Is plastic a conductor or an insulator?

Is plastic a conductor or an insulator? First, let’s understand the difference between the two: A conductor is a substance that has a small resistivity and conducts electricity easily. An insulator is a substance that does not conduct electricity under normal circumstances. The characteristics of insulators are that the positive and negative charges in the molecules are tightly bound, and there are very few charged particles that can move freely, and their resistivity is large. When an insulator is irradiated with light with energy greater than the band gap, electrons in the valence band are excited to the conduction band, leaving holes in the valence band, both of which can conduct electricity, a phenomenon known as photoconductivity. Most insulators have polarization properties, so insulators are sometimes called dielectrics. Insulators are insulating under normal voltages. When the voltage increases to a certain limit, dielectric breakdown will occur and the insulating state will be destroyed.

Plastics can be divided into two categories: thermosetting and thermoplastic. The former cannot be reshaped for use, and the latter can be re-produced. Thermoplasticity has a large physical elongation, generally 50% to 500%. The force does not vary completely linearly at different elongations.
The main component of plastic is resin. Resin refers to a polymer compound that has not been mixed with various additives. The term resin was originally named for the lipids secreted by animals and plants, such as rosin and shellac.
Plastics are insulators, but there are many kinds of plastics. The electrical properties of various plastics are different, and the dielectric strength is also different.