL: All material used to fill the trench from bed- of a chemical reaction by the presence of a comparatively ding to finished surface. small amount of a foreign substance called a catalyst. BACKFILL, FINAL: Material used to fill the trench from CATIONS: Atoms or group of atoms carrying a positive initial backfill to finished surface. charge. The charge results because there are more protons BACKFILL, INITIAL: Material used to fill the trench than electrons in the cation. Cations can be a source of micro from top of bedding to a designated height over the pipe. contamination in high purity water applications. 82 GLOSSARY OF TERMS CELLULOSE: Inert substance, chemically a carbohydrate, DEGRADATION: A deleterious change in the chemical which is the chief component of the solid structure of plants, structure of a plastic. wood, cotton, linen, etc. DEIONIZED RESINS (DI RESINS): Electrically charged CELLULOSE ACETATE: A class of resins made from a synthetic resin beads (typically produced from polystyrene cellulose base, either cotton linters or purified wood pulp, by resins) used to remove ionic contaminants as a means of the action of acetic anhydride and acetic acid. purifying water through the ion exchange process. CEMENT: A dispersion of "solution" of unvulcanized rub- DEIONIZED WATER (DI WATER): Water that has ber or a plastic in a volatile solvent. This meaning is peculiar been purified by removing dissolved solids through an ion to the plastics and rubber industries and may or may not be exchange process where ionic contaminants are removed. an adhesive composition (See also Solvent Cement). DELAMINATION: The separation of the layers of material CHLORINATED POLY VINYL CHLORIDE PLASTICS in a laminate. (CPVC): Plastics based on chlorinated poly (vinyl chloride) DETECTION LIMIT (DL): With regard to micro con- in which the chlorinated poly (vinyl chloride) is in the greatest taminant analysis, it is the lowest measurable quantity of a amount by weight. particular element that is detectable by the analytical detec- COALESCENCE: The union or fusing together of fluid tion method used. globules or particles to form larger drops or a continuous mass. DETERIORATION: A permanent change in the physical COEXTRUSION: A process whereby two or more heated or properties of a plastic evidenced by impairment of these unheated plastic material streams forced through one or more properties. shaping orifice(s) become one continuously formed piece. DIELECTRIC CONSTANT: Specific inductive capacity. COLD FLOW: Change in dimensions or shape of some The dielectric constant of a material is the ratio of the capaci- materials when subjected to external weight or pressure at tance of a condenser having that material as dielectric to the room temperature. capacity of the same condenser having a vacuum as dielectric. COMPACTION, SOIL: Act of packing soil with mechani- DIELECTRIC STRENGTH: This is the force required cal force to increase its density. to drive an electric current through a definite thickness of COMPOSITE PIPE: Pipe consisting of two or more dif- the material; the voltage required to break down a specified ferent materials arranged with specific functional purpose to thickness of insulation. serve as pipe. DIFFUSION: The migration or wandering of the particles COMPOUND: A combination of ingredients before being or molecules of a body of fluid matter away from the main processed or made into a finished product. Sometimes used body through a medium or into another medium. as a synonym for material, formulation. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Ability of a plastic part to CONDENSATION: A chemical reaction in which two or maintain its original proportions under conditions of use. more molecules combine, usually with the separation of DIMENSION RATIO (DR): The average specified diameter water or some other simple substance. of a pipe or tubing divided by the minimum specified wall thick- CONDUCTIVITY: Inverse of resistivity, used to assess ness. The DR values shall be rounded to the nearest 0.5 unless ionic concentration by measuring conductance of flow of otherwise specified (See also Standard Dimensional Ratio). electric current. DUCTILE FAILURE: A pipe failure mode which exhibits CONDUIT: A tubular raceway for carrying electric wires, material deformation (stretching, elongation, or necking cables, or other conductors. down) in the area of the break. COPOLYMER: The product of simultaneous polymeriza- DUROMETER: Trade name of the Shore Instrument tion of two or more polymerizeable chemicals, commonly Company for an instrument that measures hardness. The known as monomers. rubber or plastics durometer determines the "hardness" of rubber or plastics by measuring the depth of penetration CRAZING: