The most important application of synthetic resins is the manufacture of plastics. In order to facilitate processing and improve performance, additives are often added, sometimes directly used for processing and forming, so it is often synonymous with plastic. The content of synthetic resin in plastics is generally 40-100%. Because the content is large, and the nature of the resin often determines the properties of the plastic, people often regard the resin as a synonym for plastic. For example, confuse polyvinyl chloride resin with polyvinyl chloride plastics, and phenolic resins with phenolic plastics. In fact, resin and plastic are two different concepts. Resin is an unprocessed raw polymer that is not only used to make plastics, but also a raw material for coatings, adhesives, and synthetic fibers. In addition to a very small part of plastics containing 100% resin, most plastics need to add other substances in addition to the main component resin.
Synthetic resin is also the basic raw material for the manufacture of synthetic fibers, paints, adhesives, insulating materials, etc., and the widely used resin concrete also uses synthetic resin as a cementing material. Because synthetic resin has obvious performance and cost advantages compared with other competitive materials, its application has penetrated into all aspects of the national economy. Packaging is the largest market for synthetic resins, followed by construction supplies. Electronics, electrics and automobiles are also very important application areas for synthetic resins. Other markets include furniture, toys, entertainment products, household appliances and medical supplies.
