News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Kenyan recycles plastic waste into bricks stronger than concrete. Parent comment

Re:Kenyan recycles plastic waste into bricks stronger than c... by gumby on Wednesday February 10, 2021 @05:46PM (#26095858)
> Brick strength is measured in ability to withstand deformation under load and as far as I know there isn't any popular "plastic" that can do comparably.

By definition something plastic will deform, else it wouldn't be plastic! A "rigid plastic" would be like a "miniature giant"

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Kenyan recycles plastic waste into bricks stronger than c... by dogma1138 on Wednesday February 10, 2021 @05:59PM (#26096002)
The plasticity in their name refers to the plasticity during manufacturing which means they can be easily shaped or molded.

In their usable form plastics have varying modes of failure depending on their material properties, many of them do not deform at all under stress but rather shatter just like glass.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Kenyan recycles plastic waste into bricks stronger than c... by lmilcin on Wednesday February 10, 2021 @06:04PM (#26096062)
In this case the world "plastic" is used in its popular sense.

Vast majority of "plastics" are plastic in physical sense. But some are not. Some undergo physical or chemical change after they are cooled and are on longer plastic in the physical sense.

So maybe not "by definition".

[ Parent | on HN ]