From Atoms to Materials

STEM paperweight 紙鎮 epoxy resins 環氧樹脂 / 水晶膠 hardener 硬化劑 cross-link 交聯 epoxy resin hardener 13.6 Making plastics What starting materials do I need? Where can I get them? Any necessary safety precautions for this activity? A set of epoxy resin usually comes with a hardener*. When they are mixed together, hardener molecules form cross-links* between epoxy resin molecules. A complex cross-linked network is formed. It makes the plastic hard and strong. Part of a network of epoxy resin and hardener molecules epoxy resin molecule hardener molecule Let’s try making a plastic paperweight* using polystyrene or epoxy resins*. You have to find out how to make the plastic, and also design and make your paperweight. 13 From Atoms to Materials 95 © United Prime Educational Publishing (HK) Limited 2024 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Sample