A useful image of the structure is a mass of randomly distributed long strands of sticky wool. When the material is heated the intermolecular forces are weakened so that is becomes soft and flexible and eventually, at high temperatures, it is a viscous melt. When the material is allowed to cool it solidifies again. This cycle of softening by heat and solidifying when cooled can be repeated more or less indefinitely and is a definite advantage in that it is the basis of most processing methods for these materials. It does have its drawbacks, however, because it means that the properties of thermoplastics are heat sensitive. A useful analogy which is often used to describe these materials is that like candle wax they can be repeatedly softened by heat and will solidify when cooled.

（1） 热塑性材料。在热塑性材料中象长链一样的分子间力是相对较弱的范德华力。对于结构一个有效的比喻是一大团自由分布的粘性纤维长线。当材料被加热时，内部的分子作用力变弱，以致变得柔软和柔韧，最终在高温下，成为粘性熔融体。当材料被冷却时再次固化。加热软化、冷却固化大体上能反复多次地循环，对于材料这是一个明显的优点，也是许多加工方法的基础。然而，热塑性材料的确有其缺点，因为这意味着热塑性塑料的特性是热敏的。常常用于描述这些材料的有效比拟是象烛蜡加热能够反复软化而当冷却时又将固化。

Examples of thermoplastics are polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, nylon, cellulose acetate, acetal, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate and polypropylene.

热塑性塑料的例子是聚乙烯、聚氯乙烯、聚苯乙烯、尼龙、醋酸纤维素、聚甲醛、聚碳酸酯、聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯和聚丙烯。

(2) Thermosetting materials. A thermosetting material is produced by a chemical reaction which has two stages. The first stage results in the formation of long chain-like molecules similar to those present in thermoplastics, but still capable of further reaction. The second stage of the reaction takes place during moulding, usually under the application of heat and pressure. The resultant moulding will be rigid when cooled but a close network structure has been set up within the material. During the second stage the long molecular chains have been interlinked by strong bonds so that the material cannot be softened again by the application of heat. If excess heat is applied to these materials they will char