plasticize
/'plæstisaiz/
Definition
Transitive Verb:
- To make a material plastic or more flexible, typically by adding a substance called a plasticizer.
- To cause something to become moldable or adaptable.
Intransitive Verb:
- To become plastic or more flexible, often as a result of having a plasticizer added.
Usage
- Transitive Verb: The action is performed on an object (e.g., a material).
- Intransitive Verb: The action describes a change of state in the subject itself.
Examples
- Transitive Verb:
- The chemist worked to plasticize the resin so it could be molded into complex shapes.
- Manufacturers often plasticize PVC to make it suitable for products like shower curtains and flexible tubing.
- Intransitive Verb:
- When heated with the additive, the polymer began to plasticize.
- Over time, the old film can plasticize and become sticky.
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Industrial Context: The term is most commonly used in chemistry, materials science, and manufacturing.
- The goal of the process is to plasticize the compound without degrading its structural integrity.
- Figurative Use (Less Common): Sometimes used metaphorically to describe making something adaptable.
- The new policies seemed designed to plasticize the organization's rigid hierarchy.
Variants and Related Words
- Plasticizer (n): A substance added to a material to make it soft or plastic.
- Phthalates are common plasticizers used in vinyl products.
- Plasticization (n): The process of making something plastic.
- The plasticization of the polymer was complete after three hours.
Synonyms
- Soften (in the context of making flexible)
- Malleabilize (to make malleable)
- Flexibilize
Antonyms
- Harden
- Stiffen
- Rigidify
Related Phrases/Idioms
No common idioms or phrasal verbs are directly associated with the technical verb "plasticize".
Verb
-
make plastic, as by the addition of a plasticizer
-
plasticized PVC
-
-
become plastic, as by having a plasticizer added
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