A representative from PlastiVan, Mrs. Egan, presented about the plastic industry - the application of plastics in everyday life, the chemistry of plastic polymers, the different types of plastics and their uses based on their properties, and careers in the plastic industry including application engineer, material scientist, polymer scientist, trades, marketing, sales, sustainability, etc. Mrs. Egan presented to the 10th-grade chemistry classes as well as the honors anatomy and physiology classes. Students made slime to see how mixing two liquids can create an endothermic chemical reaction producing a solid with a new texture - sime, skewered a balloon without bursting it to see how certain polymers (plastics) can move and "seal" the holes skewered into the balloons, and finally students learned how oil spills are cleaned up using a hydrophobic polymer that will absorb oil but not water.
Through lively demonstrations and hands-on activities, the PlastiVan® Program is designed to excite students about opportunities in science and engineering within the plastics industry. Students are educated about the chemistry, history, processing, manufacturing, and sustainability of plastics and how the science and real-world applications relate to their everyday lives. PlastiVan provides sound science and educational programs that spark scientific curiosity in students while increasing their knowledge of the contribution plastics make to modern life; encouraging them to seek careers in engineering. The program is aligned with NGSS standards.
