塑料与别的资料比拟有如下的特征：
　　〈1〉 耐化学腐蚀。
　　〈2〉 具光芒，部份通明或半通明。
　　〈3〉 大局部为精良绝缘体。
　　〈4〉 分量轻且牢固。
　　〈5〉 加工轻易可大批出产，价钱廉价。
　　〈6〉 用处普遍、功效多、轻易着色、局部耐低温。
　　塑料也辨别为泛用性塑料及工程塑料，重如果用处的普遍性来界定，如PE、PP价钱廉价，可用在多种差别型态的机器上出产。工程塑料则价钱较昂贵，但质料稳性及物理物性均好良多，个别而言，其同时存在刚性与韧性两种特征。

Plastics and other materials have the following characteristics:
< 1 > Resistance to chemical erosion.
< 2 > shiny, partially transparent or translucent.
< 3 > Most of them are good insulators.
< 4 > Light and strong.
< 5 > Processing is easy to produce in large quantities and the price is cheap.
< 6 > Widespread use, utility, easy coloring, part of high temperature resistance.
Plastics are also divided into generic plastics and engineering plastics, which are mainly defined by the wide range of uses. For example, PE and PP are cheap and can be produced on a variety of different types of machines. Engineering plastics are more expensive, but the material stability and physical properties are much better. In general, they have both rigid and toughness characteristics.